Russia “accuses” the US of inciting the crisis, causing hundreds of billions of dollars in damage to Venezuela

“We categorically reject the US measures against Venezuela. The US is single-handedly strangling Venezuela by imposing sanctions and barriers that hinder its normal development, while the international community’s support for countries should be focused on creating a context that allows them to take care of their own people,” Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said at a UN Security Council meeting on Venezuela on April 10.

“The other hand of the US is reaching into the pockets of the Venezuelan people by shamelessly seizing their assets in Western banks. Since the beginning of the year alone, the US has seized more than $30 billion in Venezuelan funds and claimed that only the impostor Juan Guaido can manage that money. The total damage caused by the US to the Venezuelan economy since 2013 is estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars,” Ambassador Nebenzia said.

Nebenzia's remarks came after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) blocked President Nicolas Maduro's government from accessing nearly 400 million euros (about 451 million USD) in foreign banks, citing the crisis in Venezuela.

According to the Russian diplomat, while trying to seize Venezuela's money, "the United States remains one of the loudest countries calling for help for the Venezuelan people."

“Sanctions and external intervention do not help Venezuela to end the crisis. As for internal political disputes, we believe that they can only be resolved through direct dialogue within Venezuela,” Nebenzia added.

Russia’s UN ambassador said the US was constantly trying to “disrupt the situation” in Venezuela. Mr Nebenzia accused Washington of “deliberately provoking a crisis in Venezuela in order to replace a legitimately elected leader with a US protege”.

“There is ample evidence of blatant US interference in the internal affairs of Latin American countries and the overthrow by military force of leaders and governments that the US does not like,” Ambassador Nebenzia stressed.

In his speech, the Russian Ambassador also mentioned Latin American countries surrounding Venezuela, including some countries that support the US stance on changing the current government of President Nicolas Maduro.

“I want to address Venezuela’s neighbors and ask them: Have you not learned any lessons from history? Don’t you understand that Venezuela is just a “bargaining chip” in the geopolitical and geostrategic battle for influence in the region and the world?” Ambassador Nebenzia said.

Mr. Nebenzia proposed that “a solution to the crisis in Venezuela can only be achieved through an internal Venezuelan dialogue.” However, according to the Russian diplomat, opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself Venezuela’s self-proclaimed president, “does not seem to be ready for dialogue.”

Russia’s ambassador has called for diplomatic solutions to the Venezuelan crisis, rather than seeking regime change in the South American country. According to Mr. Nebenzia, it is “Western interference” that has caused “real suffering” in countries like Syria.

“We call on the United States to recognize the right of the Venezuelan people, as well as the right of other countries to determine their own destiny. If you want to “Make America Great Again,” then stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. You will be respected for that. You yourself do not want other countries to interfere in your affairs, do you? No country wants that,” the Russian ambassador to the United Nations stressed.