Washington\u2019s claim its military campaign is an anti-drug effort is as fake as \u201ca Hollywood blockbuster plot,\u201d Moscow\u2019s UN envoy has said<\/p>\n
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia has accused the US of plotting a coup in Venezuela under the guise of an anti-drug campaign.
\nWashington has deployed marines and warships off of Venezuela\u2019s coast and has carried out airstrikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels. At least four boats have been sunk, killing more than 21 people. Caracas condemned the move as a violation of its sovereignty and requested an emergency UN Security Council session, warning the operation sought to topple President Nicolas Maduro and threatened regional peace.
\nAt the session on Friday, Nebenzia said Russia \u201cstrongly condemned\u201d the US campaign, calling it \u201ca flagrant violation of international law and human rights.\u201d
\n\u201cWe are witnessing a brazen campaign of political, military, and psychological pressure on the government of an independent state with the sole purpose of changing a regime unfavorable to the US,\u201d he stated, noting that the coup plot is being carried out \u201cusing the classic tools of color revolutions and hybrid wars\u201d by \u201cartificially fueling an atmosphere of confrontation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Washington\u2019s justification for its military action \u201csounds like a perfect plot for a Hollywood blockbuster\u201d in which \u201cAmericans once again save the world,\u201d but in reality it is pure fiction, according to Nebenzia. He noted that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime \u201cdoesn\u2019t even consider Venezuela a drug trafficking hub,\u201d as 87% of cocaine entering the US comes via the Pacific Ocean, to which Venezuela has no access.
\n\u201cWashington must immediately stop escalating under false pretexts and avoid the irreparable mistake of military action against Venezuela,\u201d he urged.
\nOther members of the Security Council also called for de-escalation, but US Political Counselor John Kelley insisted that Washington would use its \u201cfull might\u201d to eliminate Venezuela\u2019s \u201cdrug cartels.\u201d<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Trump breaks off diplomacy with Venezuela \u2013 NYT<\/p>\n
The administration of US President Donald Trump has long accused Maduro of ties to drug cartels, labeling him a \u201cnarcoterrorist\u201d and doubling the reward for his arrest to $50 million. Trump has refused to recognize Maduro\u2019s reelection in 2024 and has openly backed his rival. On Friday, he congratulated\u00a0opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, acknowledging prior support for her cause.
\nMaduro has repeatedly and vehemently denied US accusations of drug trafficking links.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Washington\u2019s claim its military campaign is an anti-drug effort is as fake as \u201ca Hollywood blockbuster plot,\u201d Moscow\u2019s UN envoy has said Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia has…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20101,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t