UNSC Playing Crucial Role In Preventing Change Of Power In Venezuela - Saint Vincent

UNSC Playing Crucial Role in Preventing Change of Power in Venezuela - Saint Vincent

The United Nations Security Council has played a crucial role in preventing a change of government in Venezuela, despite the best efforts of the United States to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told Sputnik

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2020) The United Nations Security Council has played a crucial role in preventing a change of government in Venezuela, despite the best efforts of the United States to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told Sputnik.

The prime minister reaffirmed his support for the UN Security Council, which he stated was a crucial framework for establishing dialogue and ensuring multilateralism in the resolution of global tensions and conflicts, such as Syria, Libya, and in particular, Venezuela.

"The UNSC remains very relevant because one of the reasons that I think that the US for example has been unable to impose its will on Venezuela is because the Security Council wouldn't [allow] that," Gonsalves remarked.

The United States has actively supported Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela in January 2019 in a bid to oust re-elected Maduro. China, Russia, Turkey and a number of other states have stood firm behind Maduro, something that the Saint Vincent and Grenadines prime minister noted.

"Let me take Venezuela. Last year the Americans and the European and the Lima group were saying that the world supports Guiado. But there are 53 countries that supported Guaido, and the UN is 193 countries, so 140 continued to support the government of Nicolas Maduro," Gonsalves remarked.

The prime minister stated that his country is categorically against foreign interference in any state's domestic affairs, particularly in the case of Venezuela.

"In relation to Venezuela it's well-known that Saint Vincent and Grenadines has a very strong position against the Lima group, what they are seeking to do, and the USA, trying to have a regime change in Venezuela. We [stand on] ... the principles of non-intervention and non-interference in the own affairs of the country," the prime minister stated.

The Lima Group was established by 12 countries at a meeting in the Peruvian capital in 2017 in a bid to influence the situation in Venezuela. The group has publicly announced its support of opposition leader Guaido to assume the role of Venezuelan president.