On Thursday, Russia and China vetoed the US-sponsored draft. South Africa voted against the resolution, too, three countries abstained, while nine other states supported it. Ahead of the vote, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that the US draft had "no chance" of being adopted.
"Today, peace, the protection of sovereignty and self-determination of peoples won in the Security Council. Multilateralism will not fall to the feet of the United States (and countries following them) in order to attack the free people of Venezuela," Arreaza wrote on Twitter.
Hoy en el Consejo de Seguridad ONU, triunfaron la Paz, la defensa de la soberanía y la autodeterminación de los Pueblos. El multilateralismo no se pondrá a los pies del gobierno de EEUU (y sus países subalternos) para agredir al Pueblo libre de #Venezuela. #HandsOffVenezuela pic.twitter.com/lr09Bk5jT7
— Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) February 28, 2019
However, also on Thursday, the United Nations Security Council rejected a draft resolution put forward by Russia to reaffirm the right of President Nicolas Maduro's government to coordinate aid deliveries to the Latin American country, too. Four countries voted in favor of the resolution, while four others abstained and seven other council members rejected it.
READ MORE: UNSC Fails to Adopt US, Russian Competing Draft Resolutions on Venezuela (VIDEO)
Tensions in Venezuela escalated on 23 January, when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president. Incumbent President Nicolas Maduro called Guaido's move an attempt to stage a coup. The US and around 50 other countries have recognized Guaido. Russia and a number of other states have voiced their support for constitutionally elected Maduro.
