Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has violated the country’s constitution by declaring himself interim president, Russian Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachev wrote on Facebook on Thursday, Trend reports referring to TASS.
"There are all signs of a state coup in Venezuela. Claims can be made against both opposing sides but declaring oneself president cannot be considered as a constitutional move in any country," he said. "The experience we gained in a similar situation in 1993 shows that confrontation between the branches of government leads to no good and launching talks between the parties is the only way out for Venezuela," the Russian senator added.
However, according to him, "the situation in Venezuela is far from normal because the external factor is playing a very important role." "The assessment of this factor, that is, the West’s response, makes it clear that a well-tested model is being used," Kosachev noted.
He said the response of the United States and other western countries was unlawful and immoral. In particular, the Russian senator stressed that US Vice President Michael Pence had posted a video address on social media one day before protests erupted in Venezuela, calling the country’s incumbent president a dictator with no legitimate claim to power."
"Western politicians claim to serve as the voice of the Venezuelan people. For instance, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said on January 23 that the people of Venezuela demanded democracy and a chance to freely decide their future, while European Council President Donald Tusk said that ‘unlike Maduro, the parliamentary assembly, including Juan Guaido, have a democratic mandate from Venezuelan citizens’," Kosachev noted.