Solidarity for Qatar, Silence on Iran: Venezuela’s Diplomatic Blunder Under US Pressure
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Acting President of Venezuela Delcy RodrĂguez announced on Monday that she held a telephone conversation with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to address the US-“Israel”-created crisis in West Asia.
“I have spoken by telephone with His Highness the Emir of the State of Qatar, to whom I conveyed our solidarity in the face of the serious situation of instability and violence that has broken out in the Middle East, which has placed the entire region on the brink of a dangerous escalation of war,” RodrĂguez wrote on social media.
She reaffirmed her conviction that only dialogue and diplomacy can chart a sure course to peace. The acting head of state issued an urgent call for negotiations to be reactivated immediately, in strict adherence to the principles of sovereignty, independence, and the values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.
RodrĂguez also expressed regret for the humanitarian impact of the hostilities, conveying condolences and deep concern for the loss of human lives throughout the region.
Background on the diplomatic shift
In the early hours of Saturday February 28, “Israel” and the US launched an unprovoked attack against Iran with the stated purpose of overthrowing the government. Since the start of this recent round of imperialist aggression, al Mayadeen reports that six Iranian hospitals have been bombed, as well as schools and residential areas. The Islamic Republic officially announced that four military commanders had been assassinated on the same day as the Supreme Leader was killed alongside his children and grandchildren. In response to these crimes, Iran launched Operation True Promise 4 with waves of drones and ballistic missiles toward “Israel,” as well as against US bases and assets located in neighboring countries.
Last Saturday, the Venezuelan government led by RodrĂguez issued a controversial official statement that was later withdrawn due to massive backlash from within the Chavista grassroots movement. The statement vaguely condemned the attack against Iran without properly naming the aggressors: the US and the Zionist entity of “Israel.”
However, the most questionable portion of the statement appeared to challenge Iran’s right to self-defense, by claiming that the situation “has triggered in recent hours a dangerous and unpredictable escalation of events, including undue and condemnable military reprisals by Iran against targets in various countries of the region.”
Since Saturday, not a single Venezuelan authority has referred to the US-“Israeli” aggression against Iran. Many Chavistas have wondered why RodrĂguez did not make a similar gesture of solidarity with Iran, which has been the victim of this unprecedented aggression that took the life of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Social media posts and news coverage—published on social media and state news outlets—about what Chavista analysts labeled a questionable Venezuelan statement—have since been deleted.
Strategic retreats and regional alliances
Since the Jan. 3 US bombings, Venezuela has been forced to make strategic retreats to avoid further US military aggression. This has been accepted by the Chavista majority that supports the government; however, analysts claim there are certain red flags that might force the Chavista movement to re-evaluate its support of the government.
While a deep, friendly relation exists between Venezuela and the Chavista leadership with Qatar, experts note it is incomparable with the strategic relationship with Iran. For this reason, some analysts wonder if the current Venezuelan leadership’s behavior might be connected to the tragic US military bombing of Venezuela this January.
Following the US aggression against Venezuela, two sovereign funds were established in Qatar to process Venezuelan oil revenues that could be traded via the United States. This financial arrangement aligns with high-level diplomatic engagement: Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani—who also serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs and is a prominent member of the ruling House of Thani—visited Venezuela and met with RodrĂguez on February 18.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/DZ
