TEHRAN, Mar31-Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and US-backed opposition figure Juan Guaido have staged rivaling rallies, as the ongoing power struggle in the Latin American country puts the United States on a collision course with Russia and China.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) -In a repeat of rallies seen over several previous weekends, Pro-government protesters took to the streets in the capital Caracas on Saturday, voicing their anger at US meddling, terrorism and "imperialism."
Holding Venezuelan flags and posters of Maduro, the protesters expressed support for the embattled president saying he was not alone.
"We are calling for love. We are calling for peace," said Maduro's social movements chief, Jesus Camargo.
"They are inciting people with hatred," Camargo said in regard to the employed tactics by the opposition.
The protesters also chanted anti-US slogans, calling for national unity and vowing to defend the country against possible US invasion.
Meanwhile, a rival rally was held by opposition forces supporting key Guaido, the US-backed former head of the National Assembly who incited violent clashes in the country after proclaiming himself as the interim president of Venezuela in January.
Speaking at one of the anti-government events, Guaido called on the country's armed forces to join the opposition.
Protesters in DC urge US, NATO to stay out of Venezuela
Meanwhile, a group of American protesters marched on Saturday in Washington, DC, urging the US and its allies in the NATO military alliance not to interfere in Venezuela and other Latin American countries.
NATO foreign affairs ministers are scheduled to meet in Washington DC on April 3 and 4 to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance.
Trump has indicated that he is “very strongly” considering NATO membership for Brazil or some other formal alliance with the Latin American country, which borders Venezuela.
Analysts have pointed out that Washington's ultimate goal is to maintain and expand its military and economic control.
"The United States’ [officials] want to attain global hegemony, control or domination as much as they can of world affairs'" Lajos Szaszdi, political commentator, told Press TV in an interview, adding, " they are using this combination of sanctions and threats to achieve their purposes."
Regime change in Venezuela allows the US to gain greater control over the world energy market, particularly oil, the analyst added.
"The United States wants to control Venezuela’s oil in order to impose its dictate on OPEC organization of petroleum exporting countries," Szaszdi said.
US wants another Syria
Isaac Bigio, an expert on Latin American affairs, said the American authorities were likely to escalate tensions in the region as they wanted “to have another Syria in Latin America.”
"The United States is trying to provoke an intervention and an armed uprising in Venezuela, organizing sabotage," the analyst told Press TV on Saturday. “We are going to have an escalation”..., but for the moment we are not going to have a war yet," he noted.
Bigio added that Venezuelans welcome help from ally countries Russia and China.
“Russia is well justified as a sovereign country to help, assist an ally that is Venezuela and it is not going to allow Venezuela to fall to US pressures and intervention,” he said, adding, “China said Latin America is not the backyard of anybody and it is not the property of anybody, and China could have relations with whoever it wanted, and that’s referring to Venezuela.”
Source: Press TV
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