VENEZUELAN FM: Country ready for war–insistent on peace

Venezuelan armed forces have conduced large scale military drills in a show of strength against recent threats of war made by Donald Trump. Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza who has recently complained to the UN about America’s punitive sanctions against the oil rich country, spoke exclusively to RT about his country’s position vis-a-vis an increasingly militant United States.

Jorge Arreaza stated,

“All the people of Venezuela, all high-ranking military personnel are to take part in these drills to prepare to protect us, our territory, our sovereignty, including by military means.

I hope that we won’t experience such barbarity in our age….(but) if Venezuela is attacked, rest assured that the Armed Forces of the Bolivarian Republic, the people of Venezuela, would defend their territory, their integrity, dignity, independence and sovereignty to their last breath”.

The Foreign Minister affirmed that his country will, “take all possible steps to protect our citizens. We have all the resources required to do so”.

After blaming the “military-industrial complex” for controlling America’s foreign policy, Arreza turned to the matter of sanctions which the pro-American opposition in Venezuela have been arguing for, even though they are now ironically blaming Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for the results.

Azzera told RT,

“So that you understand what kind of opposition we have – they have been lobbying, going to Washington to achieve those sanctions against Venezuela.

Now they are trying to convince the people of Venezuela that the sanctions are the fault of (Venezuela’s president) Nicholas Maduro. This is completely absurd… and the world must know this.

We need a serious opposition in Venezuela… which loves its homeland despite all the ideological differences that we have”.

Azzera who has just held a private meeting with UN Secretary General António Guterres called on the body to protect Venezuela’s sovereignty, saying,

“The most natural reaction (of the UN) would be to recognise that sovereignty of our country must be respected, curb attempts of interfering into the internal affairs of Venezuela and refrain from adopting a policy of unilateral sanctions that violate the principles of international law”.

Recently, the large bloc of South American nations Mercosur, a bloc which includes many nations which are opposed to Venezuela’s Bolivarian style of government came out in a show of unity against US.

READ MORE: South America opposes Trump’s military threat against Venezuela