Iran Backs Venezuelan Government in Face of U.S.

Date: 19 January 2019 - 21:37

News ID: ۶۲۲۳۷

TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iran on Saturday lashed out at the U.S. interference in Venezuela as it reiterated support for the "legal" government of President Nicolas Maduro.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran supports Venezuela’s legal government as well as its nation in the face of Washington's illegal interference," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.
His remarks came after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described Maduro’s government as illegitimate and said the United States would work with like-minded countries in Latin America to topple him.
"The Maduro regime is illegitimate and the United States will work diligently to restore a real democracy to that country,” Pompeo said in Abu Dhabi last week.
Qasemi warned that any foreign intervention in Venezuela's domestic affairs would be "unconstructive", further complicating the country’s crisis.
Venezuela is grappling with skyrocketing inflation and severe food shortages amid U.S. sanctions which Caracas has described as an economic war.
The U.S. government and its allies have supported the head of Venezuela's opposition-run congress, Juan Guaido, who has sought to take over presidency despite Maduro’s re-election.
Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Wednesday accused Pompeo of "blatantly promoting a coup d'etat" in his country.
Qasemi said Tehran believes the solution to Venezuela's domestic problems is through dialogue among the country's political officials within legal frameworks.
Venezuela, which sits atop the world’s largest oil reserves, has been struggling with a worsening economic situation over the past years, which has caused people to cross border into Colombia to purchase basic commodities and foodstuff.
Maduro has accused the U.S. of being behind Venezuela’s economic crisis, saying Washington is orchestrating attempts to topple him as part of a wider offensive against Latin American leaders defying the American hegemony.
In 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not "rule out” a military option for Venezuela to solve the ongoing crisis in the country.