The US Secretary of State attacks the Venezuelan government. “They cooperate with terrorists”
The head of American diplomacy said at Friday's press conference that the greatest threat to the United States in the Western Hemisphere are “transnational terrorist criminal groups” that are mainly focused on drug smuggling, but also conduct other activities.
Marco Rubio noted that the Americans are cooperating with many countries in the region in connection with this challenge. He assessed, among other things, that cooperation with Mexico is “at the highest level in history.”
— There is one place that is not cooperating and that is the illegal regime in Venezuela. Not only are they not cooperating with us, they are openly cooperating with terrorists and criminal elements, said the US Secretary of State.
The article continues below the video
What accusations did Marco Rubio make against Venezuela?
What support does Russia provide to the Maduro government?
What actions is the United States taking against Venezuela?
What military forces have the Americans gathered in the region?
The US Secretary of State attacks Venezuela. “We expected this from Russia”
The head of American diplomacy said that the United States expected that Russia would provide rhetorical support to the regime of Nicolas Maduro. However, he added that he did not expect an escalation in relations with Russia due to the situation in Venezuela. – I think they are busy with Ukraine – he said.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow said it was concerned about US decisions that allegedly “threaten international shipping.” The Russians also expressed hope that “Donald Trump's administration will not make a mistake regarding Venezuela.”
On December 11, the Kremlin announced in a statement that Vladimir Putin expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and “confirmed his support for the policy of the government of Nicolas Maduro, which aims to protect national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure.”
Americans hit Venezuelan drug boats
The United States has been accusing Nicolas Maduro of running a drug cartel and has been attacking boats that – according to US services – transport drugs to the United States for several weeks. Last week, American forces also seized a sanctioned tanker off the coast of Venezuela and announced the confiscation of the transported oil, the value of which is estimated at approximately USD 80 million (approx. PLN 290 million).
The Americans also gathered significant military forces in the region. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced a “blockade” of sanctioned tankers entering and leaving Venezuelan ports. He also declared that the Nicolas Maduro regime is a “foreign terrorist organization.”
