Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about the conflict between the United States and Venezuela on Wednesday to call on the United Nations to act and avoid “bloodshed.” At the start of her morning conference, the president began her speech by urging the UN to intervene in the conflict between the two countries, after Donald Trump ordered the “total blockade of sanctioned oil tankers” entering and leaving Venezuela and further intensifying his offensive against the government of Nicolas Maduro. “Let (the United Nations) assume its role, which has not been seen, assume its role to avoid any bloodshed and always seek a peaceful solution to conflicts,” Sheinbaum said during his morning press conference at the National Palace.
The president entered the conflict with remarks that until now had not been so severe and direct, although she emphasized her well-known position of non-interventionism and respect for national sovereignty. “Beyond opinions on the Venezuelan regime and the Maduro presidency, Mexico’s position must always be ‘no’ to intervention, ‘no’ to foreign interference, peaceful resolution of conflicts and dialogue for peace,” he said at the opening of his appearance. Sheinbaum stressed the sovereignty of countries, a mantra he repeated every time Trump threatened to send troops to Mexico to also combat drug trafficking.
Additionally, the president proposed that Mexico host a meeting between Venezuela and the United States to engage in diplomatic dialogue. “We can be a meeting point if the parties wish. And if not, seek mediators to avoid any conflict in the region,” he proposed. He also urged Mexican citizens who are in Venezuelan territory to report to the embassy. “Let’s hope this doesn’t escalate,” he said of the escalating tensions in the country. On the tanker blockade and Trump’s decision to keep the intercepted ship’s cargo Skipper which was intended for Cuba and China, Sheinbaum rejected the action of the American president. “The blockade seems to be against a government, but it is against the people, like the blockade against Cuba. Whatever positions it may have (on the Maduro government), a blockade harms the people,” he said. However, the president denied having a conversation with Maduro recently.
The president’s demand for the UN to take strong action to resolve tensions between the two countries comes a day after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk announced his withdrawal from Venezuela. Turk, who was declared persona non grata by the Venezuelan Parliament, assured that “all possible efforts” had been made to continue operating in the country, “requesting visas and dialoguing with the authorities, but without success”, and stressed that the office he heads no longer has “any type of staff in Venezuela”. His departure from Caracas confirmed the break between the Venezuelan government and international organizations, which have denounced the abuses of the Maduro regime in recent years..
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