November 17, 2019
The Venezuelan government rejected Saturday a statement from the United States Vice President Mike Pence, who called on the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) to carry out a coup d’etat in the country.
‘We urge the Venezuelan military to join the Venezuelan people, not a despot. The Venezuelan army should be a force of good, the power to change for the better is in your hands,” Pence tweeted in his attempt to incite the FANB to revolt against the legitimate authorities of the South American nation.
In response, Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said her country “will not rest in defending its dignified sovereignty. Neither failed lobbies nor the coup impulses will be able with the determination of our people to guarantee democracy, peace, stability, and territorial integrity.”
For his part, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza affirmed that all of Washington’s attempts to destabilize Venezuela and generate a coup d’état have failed, “assume it with maturity, deal with the impeachments and your internal affairs,” the diplomat said in reference to the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump for the alleged attempt to blackmail his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodimir Zelenski.
Arreaza demanded that Pence respect Venezuela at a time when the neighboring country Bolivia is facing a political and social crisis resulting from a coup perpetrated by traditional right-wing groups, in which there are also accusations and evidence that directly blame participation from the United States.
On Saturday, hundreds of Venezuelans marched in Caracas to reject new destabilizing plans from the right-wing opposition, led by the self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido in complicity with the U.S., according to government accusations.
Source: Telesur