Delhi voices concern, calls for dialogue on Caracas

Statement urges all concerned for ‘dialogue, ensuring peace & stability'

- SHUBHAJIT ROY

IN A CAREFULLY calibrated statement, the day after the US attacked Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, India Sunday expressed "deep concern" at the developments and called upon "all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region".

Neither did it condemn the US action nor invoke the respect for international law or the UN charter. Without mentioning the US action in Venezuela, it described it as "recent developments in Venezuela:" a more neutral framing of the military intervention by the US.

There were four points that the Indian statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs made. First, it expressed "deep concern" on the situation, as the MEA said,"Recent developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern." Second, it was careful on the next steps in Venezuela given there's no clarity on who will run the government in Caracas."We are closely monitoring the evolving situation," the MEA statement said.

Third, it expressed its support for the "people of Venezuela" - differentiating it from the government or the regime in Venezuela - and called upon "all concerned" to "address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region". This was a nod to the US, where President Trump has said, "We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition."