Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuela has received “overwhelming support” from the United Nations Security Council in the face of military aggression from the US, following an emergency meeting held at Caracas’ request.
“The Security Council is providing overwhelming support to Venezuela and the right to free navigation and free trade,” said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a televised event this Tuesday, December 23, at the Poliedro de Caracas, referring to US acts of piracy against oil tankers. He reiterated that “no one will be able to defeat” the nation.
The UN meeting addressed acts of war by the US empire against Venezuela, which include the assassination of civilians in small boats, a naval blockade, electronic warfare to disrupt air traffic, and endless threats of military attack.
Venezuela has explained on multiple occasions that expecting the UN to take decisive action to secure peace is nearly impossible. Instead, the nation uses UN mechanisms to set the record straight on US imperialist aggression.
Despite the impressive performance of Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN Samuel Moncada during the emergency meeting, the US blocked even simply voting on the resolution requested by Venezuela. Nevertheless, a majority of participating countries expressed either direct support for Venezuela’s claims or condemnation of the destabilization of the continent led by the US.
At the emergency meeting, Ambassador Moncada warned that the US regime is a threat to regional peace. “The world must know that the threat is not Venezuela,” he explained, “the threat is the current US government. It’s not Venezuela, it’s the US.” He recalled that the US government is already claiming Venezuela’s oil reserves—the world’s largest oil reserves—as its own, a claim openly made by the US ruler.
Moncada also expressed concern about the US intention to invade Venezuela and demand that it hand over its lands, oil, and minerals to the colonial entity. “We are facing a power that acts outside the bounds of international law and is demanding that we leave our country,” the ambassador stated. “The US naval blockade is a military act that seeks to impose a siege and internal chaos in order to carry out an armed attack.”
Foreign minister supports ambassadorVenezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil praised Ambassador Moncada’s speech on Tuesday, stating that it demonstrated that no country in the world endorses the use or threat of force—in violation of the UN Charter—to subjugate a free and sovereign nation under the false pretext of the so-called “war on drugs.”
“It became clear that the threat or use of force against Venezuela, in violation of the Latin American and Caribbean Zone of Peace, stems from a colonial logic,” Gil explained, “driven by Washington under the Monroe Doctrine. Likewise, the piracy on the high seas used to seize Venezuela’s oil resources, which inalienably belong to its people, was widely condemned.”
Iran expresses solidarity with VenezuelaOn Wednesday, a group of Iranian lawmakers publicly announced that the interception of commercial vessels in international waters without authorization from competent bodies should be classified as maritime piracy. This decision was made on the basis that it infringes on the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation, as has been stated by Venezuelan officials and various world leaders.
The Iranian parliament further reaffirmed its solidarity with the Venezuelan government and people. It called for an end to all sanctions and pressure, emphasizing that the intervention of the US empire in various parts of the world has only generated “insecurity, destruction, genocide, and massacres.”
Minister Gil expressed Venezuela’s gratitude toward Iran’s parliament following its statement in defense of Venezuelan sovereignty in the face of the recent “illegal and provocative” actions by the US in the Caribbean Sea.
“The seizure and pursuit of our oil tankers in international waters is, without a doubt, an act of piracy,” wrote Gil on social media, “that not only threatens our economy but also defies the fundamental principles of international law.”
“We appreciate Iran’s support in condemning these practices that seek to destabilize our nation and subject our people to an unjust siege,” the foreign minister added on behalf of the people of Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SL/AU
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