Journalist: 'America Knows Very Well that Maduro Is the Legitimate President'

Sputnik: Why are EU and US backing opposition leader Juan Guaido?

Ollie Richardson: I think America knows very well that Maduro is the legitimate president, but unfortunately America has financial problems at the moment and is also lacking in resources.

Venezuela is the number one country in terms of reserves of crude oil; more than Saudi Arabia in fact, so perhaps the fact that countries like Canada, Britain, France and Spain recognise Juan Guaido as the interim president, is connected more to raw materials and economic factors, rather than anything connected to democracy or any subjective concept such as that.

READ MORE: Gold, Not Oil, May Now Be Key to Venezuelan Government's Survival — Analysts

Sputnik: Could the US intervene militarily in Venezuela?

Ollie Richardson: We have to have an open mind in terms of what may or may not happen because we are all human beings, and not robots, so everything is possible.
We have to remember that Russia has invested a lot of money in Venezuela; as has China, especially in the oil exploration domain and it also has strategic ties with Venezuela, in terms of military co-operation, and at the moment Russia is assisting Venezuela in reforming its economy.

I don't think for the US, that it's as simple as just sending troops over the border, or even using Colombian proxies, because the consequences of such a decision would shake the global economy so much so, that America would be shooting itself in the foot.

The views expressed in this article are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.