US attempting to engineer coup d’etat in Venezuela: Russia

Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya has accused the United States of attempting “to engineer a coup d’etat” in Venezuela as tensions between Washington and Moscow surface at a UN Security Council meeting on political unrest in the Latin American country.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Security Council called by the US in New York City on Saturday, Nebenzya said Venezuela did not pose a threat to international peace and security and should not be on its agenda.

“If anything represents a threat to peace and security, it is the shameless and aggressive actions of the United States and their allies to oust a legitimately elected president of Venezuela,” the Russian diplomat said.

Nebenzya also harked back to previous US meddlesome policies in Latin American countries, such as Nicaragua, and said Washington still considered Latin America its "backyard."

Alexander Shchetinin, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s director for its Latin America Department, on Friday offered to mediate between the Venezuelan government and opposition.

Shchetinin said Moscow was ready to cooperate with international players and use its capacity to ensure “dialog is established” between the conflicting parties in Venezuela.

Venezuela is convulsed by a political crisis. On Wednesday, opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself “interim president” of the country, rejecting the presidency of Nicolas Maduro, who was sworn in earlier this month after winning elections boycotted by the opposition.

Minutes after Guaido’s self-proclamation, the US said it recognized him as the “legitimate” leader of Venezuela, calling on other countries to follow suit.

The government of President Maduro responded by cutting ties with the US.

SS