Russia in UN denounces US attack on Venezuela, calls for release of Venezuelan leader

Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has called on the United States to immediately release Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who are being held in custody in New York.

Source: Nebenzya at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Venezuela, as reported by Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency Interfax

Quote: "In connection with confirmed information about the whereabouts of abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in the United States – as of today, to the best of our knowledge, in New York – we call on the American leadership to immediately release the lawfully elected president of an independent state and his wife."

Details: Nebenzya added that "any problems and disputes that exist between the United States and Venezuela must be resolved through negotiations".

The permanent representative noted, "There are no and can be no justifications for the crime cynically committed by the United States in Caracas."

"We strongly condemn the act of armed aggression by the United States against Venezuela committed in violation of all international legal norms," Nebenzya said.

Background:

• On the morning of 3 January, explosions were reported in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. A state of emergency has been declared in Venezuela over what authorities described as an "extremely serious military aggression carried out by the current government of the United States".
• US President Donald Trump said that Maduro and his wife had been captured and taken out of the country as part of a special operation.
• Later, media outlets reported that the aircraft carrying the captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had arrived at Stewart Air Force Base in New York.
• The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez would assume the duties of president during Maduro's absence.
• The European Union issued a statement saying that it does not consider Nicolás Maduro to be the legitimately elected president of Venezuela and supports the fight against transnational organised crime and drug trafficking, while at the same time calling for these challenges to be addressed in full compliance with international law.
• Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the US armed aggression against Venezuela on 3 January and expressed deep concern.

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