In the latest news from Venezuela, opposition leader and self-declared president Juan Guaidó said he has reached out to both Russia and China. The two countries are Venezuela’s top foreign creditors and have refused to recognize Guaidó’s claim to be president.
This comes as Reuters is reporting the Maduro government plans to sell gold from central bank vaults to the United Arab Emirates for cash, as new sanctions from the U.S. threaten to further cripple the country’s economy. There are also reports that the Venezuela-owned oil company Citgo is considering filing for bankruptcy. On Thursday, hundreds of workers from the state-owned oil company PDVSA marched in Caracas in support of President Nicolás Maduro. This is Vice President Delcy Rodríguez addressing the march.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez: “All masks have been removed, from Donald Trump, president of the United States; from his vice president, the dislocated Mike Pence; from the national security adviser, John Bolton. All, without exception, have said they are coming for the oil of Venezuela. And what is our response? Yankee, hands off our oil industry! They will not return to govern Venezuela or come to take our oil!”