Zarif, Cavusoglu Discuss Venezuela Coup

Date: 26 January 2019 - 21:47

News ID: ۶۲۵۱۷

ANKARA (Dispatches) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu have discussed over phone a U.S.-orchestrated bid to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Anadolu news agency reported Saturday.
Iran and Turkey have rallied behind Maduro who has said he is facing a coup orchestrated by Washington. "My brother Maduro! Stand tall, we are standing by you,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted on Friday.
On Friday, Zarif held a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza, reiterating Iran’s support for the Venezuelan government and nation in the face of U.S. plots.
President Maduro has said U.S. President Donald Trump "wants to impose a de facto government, unconstitutional government, a coup against the people and democracy in Venezuela."
On Thursday, Maduro ordered the closure of Venezuela’s embassy and consulates in the U.S. after Washington threw its weight behind opposition leader Juan Guaido who has declared himself interim president.
Oil-rich Venezuela is currently mired in economic turmoil, with people grappling with hyperinflation, power cuts and shortages of basic items.
Maduro and his supporters accuse the U.S. for being behind the country’s economic crisis, saying Washington is plotting to topple the government.
In their phone conversation, Zarif and Cavusoglu also discussed an upcoming summit by presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia on Syria.
According to Russian special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, the three presidents will meet in Russia in the near future.