US Administration Should Stop Meddling In Venezuela's Affairs - Antiwar Coalition

The US administration should stop meddling in Venezuela's internal affairs so that the crisis in the country can be resolved, United National Antiwar Coalition Coordinator Joe Lombardo told Sputnik

NEW YORK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th March, 2019) The US administration should stop meddling in Venezuela's internal affairs so that the crisis in the country can be resolved, United National Antiwar Coalition Coordinator Joe Lombardo told Sputnik.

Earlier this month, Lombardo, along with a 15-member delegation from the US Peace Council organization, traveled to Venezuela to assess the situation in the country. During the visit from March 10-15, the delegation met with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, a number of other government officials, and leaders of the Human Rights Council.

"The solution [to the crisis] is to stop the interfering of the United States in the affairs of Venezuela," Lombardo said. "The United States has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of Venezuela or any other country, but they have done so many times, especially in Latin America."

Lombardo argued that US Special Envoy for Venezuela Elliot Abrams would not contribute to the settlement of the crisis, but would instead attempt to promote US interests in the Latin American country.

"He [Abrams] will not help the people of Venezuela. He will only try to overthrow the elected Maduro government and try put one in that is more favorable to Washington and Wall Street," Lombardo said.

Lombardo said the people in Venezuela stand ready to face new US restrictions on Venezuela's economy, as well as possible US intervention in the country.

"They [Venezuelans] are expanding urban agriculture, which already provides for 25 percent of their food," Lombardo said.

"They are mobilizing people in the military and the militias, and they are using various forms of popular education to help the people understand that the cause of the situation is US imperialism."

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he would discuss with Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro the possibility of military intervention in Venezuela, saying all options remain on the table.

Earlier this month, Abrams denied that the Trump administration was pursuing the path of military intervention in the Bolivarian Republic.

The United States has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Venezuela in recent months, including on the state-owned oil company PDVSA. President Nicolas Maduro has denounced the sanctions as an illegal attempt to seize Venezuela's sovereign assets.

Long-standing tensions between the United States and Venezuela escalated earlier this year when on January 23, Juan Guaido, the speaker of opposition-led National Assembly, declared himself to be acting Venezuelan president, and the United States, as well as its allies around the world, immediately recognized him.

Russia, China, Mexico, Turkey and several other countries continue to recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader.

Maduro has called Guaido a puppet of the United States and has accused Washington of attempting to conduct a coup d'etat in Venezuela.