China Condemns U.S. Actions Against Venezuela

Beijing, Dec 22 (Prensa Latina) – China today emphasized its opposition to unilateral intimidation tactics and stated that the U.S. practice of arbitrarily detaining vessels from other nations constitutes a serious violation of international law. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made these remarks regarding Washington's seizure of another Venezuelan oil tanker near the coast of the South American country. "China has consistently opposed illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a legal basis in international law and have not been authorized by the United Nations Security Council," he stated. Lin once again rejected any action that contravenes the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and infringes upon the sovereignty and security of other states. "Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other nations," he affirmed. He also expressed confidence that the international community "will understand and support Venezuela's stance in defending its legitimate rights and interests." On December 10, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would order a "total and complete blockade" of all oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, which is part of the maximum pressure against the government of Nicolas Maduro. Caracas condemned the blockade as a grotesque threat and a violation of international law, accusing the U.S. administration of attempting to "seize the country's oil, land, and minerals through massive campaigns of lies and manipulations." This week, Trump reiterated that he does not rule out a military operation against land targets in Venezuela, and in an interview with Politico, he made threatening remarks about his Venezuelan counterpart, saying: "His days are numbered." In the Caribbean region, the U.S. Armed Forces have gathered in recent months more than a dozen warships, the world's largest aircraft carrier, and about 15,000 soldiers as part of what the Pentagon called "Operation Southern Lance." According to observers, this is the largest U.S. deployment in the region in decades and constitutes a direct threat to Venezuela, the current target of the aggressive foreign policy of the Republican party.