UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2019) The United Nations Security Council at the request of the United States on Thursday will vote on a draft resolution calling for new presidential elections in Venezuela, a diplomatic source told Sputnik.
"The voting is planned to take place tomorrow (Thursday)," the source said on Wednesday.
The US-sponsored draft document calls for holding presidential elections under international observation, as well as facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Venezuela.
In addition, the resolution requests that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres implement UN mitigation efforts to ensure "free, fair, and credible presidential elections," the text of the document says.
On Tuesday, at the request of the US side, the Security Council held a meeting on the situation in Venezuela. US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams ahead of the session announced that the United States would reintroduce a UN resolution this week calling for humanitarian aid delivery to Venezuela.
Russia has prepared its own draft document in support of Venezuela, calling on UN member-states to halt attempts to intervene in the Latin American country's foreign affairs and stressing the need for a peaceful settlement to the crisis.
Venezuela is currently going through a political crisis. On January 5, lawmaker Juan Guaido was elected as the president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which all other government branches have been refusing to recognize since 2016.
On January 23, two days after the Venezuelan Supreme Court annulled his election, Guaido declared himself the country's "interim president." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was sworn in for his second presidential term on January 10 after winning the May election, which part of the opposition boycotted, called Guaido's move an attempt to stage a coup orchestrated by Washington.
The United States immediately recognized Guaido, and around 50 other countries followed suit. Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia and a number of other countries have meanwhile voiced their support for the legitimate government of Maduro. Mexico and Uruguay have refused to recognize Guaido, declaring themselves neutral and promoting crisis settlement via dialogue.
