Russia warns Venezuela\'s Guaido against \'inviting foreign intervention\'

Russia warns Venezuela's Guaido against 'inviting foreign intervention'

AFP  |  Moscow 

on Wednesday warned Venezuela's against "inviting foreign intervention" by using aid shipments as "cover" and called for dialogue between the government and opposition.

said was concerned about "threats from the US that are actively supported... by Venezuela's opposition, essentially inviting foreign intervention."

He said "whether direct or under cover of humanitarian aid," such an intervention is "unlikely to bring the result (Guaido) seeks." Venezuela's military, which is backing Nicolas Maduro, said it was on alert after Guaido vowed to bring aid into the struggling country, which Maduro slammed as a smokescreen for a US invasion.

US has refused to rule out military action, warning the that they will "lose everything".

Lavrov said US threats are "unquestionably a violation of the UN charter and direct meddling in domestic affairs of an independent country."

He said he hoped that Guaido "would respond to initiatives that suggest inclusive dialogue between all of Venezuela's political forces." "Results can only come from inclusive political dialogue," he said.

Shipments of and medicine for Venezuelans suffering in the country's economic crisis have become a focus of the power struggle between Maduro and Guaido.

Maduro had said that 300 tonnes of Russian aid would reach on Wednesday. He also announced arrival of goods from his other allies and

Russian on Wednesday quoted Venezuela's as saying that the aid has arrived in the country.

"We are thankful to for shipments of medical equipment which has arrived in Venezuela," she said in an interview to the paper.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, February 21 2019. 00:30 IST