Lebanese Hezbollah slams US ‘interference' in Venezuela

BEIRUT (AA) - Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Thursday evening slammed what it described as "blatant" efforts by Washington to "destabilize" Venezuela.

"The party [Hezbollah] strongly condemns the coup attempt against the country’s [i.e., Venezuela’s] legitimate authority, which the U.S. stands behind and is supporting," Hezbollah said in a statement.

It went on to stress its support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his elected government.

“The whole world knows that the goal of U.S. intervention isn’t to defend democracy and freedom as Washington claims, but to control the wealth and resources of the [targeted] country and punish sovereign states for their political choices," the statement read.

Tensions escalated this week after Juan Guaido, leader of Venezuela’s opposition-led National Assembly, declared himself president, directly challenging the authority of the country’s elected president, Nicolas Maduro.

On Wednesday, the U.S. recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing feud between Washington and Maduro.

Maduro has slammed the U.S. decision, vowing to suspend Venezuela’s relations with Washington and giving American diplomats 72 hours to leave the country.