US Condemns Venezuela's 'Provocative Actions' Against Navy Aircraft On Mission - Bolton

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2019) US National Security Advisor John Botlon said on Monday that the United States condemns provocative actions by Venezuela after one of its military jets made an unsafe approach to a US Navy aircraft conducting a routine mission.

"The United States condemns the illegitimate Venezuelan regime's provocative actions against our US Navy aircraft while on a routine mission," Bolton said via Twitter. "These unsafe and unprofessional actions are yet another example of dictator Nicolas Maduro's willful violation of international norms and laws."

On Sunday, the US Southern Command said in a statement that a Venezuelan SU-30 Flanker fighter jet "aggressively shadowed" a US EP-3 Aries II reconnaissance aircraft at an unsafe distance while the US aircraft was conducting a mission in international airspace over the Caribbean Sea on Friday.

The Southern Command did not specify what type of mission the US aircraft was conducting, but it did say the Venezuelan action undermines efforts to counter illicit trafficking.

Venezuela is experiencing a political-economic crisis that intensified in January after US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself to be interim president of Venezuela in a bid to oust actual President Maduro.

The United States recognized Guaido and started imposing sanctions on Venezuela as well as freezing billions of Dollars of Venezuela's assets.

Maduro has called Guaido a US puppet and accused the United States of orchestrating a coup in Venezuela to force a change of government and claim the country's vast natural resources.

Since May, the Maduro government and the opposition have been engaged in talks mediated by the Norwegian government.