Credit: UN.org /  United Nations Security Council chamber at UN world headquarters in New York, NY

By Gary Raynaldo      DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED NATIONS –  NEW  YORK –   The Government of Venezuela sent a letter to the UN Security Council earlier this month alleging  that “armed groups of mercenaries and terrorists” illegally entered the country on 3 and 4 May in an attempt to assassinate President Maduro and other high officials. The UN Security Council on Wednesday held an open videoconference (VTC) meeting on the situation in Venezuela.  The meeting was requested by Russia in response to  the letter Venezuela sent to the Security Council on 13 May.  Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russian envoy to the United Nations, told members of the Security Council that the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of Venezuela” should be upheld through Caracas’ own domestic dialogue, rather than foreign interference.  The UN Russian ambassador told the  Council: “In the first days of May an armed group of at least 60 people entered the sovereign land of Venezuela from the territory of neighboring Colombia on two vessels. 47 of them were arrested. Among them two US citizens, who confessed that their mission was: 1) to train forces in neighboring Colombia for military operations in Venezuela; 2) to take control of an airport in order to secure transportation of President Nicolas Maduro to the United States.”  The U.S. has steadfastly denied any involvement in the failed coup. 

“US authorities claim that they have nothing to do with this. We would be glad to believe them, but fail to explain that according to the contract two American citizens were planning to take hostage of legitimate Venezuelan President and bring him to the US. For what purpose, may I ask? And how does it correlate with constant all-options-are-on-the-table type messages by US government to Caracas, including the recent announcement of a 15 mln USD bounty for President Maduro? Who else can be behind this mercenary adventure? Nepal – like (U.S. Secretary of State) M. Pompeo once said on another issue?”

-Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russian envoy to the United Nations

Photo by Gary Raynaldo / © Diplomatic  Times  /    Dmitry Polyanskiy,  First Deputy Permanent Representative of Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations at press conference at UN world headquarters New York (FILE).

“Unfortunately, United States has a history of treating the whole South America as its “backyard”, in accordance with the Monroe Doctrine mothballed for some time until US Administration decided to give it a second chance. Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba in 1961, overthrowing Salvador Aliende in Chile in 1973 and the 1986 Iran-Contras file in Nicaragua – just to name a few. Today Venezuela is on the US menu.”

-Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russian envoy to the United Nations

Source: venezuelanalysis.com /  Two former US soldiers were captured in a failed paramilitary incursion in Venezuela Monday. (VTV) May 4, 2020.

Photo by Gary Raynaldo / © Diplomatic  Times  / Dmitry Polyanskiy,  First Deputy Permanent Representative of Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations at press conference at UN world headquarters New York Apr. 11,  2019.

Russia Ambassador Accuses U.S.-Backed “Imposter-President” Juan Guaido of Involvement 

“I also want to use this opportunity and ask a question to our European colleagues who hastily recognized imposter-president (Juan Guaido) two years ago. How do you see his role now, once his role in this attempted coup d’etat (let’s call the things by their names) has become so evident? How can legitimate Venezuelan authorities engage in negotiations with him after this?”

The UN Russia ambassador said a prepared a draft Security Council Press Statement to address the above-mentioned issues would be released that  reads as follows:

“The Members of the Security Council discussed the latest developments in and around the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

The Members of the Security Council rejected the use or threat of use of force, as stipulated in the UN Charter, reaffirmed relevant resolutions on the condemnation of terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations and on the use of mercenaries.

The Members of the Security Council called for the current situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to be resolved through a dialogue by Venezuelans, without interference through peaceful and political means, in line with Chapter VI of the UN Charter, within the framework of its National Constitution and in full respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Venezuela”.