And keeping the focus on diplomacy, the Venezuelan Ambassador today held a sit down with the media. As we've been reporting there's been three weeks of sustained unrest in that country, and so far there have been 30 related deaths. The protests continue, but today in an 80 minute press conference, the Ambassador made the case that it's all a US funded conspiracy to produce a coup -but it's about to be brought under control.
H.E. Yoel Perez Marcano, Venezuelan Ambassador to Belize
"It was a well plan strategy. The violent street actions and the result was death, resources being destroyed and the objective was to provoke public conflict that would justify the intervention of international organization as the Organization of American States - in a special way the intervention of the government of the United States of America."
"Today we think that the third overthrow tried by the political and economic elite with the assistance of the government of the US has been overthrown and overcome. It was only affecting 18 municipalities of the country even though we highlight and we understand the importance of these municipalities where it was occurring and inclusively in Caracas itself in the municipality where the central government is located - it has been declared territory of peace. I want to highlight the firm position of the government of Belize, through the Prime Minister Dean Barrow who not only expresses solidarity to the government of Venezuela but also at the summit of the meeting of the Organization of American States he voted for the resolution of the peace and democracy in Venezuela."
And while parts of Venezuela remain unstable, Latin America and the Caribbean continue to benefit from that country's Petrocaribe programme. There's some legitimate worry that with all the domestic pressures in Venezuela, where everything from toilet paper to diapers, and soap and milk are scarce, President Nicolas Madura might have to give up the programme. The ambassador insisted that that is not an option:..
H.E. Yoel Perez Marcano, Venezuelan Ambassador to Belize
"We are conscious that our friends from the Caribbean and Central America they are worried because of the development of these actions and the effects that it may have in the continuity of Petrocaribe."
"All economic and political agreements that we have entered with our friends of Latin America and the Caribbean and particularly with the continuation of the Petrocaribe agreement - it won't affect. We consider it fundamental in the integration process and economic development of the region."
Belize presently has 75 million US dollars saved up from Petrocaribe funds - and the figure grows monthly.
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