MOSCOW — Russia warned the U.S. on Thursday not to intervene militarily in Venezuela, saying such a move would trigger a catastrophe. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president on Wednesday, winning the backing of Washington and prompting socialist incumbent Nicolas Maduro to sever diplomatic relations with the United States. Violence flared during big protests across Venezuela, and at least seven deaths were reported. In an interview with Russian journal International Affairs published on Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would stand with Venezuela to protect its sovereignty and the principle of non-interference in its domestic affairs. Venezuela's National Assembly head Juan Guaido declares himself the country's "acting president" during a mass opposition rally on Wednesday. Federico Parra / AFP - Getty Images Asked about the prospect of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, Ryabkov said Washington should steer well clear. "We warn against that," he said. "We consider that would be a catastrophic scenario that would shake the foundations of the development model which we see in Latin America." President Donald Trump has promised to use the "full weight" of U.S. economic and diplomatic power to push for the restoration of Venezuela's democracy. The prospect of Maduro being ousted is a geopolitical and economic headache for Moscow which, alongside China, has become a lender of last resort for Caracas, lending it billions of dollars as its economy implodes. Millions of people have fled the country in recent years to escape sky-high inflation and food shortages. Ryabkov did not mention Maduro by name, but made clear Moscow backed his government. "Venezuela is friendly to us and is our strategic partner," he said. "We have supported them and will support them." Russia has also provided military support to Maduro, who has led the oil-rich nation since 2013. Two Russian strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons landed in Venezuela last month in a show of a support that infuriated Washington. Maduro visited Moscow in December, seeking Russia's political and financial support. China also called on the U.S. to stay out of Venezuela's political crisis and said it opposes all outside intervention there. Over the last decade, China has given Venezuela $65 billion in loans, cash and investment. Venezuela owes more than $20 billion. Iran described the opposition's claim there that it holds the presidency as a "coup" and an attempt to take over power unlawfully. Supporting Juan Guaido as interim president 🇺🇸USA 🇨🇦Canada 🇧🇷Brazil 🇵🇾Paraguay 🇨🇴Colombia 🇵🇪Peru 🇪🇨Ecador 🇨🇷Costa Rica 🇦🇷Argentina 🇨🇱Chile 🇬🇹Guatemala 🇽🇰Kosovo 🇭🇳Honduras Supporting current President Nicolás Maduro 🇲🇽Mexico 🇨🇺Cuba 🇧🇴Bolivia 🇹🇷Turkey 🇷🇺Russia 🇸🇾Syria#Venezuela — Conflict News (@Conflicts) January 24, 2019 And a senior official said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had called Maduro to voice his support. Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin tweeted early Thursday that the leader of the NATO member told Maduro: "'My brother Maduro! Stay strong, we are by your side.'" However, while the European Union called for Venezuelan authorities to respect the "civil rights, freedom and safety" of Guaido it stopped short of following Washington and recognizing him as interim president. Guaido, 35, was a virtually unknown lawmaker at the start of the year. Tensions began ramping up earlier this month as Maduro took the oath of office for a second six-year term won in an election last May that many in the region contend was not free or fair because his strongest opponents were barred from running. But Guaido declared Wednesday that the constitution gives him, as president of the congress, the authority to take over as interim president and form a transitional government.<doc-sep>Venezuela’s military leaders came down squarely Thursday on the side of embattled President Nicolas Maduro, giving a boost to the socialist leader in the fight to save his job and setting the stage for a long, potentially violent standoff that carries deep geopolitical implications from Caracas to Washington. Trump administration officials and countries around the hemisphere stood firmly behind their decision to renounce Mr. Maduro and instead recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s rightful president, but the country’s military — which wields extraordinary power and traditionally has had a critical say in political disputes — rejected the U.S.-led diplomatic assault on the Maduro regime and issued thinly veiled threats against U.S. Embassy personnel in Caracas. They also cast Mr. Guaido’s claim to be Venezuela’s true president as little more than an attempted coup and found diplomatic allies in Russia, Turkey, China and Iran, all of which publicly backed the Maduro government while warning the U.S. not to intervene. “It’s not a war between Venezuelans that will solve our problems,” Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said during an address on state-run television. “It’s dialogue.” The long-awaited declaration from military leaders sets the stage for an unprecedented political standoff in Caracas, where anger and frustration with Mr. Maduro have boiled over and led to deadly protests against the government and counterdemonstrations supporting the president. At least 14 people have been killed in those clashes, according to the Venezuelan Education-Action Program on Human Rights. Mr. Guaido, who made an open call for military support at Wednesday’s massive protests against the government, was largely out of view Thursday, and his whereabouts were not made public. Witnesses said the streets of Caracas were relatively quiet after a day of excitement and clashes. Mr. Maduro, a protege of the late anti-U.S. populist leader Hugo Chavez, claimed a second six-year term last week, but much of the international community and domestic political opponents denounced the election as illegitimate. Mr. Maduro’s time in office has been marked by political repression, food shortages and crackdowns that have sparked a major refugee crisis that threatens to destabilize the region. The U.S. government joined the Organization of American States and governments across the hemisphere on Wednesday in recognizing Mr. Guaido as president and calling for Mr. Maduro to leave office peacefully. Mr. Maduro quickly responded by breaking off diplomatic ties with the U.S. and demanded that American diplomats leave the country. On Thursday, he ordered Venezuelan diplomats posted in the U.S. to return home. The State Department has said it would ignore Mr. Maduro’s demand and would keep its personnel in Caracas to work with a new government led by Mr. Guaido. Making threats Venezuelan officials on Thursday seemed to threaten U.S. officials who choose to stay. “They say they don’t recognize Nicolas,” said Diosdado Cabello, the leader of Venezuela’s socialist party. “OK, maybe the electricity will go out in that neighborhood or the gas won’t arrive. If there are no diplomatic relations, no problems.” In Washington, the administration showed no signs of backing down. White House National Security Adviser John R. Bolton reiterated that “all options are on the table,” including military force in Venezuela. “We’re working really around the clock here to do what we can to strengthen the new government,” he said. Speaking at the OAS headquarters in Washington, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Mr. Maduro and his allies not to resort to violence or seek to arrest Mr. Guaido. “The regime of former President Nicolas Maduro is illegitimate,” Mr. Pompeo said. “We, therefore, consider all of its declarations and actions illegitimate and invalid. “In light of these facts, we call on Venezuelan security forces to ensure the protection of interim President Guaido’s physical integrity and his safety,” Mr. Pompeo said. “We’ve seen reports that a number of protesters were killed yesterday and that more than 100 were arrested, so I reiterate our warning about any decision by remnant elements of the Maduro regime to use violence to repress the peaceful democratic transition.” Some regional analysts say the U.S. and its allies must be prepared to back up their tough talk with action if Mr. Maduro refuses to step down. “If there is a murderous crackdown against demonstrators this time, these governments must be prepared to protect human life by confronting the regime’s use of violence,” Roger F. Noriega, former assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs and ambassador to the OAS, wrote Thursday. Mr. Noriega is now a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Promise of aid Analysts say the U.S. must take the lead in delivering food and humanitarian assistance. On Capitol Hill, a movement was underway to pass legislation authorizing a sweeping aid package for the interim president. “Today on the first full day of the Guaido administration, I will work on getting Congressional support for a multilateral humanitarian aid plan so we can get food & medicine to the suffering people of Venezuela,” Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, said in a Twitter message. Meanwhile, the uncertainty in Venezuela has divided major world powers, with a bloc led by Russia, China and Turkey backing Mr. Maduro and another, led by the U.S. and OAS, pushing for regime change. Venezuela, which controls one of the world’s largest proven oil reserves, has cultivated ties with those regimes as tensions mounted with Washington in recent years. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any intervention by Washington would be dangerous. “We consider the attempt to usurp the top power in Venezuela as going against the foundations and principles of the international law,” Mr. Peskov told reporters in Moscow. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev used U.S. politics as an analogy and said the administration’s actions were equivalent to Moscow deciding to recognize House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as president. “Let’s imagine, just for an instant, how the American people would respond, for example, to the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives declaring herself the new president against the backdrop of the budget crisis and government shutdown,” Mr. Medvedev said in a post on Facebook. “What would be the reaction from the current U.S. president, especially if this move was supported by the leadership of another country, for example, Russia?” Russia and China, have been key lenders to Venezuela in recent years as the nation’s economy has plummeted. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing opposes any intervention, military or otherwise. “We hope that Venezuela and the United States can respect and treat each other on an equal footing and deal with their relations based on noninterference in each other’s internal affairs,” she said. Turkey, Syria, Cuba and Iran all also issued strong declarations Thursday supporting the Maduro government and blasting the U.S. ⦁ Guy Taylor contributed to this article, which is based in part on wire service reports. Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.<doc-sep>The United States steps up its support for Venezuela’s opposition leader, but the country’s military promises its loyalty to President Nicolas Maduro. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked members of the Organization of American States Thursday to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido. He said the U.S. is ready to ship more than $20 million in humanitarian assistance to Venezuela. The country is facing severe economic problems. Speaking to reporters at the White House, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton added the U.S. wants to be sure that Venezuelan oil revenue goes to Guaido and not to President Maduro. American support for Guaido came shortly after the opposition leader declared himself interim president Wednesday. The leader of Venezuela's National Assembly declared himself president just two weeks after Maduro began his second six-year term. Many Venezuelans believed the election should not be recognized because Maduro banned his opponents from running against him. The chief of Venezuela’s military, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, repeated his support for President Maduro in a televised statement Thursday. He said the armed forces will never accept a leader forced on their country. “It’s not a war between Venezuelans that will solve our problems,” he said. “It’s dialogue.” The situation in Venezuela has the world’s major powers quickly picking sides. The U.S., Canada, some Latin American and European countries supported Guaido’s claim that the constitution makes him interim president. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, has offered his support to Venezuelan President Maduro. In a statement, the president’s office said Putin called Maduro “to express support to the legitimate government of Venezuela.” And China’s foreign ministry called on the United States to stay out of the crisis. Iran, Syria, Cuba and Turkey have also said they continue to support Maduro’s government. I'm Susan Shand Susan Shand adapted this story for Learning English based on reporting from the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story revenue – n. money that is made by or paid to a business or an organization interim - adj. used or accepted for a limited time: not permanent​ dialogue - n. a discussion or series of discussions that two groups or countries have in order to end a disagreement legitimate – adj. real, accepted, or official<doc-sep>
WASHINGTON – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned against "destructive interference" in Venezuela from outside forces and called President Nicolas Maduro to reaffirm Moscow's support for the embattled leader – one day after the Trump administration declared Maduro's presidency illegitimate. Putin's phone call to Maduro was a rebuke to President Donald Trump's efforts to undercut the Venezuelan president. A senior Russian official said military intervention in Venezuela would create a "catastrophic scenario" in the region. "We warn against this," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with International Affairs magazine, a Russian media outlet. "We believe that this would be a catastrophic scenario that would shake the foundations of the development model we see in the Latin American region." In his phone call with Maduro, Putin "stressed that destructive outside interference grossly violated the fundamental norms of international law," according to a report from Russia's state-owned media outlet Tass. Wednesday, Trump recognized Juan Guaido, head of Venezuela’s opposition-led National Assembly, as the country’s interim president – saying the incumbent leftist Maduro is not the country's legitimate leader. When asked whether the United States was considering military action, Trump said, “We’re not considering anything, but all options (are) on the table." Other administration officials emphasized using economic sanctions, not military force. "What we’re focusing on today is disconnecting the illegitimate Maduro regime from the source of its revenues," Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, said Thursday, according to a White House pool report. The Trump administration seeks a United Nations Security Council meeting Saturday to discuss the Venezuelan crisis. Bolton said the administration was working with other governments in the region and in Europe to strengthen Guaido's position. "We’re talking to our colleagues in Europe and elsewhere to demonstrate widespread political support for the interim presidency," Bolton said, "and we’re moving to do everything we can to strengthen this new legitimate representative government.” United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he supported the U.S. move to recognize Guaido. “We are extremely concerned about the situation in Venezuela, but it is clear that Nicholas Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela,” Hunt said during a visit to Washington on Thursday. “I will be meeting Vice President (Mike) Pence and Secretary of State (Mike) Pompeo later this afternoon to discuss this further.” Pompeo said Thursday that the United States would deliver $20 million in humanitarian assistance to Venezuela "as soon as logistically possible" to help it cope with its economic crisis. Maduro was sworn in Jan. 10 to a second term amid allegations of vote rigging and other electoral fraud. His country in upheaval, Guaido declared himself interim president Wednesday, saying he was “formally assuming the responsibility of the national executive.” Thousands of Venezuelans staged anti-Maduro protests, calling on the leader to step down as the country reels from spiraling inflation and a shortage of food and medicine. The Associated Press reported that at least a dozen protesters have been killed in the escalating confrontation with Maduro's regime, citing figures from a nonprofit monitoring group, the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict. "The people of Venezuela have courageously spoken out against Maduro and his regime and demanded freedom and the rule of law," Trump said Wednesday in recognizing Guaido as the country's legitimate leader. Maduro responded by cutting diplomatic ties with the United States and giving American diplomats stationed in Venezuela 72 hours to leave. Pompeo said U.S. Embassy staff would remain at the invitation of Guaido. "The United States does not consider former president Nicolas Maduro to have the legal authority to break diplomatic relations with the United States or to declare our diplomats persona non grata," Pompeo said in a statement Wednesday night. Several other Latin American countries, along with Canada, recognized Guaido as Venezuela's leader. Russia has staunchly backed Maduro's government, politically and militarily. The Kremlin dispatched two Russian bombers to Venezuela last month, a move that raised red flags in Washington. Contributing: Doug Stanglin