Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday accused the US of plotting a “coup” against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in a dispute over Russian military assistance for the crisis-hit country.
Lavrov said in a statement he had complained of “attempts by Washington to organise a coup d’etat in Venezuela” during a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The statement said such moves “constitute violations of the UN charter and undisguised interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state”.
Pompeo earlier warned Russia that the US will not “stand idly by” as Moscow inserts military personnel into Venezuela to support Maduro, a state department statement said.
Russian state news agency Sputnik reported on Sunday that two Russian military planes delivered troops and equipment to Venezuela over the weekend.
Lavrov did not comment on that report.
Russian military officials are in Venezuela for talks on defence industry co-operation, Russian state media reported
Russian weapons manufacturer Kalashnikov previously announced plans to begin assembling AK-103 assault rifles at a factory in Venezuela by the end of this year, with an annual capacity of 25,000.
In a show of solidarity in December, Russian and Venezuelan forces conducted a joint military exercise in the South American country. The exercise involved two nuclear-capable Russian Tu-160 bombers. It
evoked condemnation from the Organisation of American States, which comprises 35 countries in North and South America.
Pompeo said Russian military reinforcements were prolonging the political crisis in the South American country.
Pompeo also called on Russia to “cease its unconstructive behaviour” by supporting Maduro during the phone call, the state department earlier said
Spokesman Robert Palladino said “the secretary told Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov that the US and regional countries will not stand idly by as Russia exacerbates tensions in Venezuela,” Palladino said in a statement.
The state department statement did not refer to the arrival of the Russian passenger jet and a military cargo plane, although it condemned Russian military support for the “illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro.”
During the call with Lavrov, Pompeo urged Moscow to join the US and regional countries in backing opposition leader Juan Guaido.
The Trump administration has imposed crippling sanctions on the Opec nation’s oil industry.
On Friday it sanctioned its development bank, Bandes, in efforts to choke off financial flows to Maduro’s government and called on Venezuelan military leaders to abandon him.
People evacuate the Venezuelan National Assembly building during a partial power outage in Caracas yesterday. A new power outage hit large areas of Venezuela yesterday, including Caracas, two weeks after the massive March 7 blackout that paralysed the country for a week.
