Maduro dubs US vice president Pence 'ridiculous' and 'racist'
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday said an "arrogant" US Vice President Mike Pence had made "a fool of himself" by calling on the UN to recognize Maduro's rival. Maduro said in a televised speech that he had seen Pence "making a fool of himself in the United Nations Security Council" earlier Wednesday with his call on the body to recognize Juan Guaido as the country's president. "I cannot understand his arrogance and self-importance, his racial supremacism," Maduro said.
- World
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 05:56 | 11 April 2019
- Modified Date: 06:02 | 11 April 2019
Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro is lambasting U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's remarks at the U.N. Security Council as both "ridiculous" and "racist."
In a televised address early Wednesday evening, Maduro said Pence's comments show U.S. leaders "think they are superior to Venezuelans."
He added that on Pence's face he could see "the hate, the racism" harbored toward Venezuela.
Pence urged the United Nations to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president and revoke the credentials of Samuel Moncada, who is the U.N. ambassador for Maduro's government.
Pence told Moncada at a Security Council meeting: "With all due respect Mr. Ambassador, you shouldn't be here."
Maduro frequently engages in a war of words with his U.S. counterparts as tensions between both nations mount amid Venezuela's power struggle.