The Venezuelan diplomat Diego Arria rejected the recent statements of the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrovwho condemned the US military deployment in the Caribbean under the argument that it threatens regional stability, and affirmed that Moscow acts motivated by economic and strategic interests linked to the Venezuelan regime.
Arria considered it foreseeable that the Russian government would speak out against Washington’s actions, recalling that Venezuela has been a key client of the Russian military industry for more than two decades, with purchases that include air defense systems, combat aircraft and technical advice for the maintenance of weapons.
Arria accuses Russia of strategic and oil interests
According to Arria, Russia’s support for the government of Nicolás Maduro is also linked to the oil blockade that affects ships used to transport Venezuelan crude oil.many of them identified as “ghost tankers” and subject to international sanctions, as well as vessels involved in energy trade with Iran.
“The equipment of the Venezuelan Armed Forces is fundamentally Russian, which explains Moscow’s political support for a regime that represents a strategic client,” he said.
Arria rejected Moscow’s talk of “regime change” as an external threat, considering that the real debate is the restoration of democracy in Venezuela.
Criticism of the Russian discourse on international legality
Arria described it as outrageous that the Kremlin invokes international law while ignoring its own violations, in reference to the invasion of Ukraine, the forced displacement of the civilian population and the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children, facts that motivated an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He also criticized Moscow’s silence in the face of the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis, marked by almost 9 million migrants, nearly 1,000 political prisoners and complaints of torture documented by the UN Human Rights Council.
The Monroe Doctrine and the historical background
Arria recalled that the Monroe Doctrine was applied on two occasions in favor of Venezuela: in 1895, when the United States intervened to prevent the United Kingdom from advancing on the territory of Guayana Esequiba, and in 1903, when it forced European powers to lift the naval blockade against Venezuelan ports.
In his opinion, a modern application of this principle, which he called the “Trump corollary,” could favor the democratization of Latin America, a scenario that, he assured, Foreign Minister Lavrov clearly understands.
Russia reaffirms support for Maduro
Arria’s statements coincide with a phone call between Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil Pinto and his Russian counterpart, in which Moscow ratified its support for the Maduro government in the face of the blockade announced by US President Donald Trump.
Gil assured that Lavrov expressed Russia’s “firm solidarity” with Venezuela and promised political and diplomatic support, including in the UN Security Council.
For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned that the United States military deployment in the Caribbean represents a threat to regional security and international maritime transport.
