Amid Venezuela protests, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concern about the presence of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group, adding that this was an example of Russia’s shameless meddling in other countries’ affairs.
Protests erupted in the Venezuelan capital the day after President Nicolas Maduro declared victory in the election. The opposition denied Maduro’s statement as fraudulent, saying that after reviewing 73.2 per cent of the vote count, their candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won convincingly, the local media outlet reported.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy stated, “Worrying reports of Russian Wagner mercenaries being spotted in Venezuela alongside government forces. Wherever these thugs go, they bring death and destabilization.”
“This is a clear example of Russia’s shameless meddling in other countries’ affairs, as well as its usual strategy of sowing chaos around the world,” he added.
Further, Zelenskyy said the only way out of the difficult situation in Venezuela is “through peaceful and democratic procedures, not sending murderers to further exacerbate the situation.”
“We see that the people of Venezuela are going through a very difficult time. And the only way out is through peaceful and democratic procedures, not through sending murderers to further exacerbate the situation,” Zelenskyy said on X.
“We condemn the use of force against peaceful protesters and urge everyone to respect the people’s choice. True leaders don’t hide from their own people behind mercenaries’ backs,” he added.
According to local media outlets, on August 1, reports that Russia’s Wagner Group was helping stop the protests in Venezuela appeared on social media.
On July 31, the two opposition leaders appeared at a gathering in the capital of Caracas on Tuesday. “What we are fighting here is a fraud by the regime,” said Machado, urging peaceful protest.
A large crowd, many waving Venezuelan flags, chanted: “We are not afraid!”Opposition protesters also marched in the cities of Valencia, Maracay, San Cristobal, Maracaibo and Barquisimeto throughout the day.
A local monitoring group, the Venezuelan Conflict Observatory, said it had registered 187 protests in 20 states, with “numerous acts of repression and violence” carried out by paramilitary groups and security forces.
According to rights group Foro Penal, at least 11 people had been killed in incidents related to the election count or the protests.