Just Like Iraq, Warns Venezuela’s Maduro, US Wants to ‘Get Hands on Our Oil’
“We will not allow a Vietnam in Latin America,” says nation’s president ahead of opposition demonstrations on Wednesday.
Pro-government supporters attend a rally against U.S. President Donald Trump in Caracas, Venezuela in 2018. (Photo: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters)
Warning that U.S. military intervention could lead to a Vietnam War-style conflict, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said that while he’s willing to open talks with opposition leaders he will not bow to the demands of foreign “imperialists” and accused the U.S. government and other right-wing forces—like was done in Iraq and elsewhere—of trying to get their “hands on our oil.”
Maduro’s latest comments, which came via interviews and a video posted online, arrived just ahead of planned street demonstrations by the nation’s opposition on Wednesday and amid new threats via U.S. national security advisor John Bolton who continues to lead the charge for regime change on behalf of the Trump administration.
“If the U.S. intends to intervene against us they will get a Vietnam worse than they could have imagined.”
—President Nicolas Maduro
In an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti published Tuesday, Maduro rejected demands by the opposition and the White House to step down or hold snap presidential elections. While the U.S. has recognized president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as “Interim President” of the country, Maduro said that while he believes new parliamentary elections should be held the next presidential election would not be until 2025, as scheduled. Though the opposition largely boycotted the 2018 presidential election last May—and they were criticized as fraudulent by some—Maduro won with more than 67 percent of the vote.
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