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Russian FM, Venezuelan VP to Discuss Bilateral Ties, Venezuela Crisis on Friday

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez in Moscow on Friday to discuss relations between the two states.
Sputnik

Lavrov and Rodriguez will discuss the topical issues in bilateral relations, implementation of major joint projects in energy, industry, agriculture, medicine, and modern technology. They will also exchange views on further coordination of the two countries' positions on the global stage, and discuss the situation in Venezuela.

Venezuela is currently in the midst of a tumultuous political crisis. It all started on 5 January, when lawmaker Juan Guaido was elected as the president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which all other government branches have been refusing to recognize since 2016.

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On 23 January, two days after the Venezuelan Supreme Court annulled his election, Guaido declared himself the country's "interim president". Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was sworn in for his second presidential term on 10 January after winning the May election, which part of the opposition boycotted, qualified Guaido's move as an attempt to stage a coup orchestrated by Washington.

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The United States immediately recognized Guaido, after which some 50 other countries followed suit. Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia and a number of other states have, in the meantime, voiced their support for the legitimate government of constitutionally elected Maduro. Mexico and Uruguay have refused to recognize Guaido, declaring themselves neutral and promoting crisis settlement via dialogue.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council rejected on Thursday a draft resolution put forward by Russia to reaffirm the right of President Nicolas Maduro's government to coordinate aid delivery to the Latin American country. Similarly, the UNSC also struck down a US-backed proposal calling for a snap presidential election in Venezuela.

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Maduro has repeatedly accused Washington of trying to orchestrate a coup ever since US-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president last month.

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Last week, the opposition failed to force unauthorized US-sponsored so-called aid into Venezuela. Maduro told ABC News on Tuesday that the United States is fabricating a crisis to justify military intervention in Venezuela.

The United Nations and the Red Cross have urged Washington not to politicize humanitarian assistance and not to deliver aid without the consent of the Venezuelan government.

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