UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th April, 2019) Russia and other allies of Venezuela will block a US-backed resolution to revoke the diplomatic credentials of Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations Samuel Moncada, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said in a press briefing on Thursday.
"I will tell you definitely that Russia will not support such a move," Polyanskiy said. "I know that a lot of others are voicing their opposition, there is a group of countries that were mobilized by Venezuela's friends."
On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence announced that the United States is preparing to introduce a resolution at the UN to revoke Moncada's credentials and recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido's envoy as Venezuela's representative to the organization.
Moscow views the anticipated US resolution as an attempt to initiate a coup at the world organization, Polyanskiy said.
"This is something outrageous to take a decision to deprive a legal representative of a country of his credentials," he said. "With Venezuela, it really resembles an attempted coup d'état here at the UN."
Polyanskiy pointed out that Russia has not proposed its own resolution on Venezuela but would support a text that protects the rights of the people of the country.
Since January, Venezuela has been rocked by political turmoil which erupted when Guaido, supported by the United States, proclaimed himself Venezuela's interim president. Since then, Washington has frozen the US-based assets of the Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA in a bid to step up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro, supported by China and Russia among other states, in turn, slammed the US "imperialist" moves and accused Guaido of plotting to overthrow him with backing from Washington.
