On January 3, the US army, as a result of a 2-hour operation carried out in Venezuela, overthrew the country's president, Nicolas Maduro, from his post. Maduro, who was taken to the US, was brought to trial last night at the New York Court. He is accused of drug trafficking and other serious crimes. His next appearance in court is scheduled for March 17.
This event has caused a great resonance within Venezuela and internationally.
The Turkey correspondent of "TeleSUR" television channel, which was jointly established by the states of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua and carries out international broadcasting, İsmayil Yunus Soner spoke to Modern.az about the latest situation in Venezuela.
He stated that the vast majority of the people in Venezuela stand behind Nicolas Maduro:
"Especially after the recent US operations and Maduro's capture, support for him has increased. Despite the criticisms, such an assault offends Venezuela's pride. Consequently, a large majority does not accept these events. The leading opposition leader also fled Venezuela three weeks ago to go to Norway to receive a Nobel Prize. Finally, Donald Trump stated that Maria Corina Machado had no influence among the people, thereby removing her from the political race. I do not expect any turmoil in Venezuela in the upcoming period. US pressure has already been ongoing for two months. There has been no rebellion or division within the army and police here; the government continues its work. Therefore, there appears to be no danger for those living in Venezuela at the current moment. Of course, I exclude the unexpected impulsiveness of US leader Donald Trump."
The journalist stated that the drug accusations were false and that this was also reflected in UN documents:
"The type of drug that causes the most problems for the US is 'fentanyl'. It has also been established in UN reports that 'fentanyl' does not pass through Venezuela in any way. US citizens also know this. Only up to 5 percent of cocaine and other narcotic substances are transported to the US via Venezuela. The majority of these narcotic substances are sent via the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, the attitude here does not constitute credible accusations, neither for the Venezuelan people nor for the US government. This reality is, in fact, known by the US public. It is more a propaganda element put forward because the US has a major problem with drug consumption domestically."
The journalist also stated that he was unaware of how many Turkish and Azerbaijani citizens live in Venezuela.
"I don't think there are many of our citizens living there. I haven't seen any hostility between these citizens and Venezuelan citizens so far. Due to the good relations between the two countries, there was a special affection for Turkish citizens."
İsmail Yunus Soner, also speaking about the state of media and journalism in Venezuela, noted the following:
"The salaries of those working in the media are not very high, as is the case in all countries worldwide. This is because the country has been under sanctions for years, and its foreign trade has been restricted. These restrictions have become even more severe today with the US stealing oil tankers. Media organizations operate freely. However, there are exceptions. As in all countries, media institutions in Venezuela are subject to laws. For example, if you use the media to call for US intervention or sanctions against the country, you will, of course, be subject to certain measures under the law. Apart from this, you are free to criticize the government. In the last elections, there were many candidates other than Maduro, and they held rallies, made speeches, and entered the race. However, it must be reiterated that this country has been under serious US pressure and threat for 25 years. There have also been coup attempts before. The country is still under a very serious blockade today. From this perspective, the media is expected to display a patriotic stance and criticize these actions of the US."
