Venezuelan Diplomat to St Vincent Warns of Regional Threat After Invasion
Venezuelan Ambassador to SVG Perez Santana describes the current situation in Venezuela as a “very sad and a very awful moment” following what he characterizes as an illegal invasion by the United States.
His statements were made on Sunday as a guest on the Issue at Hand programme on WEFM.
According to the Ambassador, at 2:00 a.m on Saturday, the United States military invaded and bombed four Venezuelan states (Caracas, Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira) using over 60 missiles. He notes that these strikes targeted strategic ports, communications infrastructure, and airbases to prevent the government from repelling the action.
He asserts that President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, were kidnapped by U.S. forces rather than captured legally. He claims many civilians and military personnel died while attempting to protect the President.
The Ambassador highlights that some of the bombing occurred near residential areas, such as the Tiuna military base, where approximately 500,000 civilians live in housing built during the Chavez administration.
The Venezuelan diplomat says that the invasion is a “flagrant violation” of the United Nations Charter, specifically Articles 1 and 2, which protect national sovereignty and prohibit the use of force. He dismisses the U.S. accusations of narco-trafficking against Maduro as “fake” and “imagination,” stating that research proves Venezuela is not a primary producer or country of drugs.
He contends that the “real reason” for the intervention—which was admitted by Donald Trump—is to dominate the country and seize control of Venezuela’s oil and mineral resources.
Despite the President’s removal, the Ambassador emphasizes that the government remains in operation. Under the Venezuelan constitution, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has assumed the duties of the presidency temporarily. He describes the “Bolivarian revolution” as still being alive and functioning through a National Defense Council integrated by all five branches of government power.
The Venezuelan envoy stated that while the U.S. has superior air power, the Venezuelan people—carrying the “spirit of Simon Bolivar”—are prepared for a “body to body” fight on the land with a militia of over four million people.
The Ambassador warns that if the U.S. is allowed to do this to a nation like Venezuela, it poses a threat to the entire region. He suggests that the U.S. could similarly intervene in Bolivia for lithium, St. Vincent for agriculture, or Barbados for tourism.
Santana views these actions as a return to the “age of the Monroe Doctrine,” where the U.S. treats Latin America and the Caribbean as its “backyard”.
He acknowledges support and solidarity from countries like China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and Nicaragua, as well as social movements in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Conversely, he criticizes the leaders of Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile, describing them as “snakes” who are either afraid of the U.S. or aligned with its interests.
Regarding how the U.S. located the President, he mentions reports that the CIA may have penetrated the President’s security through bribery, though he notes the Venezuelan government is still researching the truth of these claims.