Caracas envoy meets with Łukašenka as pressure mounts on Maduro

December 11, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka received Jesus Rafael Salazar Velazques, the Venezuelan ambassador in Moscow, in Minsk today, shortly after their November 25 meeting.
“Just recently, we discussed a number of issues in our relations, the situation around Venezuela,” the Belarusian ruler’s press office quoted him as saying. “We agreed then that you should coordinate some issues with the Venezuelan leadership — Nicolas Maduro. We agreed that . . . you would find time to meet again so that we could make an appropriate decision, which is within our competence. If necessary, we will then involve the president of Venezuela.”
Łukašenka did not specify what decision he was referring to. Last month, he invited Maduro to visit Belarus and promised to find time to visit Venezuela.
The meeting comes hours after US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela over alleged violations of sanctions. Caracas swiftly denounced the action, calling it an act of “international piracy.” Earlier, President Maduro declared that Venezuela would never become an “oil colony.”
The Belarusian strongman has not yet commented on the incident, but last month he condemned “any aggressive actions against independent Venezuela that unjustifiably strain the regional situation in the Caribbean and Latin America.”
Maduro faces mounting pressure from Washington amid a US military buildup in the Caribbean and strikes on small Venezuelan vessels accused of shipping drugs.
US President Donald Trump had said he had not ruled out deploying ground forces to the South American country. Washington accused the Venezuelan ruler of involvement in drug trafficking, an allegation he denied.
Łukašenka invites Venezuelan leader Maduro to Belarus
- PoliticsŁukašenka orders coins to commemorate All-Belarusian People’s AssemblyThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyCentral bank cuts estimated values of standard riskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus to raise labor pensions on September 1The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityUkraine, Russia release 10 return prisoners each in BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- SecurityBelarus testing artillery, command-chain readiness using lessons from Ukraine, IranThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyŁukašenka notes plunge in trade with Russia's Arkhangelsk provinceThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, SocietyLithuania intercepts two drones carrying Belarusian cigarettesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Belarusians stand with Ukraine, Cichanoŭskaja saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka greets Ukrainians on Independence Day, predicts restoration of “friendly bonds”The material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyEDB says Belarus’ economic growth this year may exceed its forecastThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyForest fire spreads from Ukraine into BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBelarusian troops practice assault operations in joint exercise in ChinaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyPolice arrest suspected jewelry store robberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Society
- Politics, Society
- PoliticsInstances of political persecution reported on August 21The material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarus declares Polish Catholic website extremist contentThe material is available only to POZIRK+



