New Delhi: A day after the US launched strikes on Venezuela, capturing the South American nation’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, India expressed “deep concern” in its first formal reaction to the military action ordered by Donald Trump.
“Recent developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Sunday.
Urging the concerned parties to resolve issues through, the statement further said: “India reaffirms its support to the well-being and safety of the people of Venezuela. We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region.”
The Indian government also said that the Indian Embassy in Venezuelan capital Caracas is in contact with members of Indian community and will continue to provide all possible assistance.
On Saturday, MEA advised Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela amid the unfolding situation there. Indians currently in Venezuela were asked to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with the Indian Embassy in Caracas.
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In a sensational development, US President Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social in the early hours of Saturday that the US had carried out a “large scale” strike against Venezuela and Maduro.
The Venezuelan President and his wife Cilia Flores were flown out to the US, where they have been indicted.
A federal court in New York has charged Maduro with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.
Hours after the attack, Trump claimed that US would help run Venezuela during the interim.
“We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said.
Calling the operation “extremely successful”, the American President warned it should serve as a message to anyone who threatens American sovereignty or lives.
