Moscow [Russia], January 7 : The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called for "guaranteed sovereign development" across Latin America and the Caribbean after Venezuela's recent regime change, following the US's military action in its capital of Caracas and the capture of ousted leader and deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
It urged respect for national sovereignty and an end to external interference following the US operation in the South American nation.
In a strongly worded statement, Moscow reaffirmed its support for Venezuela's right to independently determine its political future and stressed that Latin America and the Caribbean "must remain a zone of peace".
The ministry said all countries in the region should be guaranteed sovereign development, free from destructive foreign influence.
"We welcome the efforts taken by the country's authorities to protect the state sovereignty and national interests. We reaffirm Russia unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people and Government. We wish authorised President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez success in resolving the tasks facing the Bolivarian Republic. On our part, we express readiness to continue rendering necessary support to friendly Venezuela," the statement read.
"We firmly insist that Venezuela should have the guaranteed right to determine its destiny on its own, without any destructive interference from the outside. We consistently stand for de-escalating the current situation and resolving any existing problems through a constructive dialogue and respect for international law, primarily the UN Charter. Latin America and the Caribbean must remain a zone of peace. The countries in the region must be guaranteed sovereign development," it added.
The statement came against the backdrop of dramatic events in Caracas on Saturday when the US launched a "large-scale strike against Venezuela", and Maduro and his wife were captured and taken out of the country.
Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement.
They were indicted on charges of alleged "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies" in the Southern District of New York and are currently facing trial.
Following their capture, Delcy Rodriguez, the Vice President of Venezuela under Maduro, officially assumed the role of the country's acting president, according to CNN.
The oath of office was administered on Monday (local time) afternoon by her brother, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez.
Moscow, in its statement, welcomed the move by Venezuelan authorities as an effort to ensure unity, maintain constitutional order and create conditions for "peaceful and stable development" in the face of what Russia termed "blatant neocolonial threats and external armed aggression".
The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated its solidarity with the Venezuelan government and people and expressed its readiness to continue providing necessary support to the country.
"On January 5, Executive Vice President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in and assumed the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela at the National Assembly in accordance with the ruling by the Constitutional Chamber of the country's Supreme Court. This step shows the determination of the Bolivarian Government to assure unity and preserve the power vertical created in compliance with the national legislation, mitigate the risks of a constitutional crisis and create the necessary conditions for further peaceful and stable development of Venezuela in the face of outrageous neo-colonial threats and external armed aggression," the statement added.
The Kremlin's remarks reflect broader global concern over the US action in Venezuela, which has drawn international criticism from several countries and organisations that argue the operation undermines international law and regional stability.
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