Sunday, January 27, 2019

No interference in Venezuelan issues



Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday announced cutting diplomatic ties with the US after opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself the country's interim president and US President Donald Trump formally stated his recognition of Guaidó.

Currently, there are "two regimes" coexisting in Venezuela, which brings severe risk of political turmoil. The quick US recognition led nations of the Lima Group to imitate and recognize the Venezuelan opposition regime. Nonetheless the country's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López refused to recognize Guaidó, saying the military will defend the constitution and sovereignty. 

A Russian foreign ministry spokesperson stated that Moscow supports Maduro and accused the US of attempting regime change, which is the nation's internal affair.

The severe inflation triggered by the economic crisis has led to political chaos in Venezuela and the elections in May intensified the nation's separation. 

The changes in Venezuela are not isolated cases. Development slowed in Latin America countries with a declining global economy. It was hard for left-wing parties to survive and right-wing regimes began to enter the stage. 

The right-wing forces in Venezuela are strengthening and increasing pressure on the Maduro regime.

In recent years, Washington has enhanced its interference in affairs of Venezuela and Cuba and attempted to regain influence in Latin America. The fast recognition of Guaidó signaled the strong US desire to intervene in Venezuela's internal affairs. 

The move was aggressive with a clear goal, that is, to directly affect the  the country's political landscape. 

From the viewpoint of maintaining the system of international law, such interference must not be encouraged. Independence and sovereignty are the most important defense for most countries to safeguard their own interests. If any outside forces stick their nose into a country's major internal affairs based on their values, there will be a huge loophole in the international order.

For a long time, the US has been eager to replace international law with its geopolitical interests and values so as to legalize its interference. Washington has confused right and wrong by calling some normal interactions interference and penetration.

Washington's move obviously forced Latin American countries to pick a side: left or right. Washington worsened disputes in these countries and damaged regional integration.

It is unfortunate for Venezuela to experience two coexisting regimes. As long as the incident does not lead to bloody conflicts that trigger a humanitarian disaster and force the international community to step in, the political disputes should be solved, in the first place, by the country's different political forces. 

All sides must keep calm and be alert about possible provocation to militarily intervene in Venezuela.

The international community should encourage forces of Venezuela to peacefully solve the issue within the framework of dialogue. Picking sides will not be conducive to the solution, but intensify the rivalry, worsen the situation and possibly push the nation into long-term turmoil.

Venezuela should not be another bloody battlefield of the color revolution.

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