Venezuela’s diplomatic relations across the globe

An interview with Mr. Yvan Gil, Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe, on Venezuela’s domestic and international situation

By Guido Lanfranchi.

In a diplomatic trip to several European capitals, Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe, Mr. Yvan Gil, made a visit to The Hague to discuss bilateral relations with the Netherlands. In an interview with the press, he denied the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and accused Washington of plotting to subvert the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Already several stops in European capitals, namely Rome, Athens, Oslo and The Hague, with a scheduled trip to Moscow later in the week. This is the planning for the diplomatic trip of Mr. Yvan Gil, Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe at the Ministry of the People’s Power for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela. While in The Hague, Mr. Gil agreed to receive Diplomat Magazine at the Venezuelan Embassy, where he explained in a long interview the position of his government on the recent events in Venezuela.

In a moment in which international pressure seems to be mounting on Mr. Nicolás Maduro and his government, Mr. Gil talked at large about Venezuela’s diplomatic relations across the globe. While some countries have recognized Mr. Juan Guaidó as the country’s interim president, Mr. Gil noted that most countries around the world still enjoy normal diplomatic relations with Venezuela. Moreover – he stressed – even countries which recognized Mr. Guaidó are still working with Mr. Maduro’s government, as shown by Mr. Gil’s official visit to The Hague.

Deputy Foreign Minister Gil also praised the increased cooperation with a number of “strategic allies” of Venezuela, such as Russia, China, Iran, and India. The relations with these countries have recently become even tighter in the light of the recent events – Mr. Gil announced with pleasure, dismissing recent accounts of strains in Russo-Venezuelan cooperation.

He firmly denied reports of tensions between Russia’s Gazprombank and Venezuela’s PDVSA, as well as the allegations concerning the involvement of Russian fighters in Caracas, labelling such news as part of a wider “disinformation campaign” orchestrated by Venezuela’s enemies.

Mr. Gil also talked at large about the United States, arguably the biggest of such enemies, widely denouncing the unwelcome U.S. interference in Venezuela’s affairs.

The relations between the two countries have always been troubled over the last twenty years – Mr. Gil acknowledged. However, he identified the election of U.S. President Donald Trump as the watershed in the deterioration of U.S.-Venezuelan ties. The ties between the two countries are currently at a historic low after January 23^rd, when the U.S. formally recognized Mr. Guaidó as interim president and Mr. Maduro retaliated by cutting diplomatic ties with the United States. Mr. Gil announced that efforts are currently ongoing to establish an “interests office”, in order to ensure contacts between the two sides.

However, he also accused the U.S. of conducting a psychological campaign of pressure on Venezuela, including regrettable military mobilization efforts in the Caribbean – recently denounced by the government of Cuba. In this regard, Mr. Gil warned the U.S. administration “not to open the pandora’s box” with a military intervention, since any such attempt – he claimed – would not only fail, but would also potentially lead to a “catastrophe” at the regional scale.

While the relations between Venezuela and the U.S. have been particularly problematic, those with the European Union and some of his member states have not been easy either. Mr. Gil firmly regretted the decision of some European states to recognize Mr. Guaidó as interim president. Referring to declarations by Spanish Foreign Minister Mr. José Borrell, the Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister pointed at the role of “external pressure” behind the European countries’ decisions, while at the same time leaving the door open for dialogue and diplomatic cooperation.

As the relationships with countries such as Spain and the Netherlands are very valuable for Venezuela, the government will do its best to keep up such ties – Mr. Gil clarified, albeit warning that any future development will also depend on future actions by the European countries.

Deputy Foreign Minister Gil also touched upon the different mediation efforts put forward by the international community. He warmly welcomed the Montevideo Mechanism, recently launched by Mexico, Uruguay and the CARICOM organization, as a positive step towards a regionally-led mediation effort. He also announced the government’s opening to dialogue, yet remembering that any such effort should take place on the basis of the country’s Constitution. The same conditions should apply to the efforts of the EU-sponsored International Contact Group for Venezuela – he noted, announcing the arrival to Caracas of a first technical mission from the EU.

Mr. Gil also discussed the potential role of the Vatican in mediation efforts, praising its “moral authority” and its great potential in facilitating the process. While many analysts interpreted Pope Francis’ stance as a rejection of Mr. Maduro’s mediation request, Mr. Gil welcomed the Holy See’s stance, praising its focus on dialogue rather than on confrontation.

Deputy Foreign Minister Gil also talked at large about Venezuela’s domestic situation. He firmly denied the existence of a parallel government, stressing that the government of Mr. Maduro is up and running, controlling the whole territory, as well as the provision of security and services. He accused “a section of the opposition” of being under heavy influence from Washington, running the risk to be paving the way for “war and invasion”, and dismissed the idea of a coup as “impossible”, on account of the compactness of the Venezuelan people and the country’s army.

Mr. Gil stressed that the way out from the current situation should be dialogue among Venezuelans, as well as respect of the country’s Constitution and political processes. He recalled the upcoming electoral deadlines, notably the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2020 and the presidential elections foreseen in 2014. In the light of the current tensions, however, he announced that the government is currently evaluating whether the parliamentary elections could be moved up to 2019.

In these elections, no one will be banned from running for political reasons – Mr. Gil stressed, albeit noting that individuals could be disqualified if subjected to judicial measures.

Moreover, Mr. Gil denied the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. He noted that, in the UNDP Human Development Index report, Venezuela is placed above several other countries in the region, such as for instance Brazil and Colombia. Mr. Gil acknowledged the existence of shortages of food and medicines, as well as the presence of an “adverse economic situation,” and clarified that the government is willing to tackle these issues. However, he blamed such economic problems on the economic war waged by the U.S, citing estimates of USD 350 billion of lost revenues for the Venezuelan government over the last six years.

Mr. Gil also accused the U.S. and Western European countries of unjustly seizing Venezuelan assets, noting that legal actions by the Venezuelan government are ongoing in this regard. While the U.S. and European countries stress that economic sanctions against Venezuela mostly target individuals associated to the government, Mr. Gil denied such assertions. He argued that the reduction of government revenues does have a significant negative impact for the Venezuelan people, and that governments supporting such sanctions should be considered responsible for the consequences.

Deputy Foreign Minister Gil also downplayed the offer of humanitarian aid extended by the U.S. and Colombia, which has been rejected by the government of Mr. Maduro. Mr. Gil noted that the quantity of aid offered is irrelevant compared to Venezuelan domestic food production, and stressed that legal channels for bringing food in the country are open for all those who are willing to undergo the standard import procedures. In the light of these considerations – he concluded – the efforts by the U.S. and Colombia should be considered as “propaganda”, merely used to build up a pretext for intervention in Venezuela.

Mr. Gil also touched upon the issue of freedom of access for international politicians and journalists in Venezuela. He defended the choice of denying entry to a group of Spanish MEPs, underlining the informal nature of the visit and denouncing the visitors’ plan to “conspire against the government” of Venezuela. Similarly, he noted that the three EFE reporters temporarily detained in Venezuela did not have a visa (a claim rejected by EFE), and that consequently “migration rules were applied”.

In his concluding remarks, Deputy Foreign Minister Yvan Gils stressed that the debate on Venezuela is not limited to the support, or lack thereof, to the current government. Rather, the situation of the country is a key theme for international law, and as such its relevance goes well beyond Venezuela’s borders.

The way forward for Venezuela remains uncertain. Mr. Guaidó has called for a national mobilization on February 23^rd, declaring his intention to allow the inflow of humanitarian aid from Colombia into Venezuela. Mr. Gil downplayed such calls, confidently claiming that nothing special will happen on February 23^rd. On the background of such a complex situation, diplomatic efforts on the international scene continue. While future developments remain unclear, we should all share the hope that any efforts will go in a positive direction for the Venezuelan people.

______

Photography by Imane Rachidi.