President Maduro: Venezuela faces worst threat in recent years
The Venezuelan President has spoken out against the concerted media campaign aimed at smearing the country, warning the consequences could be grave.
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Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on May 17 described his country as being the target of not only a systematic aggression by "‘global imperialist forces," but also of destabilisation efforts by the right-wing opposition, reported Caracas-based TeleSUR – the New Television Station of the South.
“We are the victims of political, diplomatic and media aggression, more severe than in recent years. And while we have been the victims many times, this is by far the worst,” TeleSUR quoted the Venezuelan leader as saying during a press conference in Caracas on May 17.
During his press conference, Maduro predicted the imminent demise of Venezuela's opposition-led parliament, amid an acrimonious conflict of powers that is delaying solutions to its economic crisis.
"The National Assembly has lost political validity. It's a matter of time before it disappears," Maduro said.
Maduro's press conference comes shortly after right-wing opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who is accused of links to a separate wave of violence in 2013 that left 13 government supporters dead after his unsuccessful presidential bid, called for civil disobedience if a presidential decree aimed at taking measures to improve the country's economy is passed.
Maduro slammed several mainstream media outlets for inaccurately representing the current conditions within the country, which he alleges is an attempt to "foment an environment of conflict among the people."
He argued that the private media in Venezuela and the continent was deliberately publishing misleading news in order to create fear and destabilise his democratically elected government.
During his comments, Maduro announced the launch of “a new counter-offensive” in efforts to strategically combat the aggressions carried out by right-wing forces.
Venezuela's opposition is seeking to recall the leader amid a worsening crisis that includes food and medicine shortages, frequent power cuts, sporadic looting and galloping inflation. But the former union leader and bus driver has vowed to stick out through the extent of his term, accusing the United States of fomenting an undercover coup against him, according to TeleSUR.
