‘Guaido flout international law, justice’

By Erdogan Cagatay Zontur

ANKARA

Venezuela’s self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido has flout international law and justice, a Turkish professor said on Thursday.

“Venezuela’s self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido flouted international law and justice,” Necati Kutlu, head of Latin America Research Center (LAMER), told Anadolu Agency.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10, when Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.

Last week, Guaido, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition-led National Assembly, declared himself president, a move immediately supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, Canada and most Latin American nations.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro quickly shot back, cutting off diplomatic relations with Washington and accusing the U.S. of orchestrating a coup against his government.

“Venezuela may not be governed well, and the country may have serious problems […] The reasons behind can be examined, but what shouldn’t be done is to not recognize an elected-president, if there is democracy and domestic legal order in a country,” Kutlu said.

Kutlu said the ignorance on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Juan Guaido’s self-proclamation may change the basic values and balances in the world.

He stressed that the killing of Khashoggi in Saudi Consulate General in Turkey “ruined” international law.

Khashoggi, a contributor to The Washington Post, was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

After producing various contradictory explanations, Riyadh acknowledged he was killed inside the consulate building, blaming the act on a botched rendition operation.

Turkey has sought the extradition of the Saudi citizens involved in the killing as well as a fuller accounting of the killing from Riyadh.