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JANUARY 24, 2019 / 11:43 PM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO
Kremlin backs Venezuela's Maduro, while West turns up heat
Andrew Osborn, Robin Emmott
MOSCOW/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia accused the United States on Thursday of trying to usurp power in Venezuela and warned against military intervention, putting it at odds with Washington and the EU which backed protests against one of Moscow’s closest allies.
Security forces look on while clashing with opposition supporters participating in a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government and to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the end of the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez in Tachira, Venezuela January 23, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Eduardo Ramirez
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim leader on Wednesday, winning the support of Washington and parts of Latin America. That prompted socialist President Nicolas Maduro, who has led the oil-rich nation since 2013, to sever diplomatic ties with the United States.
The prospect of Maduro being ousted is a geopolitical and economic headache for Moscow which, alongside China, has become a creditor of last resort for Caracas, lending it billions of dollars as its economy implodes. Moscow has also helped its military and oil industry and provided wheat.
Russia on Thursday accused Washington of stoking street protests and called Maduro the legitimate president.
“We consider the attempt to usurp sovereign authority in Venezuela to contradict and violate the basis and principles of international law,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said an outside military intervention could have “catastrophic consequences.”
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan offered support for Maduro too. “My brother Maduro! Stand tall, we stand by you!” presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, writing on Twitter, quoted Erdogan as saying.
China also said it supported efforts to protect Venezuela’s independence and stability.
EU SUPPORT FOR OPPOSITION
The European Union, which has imposed sanctions on Venezuela and boycotted Maduro’s swearing-in for a second term earlier this month, took a more nuanced tack.
Although it stopped short of following Washington and recognising Guaido as interim president, it appealed for him to be protected and appeared to support calls for a peaceful transition of power away from Maduro.
“The people of Venezuela have massively called for democracy and the possibility to freely determine their own destiny. These voices cannot be ignored,” the 28-nation bloc said.
The biggest group in the European Parliament, the centre-right European People’s Party, said it recognised Guaido as interim president and would call on the whole parliament to do so next week as a senior lawmaker urged Maduro to quit.
Trump backs Maduro rival amid massive protests
French President Emmanuel Macron saluted Venezuelans marching for freedom. Germany, Switzerland and Portugal called for free elections, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told Guaido he supported the Venezuelan parliament.
Britain said Maduro’s 2018 election was neither free nor fair and expressed support for Guaido.
There was nervousness about how far the EU could go however.
“The problem is that we can’t recognise somebody who was not elected democratically,” said one EU diplomat. “That would create a dangerous precedent for any other person who would want to proclaim themselves the president of something.”
Additional reporting by Tom Balmforth, Maria Kiselyova, Christian Lowe, Polina Devitt and Maxim Rodionov in Moscow; Simon Carraud and Richard Lough in Paris, Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels, Christian Shepherd in Beijing, Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul, Belen Carreño and Paul Day in Madrid, Paul Carrel in Berlin, Axel Bugge and Andrei Khalip in Lisbon, William James and Elizabeth Piper in London and Mike Shields in Zurich; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by John Stonestreet and Andrew Cawthorne
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
JANUARY 24, 2019 / 4:33 AM / UPDATED 8 HOURS AGO
Guaido versus Maduro - Who backs Venezuela's two presidents?
(Reuters) - Venezuela’s opposition has raised the stakes against President Nicolas Maduro after congress head Juan Guaido swore himself in as interim head of state with the support of the United States and some major Latin American nations.
Juan Guaido, President of Venezuela's National Assembly, gestures during a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government and to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the end of the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez in Caracas, Venezuela January 23, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
Below is a summary of support for the rival leaders.
MADURO
* The top brass of Venezuela’s military has shown no sign of leaving Maduro’s side. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino reaffirmed his support in a Tweet on Wednesday, saying Venezuela’s armed forces disavowed any self-proclaimed president.
* The Supreme Court, stacked with Maduro loyalists, has remained solidly behind the socialist leader, ruling earlier this week that all actions taken by the congress - led by Guaido - are null and void.
* Russia called Maduro the country’s legitimate president and accused the United States of trying to usurp power in Venezuela, warning Washington against military intervention.
* President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey stood by Maduro, urging him to “stand tall”, Erdogan’s spokesman said.
* China voiced support for Maduro, saying it opposed outside interference in Venezuela and backed efforts to protect its independence and stability.
* State oil company PDVSA [PDVSA.UL], which accounts for most of Venezuela’s export earnings, stood by Maduro. “We have no other president” besides Maduro, said PDVSA President and Oil Minister Manuel Quevedo, a career military officer.
* A few left-leaning governments in the region, including Cuba and Bolivia, continue to back Maduro. Mexico, where leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office last year, has dropped the previous government’s opposition to Maduro and said it will follow a policy of non-intervention.
* A diehard core of “Chavistas” in Venezuela, including armed gangs in poor urban areas, remain core to late leader Hugo Chavez’s exhortation to support Maduro come what may.
GUAIDO
* The United States recognized Guaido shortly after he proclaimed himself president, saying it would use its “economic and diplomatic power” to restore democracy in Venezuela.
* Numerous right-leaning Latin American governments, including Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, also recognized Guaido.
* The European Union’s executive called for new elections but declined to explicitly recognize Guaido as president. An EU statement urged authorities to respect his “civil rights, freedom and safety” and allow Venezuelans to freely determine their future.
* French President Emmanuel Macron saluted the courage of Venezuelans marching for freedom and called Maduro’s 2018 election victory illegal.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro attends a rally in support of his government and to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the end of the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez next to his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas, Venezuela January 23, 2019. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS
* A spokesman for British Prime Minister Theresa May said Maduro’s election was neither free nor fair, and expressed support for Guaido as national assembly head.
* The German government said Venezuela’s parliament had “a special role” to play in securing Venezuela’s “free future”.
* There are some signs that support for the opposition is expanding beyond its traditional middle- and upper-class areas. Several protests against Maduro have broken out in working-class neighborhoods and slums this week.
* Some low-ranking military officers have expressed discontent with the government. The government on Monday said it suppressed a military revolt after a group of officers stole weapons, kidnapped officers, and demanded Maduro’s removal.
Reporting by Brian Ellsworth and Luc Cohen, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien, John Stonestreet and Andrew Cawthorne
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