In statements to the TASS news agency, reviewed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Eurasian country, the viceminister described the actions orchestrated by the United States on January 3 on Venezuelan territory, as a breach of international law and the security of a sovereign nation.

When questioned about Moscow’s willingness to grant political asylum to the South American president in case of being released, Riabkov emphasized that any future scenario can only be contemplated after the release of Maduro and Cilia Flores.

“The first step, without which everything else remains purely hypothetical, is the release of Maduro and his wife,” said the diplomat.

What will be the future provision? That is a separate issue. And right now, there’s just no reason to talk about it, the deputy minister concluded.

Under the pretext of fighting narco-terrorism, on January 3, Washington launched a massive military aggression in Venezuelan territory, with repercussions in the capital city, Caracas, and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.

The operation ended with the kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were transferred to the US city of New York.

Since then, the Venezuelan authorities have characterized Washington’s actions as a “very serious military aggression,” while warning that the objective “is none other than seizing Venezuela’s strategic resources, in particular its oil and minerals, trying to break the nation’s political independence by force”.

For its part, the Ministry of the Interior, Justice and Peace of the Latin American country confirmed that at least 100 people were killed in the military assault, including 32 Cuban fighters who were carrying out missions at the request of the Venezuelan armed and security entities.

The majority of the international community expresses itself in favour of the release of Maduro and his wife, and insists that Venezuela should be guaranteed the right to decide its fate without any external intervention.

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