Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC Briefing on Venezuela: “Apparently, the White House has decided to take out of mothballs the well-worn practice of leveraging the need to combat terrorism to justify overt aggression and interference in the affairs of sovereign States”

Photo: The Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations

Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at a UN Security Council Briefing on Venezuela:

Mr. President,

We would like to thank Khaled Khiari for his briefing.

For several months now, the entire world has been watching the United States deliberately fomenting tensions around Venezuela, which is a friend of ours. While doing that under the pretext of combating drug trafficking and terrorist threats, the US is illegally destroying civilian vessels in the Caribbean Sea. At the previous meeting of the Council, we all had the opportunity to see that this artificial smokescreen conceals the desire of the US to scale up its military presence and exert greater pressure on an independent State whose policies are not to the liking of Washington.

Apparently, the White House has decided to take out of mothballs the well-worn practice of leveraging the need to combat terrorism to justify overt aggression and interference in the affairs of sovereign States. This time, it is the legitimate government of the Bolivarian Republic that has been labeled as a “foreign terrorist organization.” There are attempts to convince us all of the mendacious rationale that a decision by the US authorities alone is enough to turn a sovereign State into a criminal enterprise, and any use of force against such a State can now be called a “law enforcement operation” and “defense of national interests.”

We see no point in delving into the absurd American pseudo-legal methods, given how untenable and profoundly inconsistent with international law they are, especially since Washington itself has candidly admitted this. The statement by the US President of December 16 needs no further interpretation. This is a direct claim on the natural wealth and soil of another State, and an open, if not flagrant, exertion of military, political, and economic pressure, geared towards changing an inconvenient regime. The US is already shoring up its intentions with acts of outright piracy aimed at seizing sovereign natural resources, which we have observed over the past week.

We firmly condemn the seizure of oil tankers by the US troops and the de facto imposition of a naval blockade on Venezuela. The actions by the US violate all key norms of international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Security Council resolutions, and the Charter of the United Nations itself.

Colleagues,

The illegal US blockade of Venezuela's coastline is a genuine act of aggression. It is also evident that Washington bears the responsibility for the catastrophic effects of such “cowboy diplomacy” faced by the residents of the country under blockade.

Unfortunately, there is every reason to believe that these are not one-off acts by the US vis-à-vis Venezuela. This unfolding intervention could become a template for future acts of using force against Latin American States in accordance with the so-called “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine, which was enshrined in the recently published US National Security Strategy. This is an unambiguous message to all countries of the region that are seeking to pursue a sovereign policy and are willing to independently shape their economic, political, and cultural systems. Washington is ready to respect your independence and take your interests into account only until you accommodate the interests of the United States and conduct a policy that benefits them. As soon as you are tempted to do something for the benefit of your people, you will be treated the same way as Venezuela is being treated now. So don't ask for whom the bell tolls, the bell tolls for you.

We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people as they face the challenges that have befallen them, and we support the policy taken by the government of Nicolás Maduro, geared towards protecting the national interests and sovereignty of their homeland. We stand convinced that all those for whom international law is not a mere buzzword are duty-bound to stand with Venezuela.

We note that Caracas has consistently demonstrated its readiness to engage in dialogue and cooperation with Washington, as well as to jointly and effectively combat both drug-trafficking and real, rather than imagined, terrorism. By all accounts, all countries in the region advocate for peaceful means of resolving differences and stand for multilateral cooperation in these areas. However, Washington turns a blind eye to all this, obstinately embracing its destructive policy, which is fraught with grave repercussions for the region and the world as a whole.

We regret that the new US administration, which has been sober and pragmatic vis-à-vis other crisis situations, remains hostage to approaches that it itself actively criticizes when it comes to Venezuela. We trust that common sense will indeed prevail and that Washington will be able to stop at the right time and prevent a fatal error that would inevitably undermine long-term US national interests. Latin America remains for now a zone of peace, and a full-fledged armed conflict there is the last thing humanity needs today, with President Trump having promised to rid humanity of conflicts. Unfortunately, the situation is not improving, and the US continues to sow chaos in the Western Hemisphere, largely nullifying positive outcomes achieved through actions and initiatives of the new US leader, and casting doubt on his true intentions in the global context.

Thank you.

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