Iran rejects foreign pressure, interference in Venezuela’s domestic affairs

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson has rejected any foreign intervention in Venezuela's internal affairs amid the growing American pressure to fuel violent protests in the country following the presidential vote.

The Islamic Republic of Iran stresses the necessity to respect the vote and choice of the Venezuelan people within the framework of the right to self-determination of nations, Nasser Kan’ani wrote in a Friday post on social media platform X.

He also stressed the necessity for respecting the sovereignty of governments within the framework of international treaties and conventions, especially the United Nations Charter.

"While expressing our solidarity and firm support for the Venezuelan nation and government, we declare our opposition to any foreign pressure and interference in the internal affairs of the country and believe that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has the necessary capacity and determination to protect and guarantee the fundamental rights of the people of that country within the framework of the Constitution," he added.

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner of the election with 51 percent of the vote against opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez’s 44 percent.

The United States and its allies opposed to Maduro have held off recognizing the results, and supported violent protesters wreaking havoc in the country.

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In an interventionist statement on Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez was the clear winner of the South American country’s presidential election.

He claimed that the processing of the votes and announcement of the results by the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) were "deeply flawed," adding the announced outcome "does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people."

Maduro has blamed Urrutia for the post-election violence unleashed across the nation.

“I hold you responsible, Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia, for everything that is happening in Venezuela, for the criminal violence, for the criminals, for the injured, for the dead, for the destruction,” the president said on Tuesday. 

According to Attorney General Tarek William Saab, as a result of the violence, dozens of military and police officers have been injured, some by gunshots, and a military officer in northern Aragua state has been killed.

Authorities have verified that far-right groups have been using minors and people under the influence of drugs in riots in various cities in Venezuela.

Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and once boasted Latin America’s most advanced economy. But, economic sanctions from the US and Europe seeking to force Maduro from power after his 2018 reelection have hit ordinary Venezuelans, leading to the exodus of 7.7 million people. 

The International Monetary Fund forecasts the economy will grow 4% this year — one of the fastest in Latin America — after having shrunk 71% from 2012 to 2020. 

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