UN follows US-Venezuela tensions with 'grave concern': Spokesperson

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - The UN is following the tensions between the US and Venezuela in the southern Caribbean with "grave concern," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday.

Asked about the US government's recent decision to label a Venezuelan organization as a terrorist group and link it to President Nicolas Maduro, Dujarric said the UN has no position on that "unilateral decision by the United States."

The US on Monday formally designated the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization.

Dujarric emphasized that the UN is concerned about the "increasingly confrontational rhetoric which risks heightening regional unease."

He called it imperative that all member states "fully comply in their obligations under international law."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges states to create opportunities for dialogue and to continue efforts "to find a peaceful way forward," he added.