(REUTERS) – President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday (June 15) slammed United States Vice President Mike Pence for saying Venezuela was an example of what happens when democracy is undermined, calling the comments “nauseating.”
Already suffering a severe economic crisis, Venezuela, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, has recently been convulsed by clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters.
“Today the Vice President of the United States (Mike Pence) made some absolutely despicable, vomit-inducing statements. I read this and it provoked nausea. He is a man who doesn’t know where Venezuela is on the map but has an opinion on our homeland, of issues affecting Venezuela. For better or worse we look after ourselves,” Maduro said in Caracas.
Stepping up Washington’s war of words with Caracas, Pence said earlier: “We need only look to the nation of Venezuela to see what happens when democracy is undermined. That once-rich nation’s collapse into authoritarianism has pushed it into poverty and caused untold suffering for the Venezuelan people. We must all of us raise our voices to condemn the Venezuelan government for its abuse of power and its abuse of its own people, and we must do it now.”
Maduro called on the US government to get its noses out of Venezuela, saying there will be no American interference in the OPEC nation.
At least 69 people have died in the unrest in Venezuela since early April, with hundreds injured. Opposition has been fanned by Maduro’s plan to hold July 30 elections for a special assembly to rewrite the constitution.
This, some critics say, is stacked in his favor.
The Maduro government calls the protesters violent coup-mongers who are supported by the US.