New Delhi: India Saturday issued an advisory warning its citizens to curtail non-essential travel to Venezuela, while making no comment on the military operation conducted by the US in the nation to apprehend President Nicolas Maduro.
“In view of recent developments in Venezuela, Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela. All Indians who are in Venezuela for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with the Embassy of India in Caracas…” the Ministry of External Affairs stated in the advisory.
Almost every major economy has made a statement on the goings-on in Venezuela. Russia, India’s long-standing partner, condemned the US operation. Moscow has maintained close ties with the Maduro government. Similarly, China and a number of other countries, including Colombia, Brazil, South Africa and Chile, have all condemned the US action. The European Union and its leaders have been more circumspect in their comments, urging for international law to be followed, while criticising Maduro’s tenure.
Operation Absolute Resolve was conducted by US forces early Saturday morning, leading to the capture of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Both of them have been flown to New York City to face trial after the courts unsealed an indictment, charging Maduro and Flores with narcoterrorism and weapon offences.
US President Donald Trump and his administration have for months railed against Maduro’s regime. The US amassed military forces in the Caribbean, carrying out strikes against small vessels emanating from Venezuela for drug smuggling and seizing oil tankers carrying crude from the country’s ports. Trump has refused to lift the oil sanctions on Venezuela despite the capture of Maduro.
For India, the Ministry of External Affairs has kept abreast of the situation, while offering no comment. Caracas was a major supplier of crude oil to India until 2019 when Trump, during his first tenure, imposed sanctions against Maduro’s regime as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign.
India has not commented on Maduro’s disputed elections in 2018 and 2024. However, as recently as November, India held foreign office consultations with the Venezuelan government in New Delhi, maintaining normal diplomatic activities with Caracas.
Venezuela’s government maintained extensive ties with China, with Maduro meeting with Chinese special representative Qiu Xiaoqi just hours before the US launched its raid to apprehend him.
Trump’s administration has long labelled Maduro as a drug lord, accusing him of using his position to not only support the export of cocaine and other narcotics to the US, but also issuing diplomatic passports to drug dealers to circumvent the law, according to the latest indictment.
Delcy Rodriguez, Vice President of Venezuela, has been appointed as the new Acting President of the South American nation. Trump has said the US is set to appoint someone to “run” the country until a transition can be ensured.
The South American nation has one of the world’s largest reserves of oil. Trump has indicated a keen interest in having US firms rebuild Caracas’ ailing oil sector. For China, questions remain over any transition as Beijing has lent an estimated $100 billion in loans and other financial assistance to Caracas in the last two decades.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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