"Stop Trump Coup in Venezuela" — this is the message that Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has shared with his Twitter followers, having lambasted the United States for destroying "real democracy" in the Latin American country and urging Washington to "leave the Venezuelan people alone".
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The rock legend, who is known for his political statements during concerts, also shared a poster, announcing an "emergency demonstration" in front of the US Mission to the United Nations in New York.
A note from Roger:
— Roger Waters (@rogerwaters) 3 февраля 2019 г.
THIS IS TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
STOP THIS LATEST USG INSANITY, LEAVE THE VENEZUELAN PEOPLE ALONE. THEY HAVE A REAL DEMOCRACY, STOP TRYING TO DESTROY IT SO THE 1% CAN PLUNDER THEIR OIL.
US HANDS OFF #VENEZUELA! #NICOLASMADURO #STOPTRUMPSCOUPINVENEZUELA pic.twitter.com/AFi89IGcgV
As Venezuela has faced a clear political crisis, with opposition figure Juan Guaido proclaiming himself the country's interim president on 23 January, the United States rushed into recognising his authority and urging incumbent President Nicolas Maduro to resign.
The Venezuelan Supreme Court, in turn, blocked Guaido's bank accounts and financial transactions within the country's jurisdiction, and introduced a travel ban against him until an investigation into his activities is completed.
President Maduro, for his part, has accused Washington of staging a coup in his country, and severed diplomatic ties with the United States, having dismissed the sanctions as illegal.
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The US, in the meantime, has only beefed up its efforts to challenge Maduro's power, having offered to end sanctions on senior Venezuelan Army officers if they pledge allegiance to Guaido:
The U.S. will consider sanctions off-ramps for any Venezuelan senior military officer that stands for democracy and recognizes the constitutional government of President Juan Guaido. If not, the international financial circle will be closed off completely. Make the right choice!
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) 6 февраля 2019 г.
White House National Security Adviser John Bolton's tweet aligned with remarks by US President Donald Trump, who vowed in his State of the Union address Tuesday night to increase pressure on Maduro's government, telling Congress that "we stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom".
