Following a US warning to countries not to import oil from Venezuela amid the current political turmoil, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a strong statement signalling its dismay over the US pressure tactic.
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"Venezuela is the chair of OPEC and GECF. We don't have any barter system with Venezuela; commercial considerations and related factors will determine the value of trade which we have with any country," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesman Raveesh Kumar said while briefing the press on Thursday.
Nations and firms that support Maduro’s theft of Venezuelan resources will not be forgotten. The United States will continue to use all of its powers to preserve the Venezuelan people’s assets and we encourage all nations to work together to do the same. https://t.co/4MmHyjFY8K
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 12, 2019
Venezuela is the third largest supplier of oil to India and both the countries have so far maintained cordial relations.
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Venezuela is reeling from a political crisis amid the opposition-led legislature's refusal to recognise last year's re-election of President Nicolás Maduro.
While India is of the view that it is for the people of Venezuela to find a solution to the ongoing political crisis through constructive dialogue and discussion without resorting to violence, the US and its allies have backed Juan Guaido, who recently declared himself the President of Venezuela, by describing the polls that elected Nicolas Maduro as President as "invalid".
