Credit:  UN Photo/Mark Garten /  United Nations Security Council chamber at the UN headquarters in New York

By Gary Raynaldo       DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED  NATIONS  –  NEW YORK –  Venezuela’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Samuel Moncada is urging  the UN Security Council to investigate “threats”  and recent actions by the U.S. Trump administration that may lead to war against the Latin American country.  In a letter,  the Republic of Venezuela  Tuesday called on  the Security Council to investigate “dangerous” U.S. actions that threaten war. The US Trump administration has imposed sweeping economic sanctions against the Venezuela government, imposing a total financial embargo on the nation in a bid to choke the life out of the regime of Nicholas Maduro.  Ambassador  Moncada accused the Trump Administration of attempting to fabricate a military invasion with his country by provocations including sending spy planes into Venezuela airspace, and naval ships within 14 miles of its territorial waters. 

There Is No Military Solution To What is Going On in Venezuela:   UN Secretary-General Spokesman

Credit: By Gary Raynaldo /   Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio António Guterres, at press conference at UN world headquarters Aug. 7, 2019.

“You know, it’s clear that there is no military solution to what is going on in Venezuela.  The Secretary‑General has been very supportive of the various talks that have been going on, notably, I think, the ones that took place… the efforts that were being hosted [by] Norway.  Our focus is also on the humanitarian situation and keeping the well‑being of the Venezuelan people first and foremost in our actions.”

Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the current situation in Venezuela. 

On the Venezuelan letter to the Security Council, Dujarric said it will be circulated.  “We’ll be studying it.  You know, for us, right now, our focus is on ensuring that the humanitarian aid that the people of Venezuela get is received and also on continuing to encourage Member States and the international community to support those countries in the region that are hosting a very large number of Venezuelan migrants and Venezuelan refugees.” 

Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Guterres welcomed the announcement by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry on Friday 2 August that representatives of the main political actors in Venezuela continue the negotiations initiated in Oslo.    “The Secretary‑General reiterated his strong support for the Norwegian facilitation initiative.  He added that a negotiated agreement is urgently needed to reach a peaceful resolution to the crisis.  The Secretary-General encouraged the main political actors of Venezuela, and their representatives in the negotiations, to remain fully committed to these efforts, for the benefit of the people of Venezuela,”  the spokesman for the Secretary-General, said Monday.

CUBA President  Diaz-Canel Blasts U.S. Sanctions on Venezuela:

The US Government, frustrated because of the courage and resistance of the #RevolucionBolivariana, is cowardly turning now to blocking Venezuelan assets. It's a plunder, a theft, brutal anger that we should not allowed. We stand in solidarity with Maduro and the chavista people. pic.twitter.com/Crj8DTa0lK

— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) August 6, 2019

Cuba President Diaz-Canel was in Venezuela last week attending Latin America’s largest meeting of leftist organizations at the Sao Paulo Forum at Miraflores Palace in Caracas.  The Cuban president expressed his “solidarity” with embattled Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro.