US interventionism encourages violent groups in Venezuela, ambassador says

Caracas, 19 May. AVN.- Venezuela's ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Rafael Ramirez, warned on Wednesday that US meddling actions against Venezuela encourage violent groups linked to opposition sectors of the South American country facing a wave of violence that left 42 dead and 900 wounded.

Ramirez's remarks came after the United Nations Security Council decided to discuss Wednesday the issue of Venezuela, at the request of the United States.

"What attempts like today's do is stimulate the action of these violent groups and the permanent propaganda of mainstream media against our country," he denounced in a press conference at the headquarters of the agency.

Ramirez expressed the Venezuelan government's concern about the US government bringing bilateral issues to multilateral levels. "They have done it in the OAS and they try to do it at the UN. It is a calculated and deliberate strategy," he warned.

He said Washington seeks to manipulate the issue of human rights in Venezuela and accused the US of having a "double standard" on what he called the internal problems that must be solved by Venezuelans.

"What the United States wants is to raise the flag of the humanitarian crisis, but it silences that the UN has a well-defined parameter in terms of humanitarian crises," he said.

Ramirez questioned the US double position against Venezuela, noting that Washington has been the promoter of wars in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, Libya and Syria.

"The United States has a sad history of violence, meddling and intervention in our region that has affected development of our democracies," he added.

He asserted that declaring an alleged humanitarian crisis is an excuse "to intervene" in the country, noting that Venezuela is far from reaching that condition. "We are living economic issues as other countries in the region live."

Ramirez reaffirmed that discussing the Venezuelan situation in the UN represents a move that seeks to divert "attention of the Security Council from what are its priorities regarding armed conflicts that do threaten peace."

The Venezuelan ambassador said that clash groups are encouraged by the same leaders who led the 2002 coup against President Hugo Chavez.

Ramirez recalled that the Venezuelan government has been an ongoing promoter of the political dialogue that enjoys the support of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), former presidents Martin Torrijos (Panama), Leonel Fernandez (Dominican Republic) and Jose Luis Zapatero (Spain) and the Vatican.