Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday gave his “absolute support” to his Honduran counterpart Xiomara Castro, who he said is the victim of a “cruel and excessive attack” by the United States after terminating the bilateral extradition treaty with the North American country.
“On behalf of all the people of Venezuela, I express my absolute support for the President of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, who is the victim of a cruel and excessive attack by those who have spread terror in our America, promoted coups d’état and established alliances and protection for criminal and fascist groups that today want to threaten our democracies. President Xiomara Castro, worthy daughter of Francisco Morazán, has taken a step towards consolidating national independence and sovereignty. Today, the Latin American peoples see with admiration her courage and bravery, and we are obliged by history to close ranks in the battle she is waging for the dignity of her homeland, against the imperial and neocolonial pretensions launched against the noble Honduran people from the United States of America,” reads the message from President Maduro posted on his social network Instagram.
President Xiomara Castro on Wednesday repealed the extradition treaty with the United States, amid diplomatic tension with Washington’s ambassador in Tegucigalpa, Laura Dogu, for criticizing a recent meeting between Honduran authorities and Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López.
Castro said Thursday he will not allow the extradition treaty to be used to “intimidate or blackmail” the Honduran Armed Forces, after making the decision to eliminate that mechanism between his country and the U.S., driven by fears that it could be used as a “political weapon” against officials of his government.
On Friday, the National Defense and Security Council of Honduras (CNDS) accused the United States of trying to destabilize the Honduran government and expressed its support for the president’s decision.
After concluding a meeting of the CNDS, the Honduran Minister of Security, Gustavo Sánchez, said that “a vote of confidence and total support” has been given to Castro “in the face of the attacks and threats from the Embassy of the United States of America, which seek to destabilize the democratic institutionality of the State, against the mandate of the Honduran people, who democratically elected the President of the Republic,” EFE reports.
