Obama’s words bring sharp Venezuelan response
The Venezuelan government on Thursday (Feb 20) rejected statements made the previous day by U.S. President Barack Obama regarding the current unrest in that South American country.
In Toluca, Mexico, attending a summit meeting with leaders from Mexico and Canada, Obama denounced the “unacceptable violence in those two countries [Venezuela and Ukraine], which the United States strongly condemns. […] All parties have an obligation to work together to restrain violence and restore calm,” he said.
“Along with the Organization of American States we call on the Venezuelan government to release protesters it has detained and engage in real dialogue,” Obama told reporters.
Referring to the announced expulsion of three U.S. diplomats for allegedly fomenting dissident activities, Obama said:
“In Venezuela, rather than trying to distract from its own failings by making up false accusations against diplomats from the United States, the government ought to focus on addressing the legitimate grievances of the Venezuelan people,”
Venezuela’s reaction took the form of an official note from the Foreign Ministry, which Progreso Weekly has translated in full, below:
“The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela sharply repudiates the statements made on Wednesday 19 February by the President of the United States, Barack Obama, to the extent that they constitute a new and gross interference in the internal affairs of our country, with the aggravating factor that it uses false information and unfounded assertions as its basis.
“It is an insult to the heroic land of the Aztecs, Juárez, Villa and Zapata, and to the noble and brave Mexican people for President Obama, from that sister nation, to continue to attack a free and sovereign country in Latin America and the Caribbean whose policies, alignments and decisions are the result of the people’s will, democratically expressed.
“The statement awaited by the independent governments and the people of the world is that in which the government of the United States of North America explains why it funds, encourages and defends the opposition leaders who promote violence in our homeland and clarifies what right had the Deputy Under Secretary Alex Lee to transmit a message from his government that attempted to impose conditions upon, and threaten, the Venezuelan State for its decision to bring to justice those responsible for the violent deeds of recent days.
“Finally, the Venezuelan government reiterates that it will continue to monitor and take the necessary measures to prevent United States agents from sowing violence and destabilization, and to inform the world about the nature of the interventionist policy of the Obama government in our country.”
