Syria, China condemn US ‘interference’ in Venezuela’s domestic affairs

Syria and China, among other countries, have condemned US interference in Venezuela, after Washington recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself president, as interim leader.

Damascus has strongly censured US President Donald Trump’s administration for its “interference” in the South American country’s internal affairs after the White House recognized the self-proclamation of Guaido, the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, as the president of the country.

Syria “condemns in strongest terms going to extremes by the US and its blatant interference in the affairs of … Venezuela, which constitutes a flagrant violation of all international norms and laws and a brazen attack against the Venezuelan sovereignty,” Syria’s official news agency SANA quoted an unnamed official from the country’s Foreign and Expatriates Ministry as saying on Thursday.

The strongly-worded statement by the Syrian ministry came just one day after Juan Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly, abruptly declared himself the “interim president,” of the country and quickly won the backing of the US and its Latin American allies.