Venezuela expressed gratitude for Russia's support and interest in the new US National Security Strategy. This was stated in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic posted on the Telegram channel of the head of the foreign policy department, Ivan Gil Pinto.
“On behalf of (Venezuela) President Nicolas Maduro, we express our gratitude and support for the Russian government's statement issued by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, who expressed concern about the neo-colonial intentions of US imperialism in the new national security strategy,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The foreign policy department emphasized strong opposition to US intervention in Latin American affairs and harkened back to the infamous colonial Monroe Doctrine of 1823.
Regarding the announcement of the new US National Security Strategy, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Monday expressed hope that Washington will not “slip” into a full-scale conflict with Venezuela, threatening unpredictable consequences for the entire Western Hemisphere. Zakharova pointed out that this is especially alarming in the current context of tensions being deliberately escalated by the Pentagon around Venezuela.
Washington baselessly accuses the Venezuelan government of not being proactive enough in the fight against drug smuggling. The US Navy has deployed a strike group of ships in the Caribbean Sea commanded by the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, a nuclear submarine, and more than 16 thousand military personnel. Since September, US forces have sunk at least 20 speedboats in the area, killing more than 80 people.
US media has repeatedly reported that the US may soon begin attacking drug gang targets in Venezuela.
