Russia accuses US of trying to overthrow Maduro

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia’s foreign minister on Tuesday accused the U.S. of trying to overthrow the Venezuelan government.

New U.S. sanctions against Venezuela aim to deepen the crisis and "change the legitimate government," Sergey Lavrov told a news conference after meeting with Alie Kabba, his Sierra Leonean counterpart.

"We're worried about what the U.S. and their allies do to Venezuela, roughly violating international law, and apparently, setting an open course for overthrow of the legitimate government," he said.

Lavrov stressed how the U.S. took similar measures to freeze bank accounts belonging to Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Nicaragua, Panama, and other countries.

"And in the end this money was confiscated," he said.

"This grossly undermines the last vestiges of confidence in the international monetary and financial system based on the supremacy of the dollar,” he said.

“It also exacerbates the crisis in Venezuelan society and serves to incite the opposition to illegal actions. According to our information, opposition leaders got instructions from Washington not to make any concessions until the regime relinquishes power one way or another."

Lavrov also blasted the decision to exempt U.S. companies working in Venezuela from the sanctions as “cynical.”

Commenting on cameras Monday spotting the words "5,000 troops to Colombia" scribbled on a pad used by U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton, Lavrov said: "Calls for military intervention in Venezuela grew stronger."

Colombia and Venezuela share a border stretching over 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) long.

Last week, after the leader of Venezuela’s opposition-led National Assembly, Juan Guaido, declared himself acting president, U.S. President Donald Trump recognized him as such.

Russia and China both opposed the U.S. call to support Guaido, and condemned any international interference in Venezuela. Turkey and Iran have also supported Maduro.

- Reforms to UN Security Council

At the press conference, Sierra Leone's Kabba called for reformations to the UN Security Council.

As African countries are extremely underrepresented, the council should have two African permanent seats and two non-permanent seats, he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long championed reform to the structure of the UN Security Council, arguing that it is grossly unrepresentative, using the slogan, "The world is greater than five.”