"Heads of the circus - in the US government": the head of the Foreign Ministry of Venezuela on the political crisis and negotiations with the opposition

- Mr. Arreas, the government spoke to opposition leader Juan Guaido after he declared himself acting. the country's president?

- Everyone was aware of a meeting on January 22 between Guaido, who is the chairman of the National Assembly, and trade union leader Freddie Bernal. I do not know whether there were subsequent meetings, but, nevertheless, everyone should know that we are in constant contact with the Venezuelan opposition. In December, we almost reached an agreement in which they proposed reactivation of the National Assembly by signing a joint treaty. But when they consulted with the State Department, with the ultra-right forces of Venezuela, they refused it. But contacts have always been.

- Do you plan to sit at the negotiating table in the near future?

- If the opposition is ready to sit down with us at the negotiating table in literally half an hour, we will agree. In fact, we never got up because of him. This opposition then sits down, then gets up and leaves, then returns. I would very much like them to come to the negotiations, ask permission from their superiors here in the US, and look for a solution with us that would meet the Venezuelan Constitution. This is a great opportunity to get together and, building on the provisions of the Constitution, to jointly build a political road to the future.

• Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreas
• Reuters
• © Carlos Garcia Rawlins

- Lord Arreas, did the Venezuelan government surprise you with the support that the people expressed on January 23 at the protests organized by the opposition, especially in Caracas?

- It did not surprise us at all. Remember, in our country, political unrest has continued since 2001. This is a revolution. The people of Venezuela can freely decide whether they want to go the road of revolution, left-wing politics, progress, or whether they want to follow the path of neoliberalism and imperialism. But he can freely, democratically make his decision. There were big protests of one sector and another. In the event of that day, both sides took to the streets peacefully. We did not allow what the United States wanted. Namely - what they did in 2002. It was a tragedy, blood was shed, violence was used. But this time, on the contrary, everything went peacefully, and, as always, the demonstrations were open and free.

- Were you ready for the fact that Juan Guaido will assume the role of opposition leader? Did you know that this is possible?

- The Venezuelan opposition has its own rules, and the National Assembly, as I understand it, should have been chaired by the Narodnaya Volya Party. And this man had every chance of becoming chairman.

But I would not say that he can be called a “leader,” he is the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, who has fallen into this situation, and his superiors put strong pressure on him. The New York Times calls Mr. Marco Rubio (US Senator from the State of Florida, Republican Party - RT ) - ouster in chief or "chief putsch."

The pressure on this young ultra-right deputy made him take strange anti-constitutional decisions that, of course, could harm the Venezuelan statehood, but in no way threaten the controllability of legitimate institutions of power.

To gallery page

- You criticized European states that followed in the footsteps of Washington, calling for elections. France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany stated that if elections were not held in the country within eight days, they would recognize Juan Guaido as the acting president. You have stated that the government rejects this ultimatum. What happens if these countries recognize Juan Guaido as president?

- Two hundred years ago, the liberator Simon Bolivar and his generation of revolutionaries drove European imperialism and colonialism out of Venezuela. First, it is interventionism to the highest degree. Secondly, it is arrogant. Thirdly, it is unnatural. It is impossible to put forward an ultimatum or any terms to a sovereign people, that “after eight days”, and so on ... The only people whose recognition and support the Bolivarian democracy deserves and is looking for are the people of Venezuela. The rest are not interesting to us.

- Does the Venezuelan government consider the possibility of severing diplomatic relations with European countries, if they recognize Juan Guaido?

- So far, we have focused on the main head of the coup, on the "heads of the circus" - the US government, Mr. Trump and his representatives. This is where the main opposition unfolds, this is where the epicenter of the conflict. But, of course, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela will consider each case separately and will send its recommendations to the president. But these are minor issues, the main thing is a conflict, a sharp dispute with the main “putschists” who are in the United States.

I repeat, we are focused on those who lead all this. This time, the US government is not just behind the coup, but is leading it. We are focused on neutralizing the attacks of Washington, which, in turn, neutralizes the attacks and positions of all US-controlled governments in both Latin America and Europe.

- What is the basis of cooperation between Venezuela and Russia at the moment? Has Nicolas Maduro approached Moscow with a request for military assistance?

- All this rumors. Since the time of Hugo Chávez, our cooperation with Russia has always developed harmoniously and has become increasingly close in recent years. We think that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro have managed to raise it to a new level. We are developing cooperation in the economic, industrial, agricultural sphere, in many areas of the national economy, in the financial sphere, as well as military cooperation that has always existed. We have friendly relations with Russia based on equality and respect in many areas.

- President of Venezuela Nacolas Maduro takes part in military exercises, which, according to him, have become the largest in the history of Venezuela. Many have criticized him, recalling the economic crisis in which the country is ...

- These are completely different things. The budget of Venezuela is calculated taking into account the distribution of funds for each sector. In this case, military exercises conducted by Venezuela are of great importance.

Today, there have already been statements from the White House that they are considering all options and do not exclude military intervention in Venezuela. Therefore, our duty, patriotic and constitutional, is to protect the people of Venezuela, therefore we must be fully operational, and our military forces must act in a coordinated manner in order to be ready for any development of events.

- You talked about the budget of Venezuela for various sectors. According to the study, in recent years, 64% of the population has lost an average of 10 kg of weight due to lack of food or malnutrition. Does the budget provide for the allocation of funds to provide citizens of Venezuela with food?

- It is necessary to carefully study these studies. Our economy has suffered greatly from sanctions in connection with the so-called blockade and financial oppression by the US government. We have billions of dollars and euros blocked abroad.

But, of course, society suffers from certain problems. However, this does not mean that President Nicolas Maduro does not allocate a single dollar for public needs. We are moving forward and protecting our people. We have developed new technologies, modernized identity cards, so that subsidies reach families in need. This also applies to the housing issue. About three million dwellings were given to those in need. And we will continue to evenly distribute government revenues and national wealth. Ultimately, in Venezuela, there is a serious struggle for income and national wealth between the bourgeoisie, which wants to transfer everything to the United States and the American elite, and representatives of the Bolivarian revolution, who want to allocate these funds for social needs for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.

- Mr. Arreas, the crime rate is also one of the reasons why many Venezuelans are in favor of a change of power in the country ...

“I don't know where you got this information from.” The security situation in the country has improved in recent months compared to last year.

- According to the UN, in 2014, Venezuela entered the top three countries with the highest level of violence, with the highest homicide rate in the world.

- I do not know. It is necessary to examine these studies in detail, and then the Venezuelan people themselves decide whether to leave or stay. We manage the state at all levels, including on security issues. And we will overcome everything as a people, ready to defend its sovereignty, independence and its right to make decisions regarding its own future without the influence of the capitalist powers.

- Is the Venezuelan government ready to hold elections and thus solve the crisis in the country?

- I insist that there is a Constitution in Venezuela, and the elections were held last year, if you mean the presidential election. The elections were held, about 10 million people took part, despite the largest international boycott, which could only exist during free elections. There is a popular decision, and the president, who recently took office.

- Senor Arreasa, what message would you like to convey to the opposition and the people who currently support this opposition?

- I have the only message. We have a beautiful country, we have great opportunities. But we also have an obligation to protect our integrity and to protect the gift that was sent to us from above, Venezuela. And we cannot attack Venezuela itself.

We can not ally with the enemies of Venezuela. On the contrary, we Venezuelans must make an alliance with each other and find our own solutions with the help of our institutions of power and our Constitution. Everything else is beyond the scope of the Constitution and represents a danger and a threat to the country. (It is necessary. - RT ) to correct, consider, and so that we can come to an understanding, conduct a dialogue and pave our future path together.

- Will there be any legal consequences for Juan Guaido and the rest of the opposition because he self-proclaimed himself the interim president of the country?

- I am neither a judge nor a prosecutor to make such a decision. In Venezuela, there are laws and codes ... And the judiciary will determine whether a crime has been committed and who will be responsible.