EAM Jaishankar : In the first forceful public remark after the most recent US activities in the South American nation, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday (local time) that India is worried about the recent events in Venezuela.Indeed, the events in Venezuela worry us. At the end of the day, we are concerned about the safety and well-being of the Venezuelan people, and we would want Venezuela to remain the nation with whom we have had excellent relations for many years. Therefore, we would urge all parties to sit down and discuss this issue. Therefore, we hope that everyone does well,” Jaishankar said.

He said this while meeting with Xavier Bettel, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Luxembourg, to discuss bilateral relations.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had also urged for a peaceful settlement via discussion earlier on Sunday, expressing grave worry over the situation in Venezuela.

The MEA said in a statement that it was keeping a careful eye on national events.The recent events in Venezuela are quite concerning. We are keeping a careful eye on how things are developing. India reiterates its commitment to the security and welfare of the Venezuelan people. In order to maintain regional peace and stability, we urge all parties involved to resolve conflicts amicably via communication,” the MEA said.

The Indian Embassy in Caracas is in contact with the Indian community and would keep offering every support, the ministry noted.

In light of the events in Venezuela, the MEA also issued an alert for Indian nationals on Saturday.Indian citizens are strongly encouraged to refrain from any unnecessary trip to Venezuela in light of the recent events there. The MEA advised all Indians in Venezuela to use extreme caution, limit their travel, and stay in touch with the Embassy of India in Caracas via their email address, cons.caracas@mea.gov.in, or by calling their emergency phone number, +58-412-9584288 (also for WhatsApp calls).

Y.K. Sinha, a former Indian ambassador to Venezuela, described India’s response to the US airstrikes on Venezuela and the arrest of deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife as “very measured” on Monday, stating that New Delhi must continue to be mindful of its bilateral ties with the US and other nations.

With China and Russia being the two primary outliers that fiercely denounced the attacks on a sovereign country, Sinha pointed out that the majority of nations, including those in Europe, have reacted carefully to the US move.

“I think the international community has by and large not supported the action,” Sinha said in an interview with ANI. There are a few exceptions. With the exception of China and Russia, who have denounced it, I believe that most nations have been moderate in their actions, albeit possibly Argentina and Israel. One of the earliest was Russia. The External Affairs Ministry of India has responded in a very measured manner and made it clear that it does not want to assign responsibility at this time. because our bilateral ties with the US and other nations must be taken into consideration.”

Following a US attack on Venezuela, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken into US custody and are now being held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, New York. On Monday, the pair entered a not guilty plea to charges pertaining to guns and narcotics.