The Tánaiste and I can both agree that the situation in Venezuela is very difficult. The economy is in crisis and the people are divided. While the Taoiseach believes the Donald Trump narrative that it is due to a failure of socialism, personally I am more inclined to believe the UN special rapporteur Alfred de Zayas who made an extended visit to Venezuela late last year and is, in fact, an international law expert.

He was not the only one to visit.

Mr. de Zayas blames illegal US sanctions which he says have caused many deaths and aggravated, directly and indirectly, the shortage of medicines, including insulin, which are crimes against humanity which should be referred to the International Criminal Court. They are strong words from a renowned expert. Even if we do not agree on the causes of the problems, I am sure the Tánaiste agrees that Venezuela is not the only divided country with economic problems, but it is the only one in which there is an unelected, self-proclaimed President who has been recognised as a head of state without any basis in law, including by Ireland. It is the only one which the US military is circling. We believe it is landing in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Colombia under the guise of delivering humanitarian aid. It is eerily like the weapons of mass destruction lie that was used to sell the Iraq war and it is happening on a continent where the provision of humanitarian aid has been used as cover for death squads by the same Elliot Abrams who is now at the head of the US operation in Venezuela. This is incredibly serious. One does not need to be a genius to work out that the humanitarian aid narrative is just a Trojan horse. Even the official organisations, the International Red Cross and the United Nations, want to have nothing to do with it, as it is not aid but provocation. It is being used as cover for military intervention and regime change.

The question for us is: are we going to go along with the herd, say nothing, wring our hands and say afterwards, "If only we had known," or are we going to speak out now and add our voice to those opposing military aggression and intervention and in favour of respecting the sovereignty of Venezuela and assisting its people in resolving their differences through dialogue and respect for internal law? Surely that is what a neutral country should be doing. Anything less is a facilitation of the latest resources war. We know that Venezuela has the largest oil resources in the world. We know that because President Trump and John Bolton have told us that they are in discussions with American oil companies to take the oil from the Venezuelan people. We know that they have wanted to do this for a long time. We also know that they tried to overthrow Hugo Chávez and about the sanctions that followed, but this is a turning point. We know what will happen next. Look at what happened in Libya, Iraq and Syria and President Trump says Nicaragua and Cuba are next. Are we going to stay silent or are we going to speak out against US military aggression and intervention and in defence of international law?

This is very serious. We have spoken out and will continue to speak out against military intervention. As the Deputy will be aware, the most recent EU 28 statement on Venezuela was delivered by the High Representative, Federica Mogherini, on 26 January. It reiterated that "a peaceful and inclusive democratic solution is the only sustainable way out" of the crisis in Venezula which, by the way, is the worst political, social, economic and humanitarian crisis in its history. Some 3 million refugees have left the country in the past three years and moved to neighbouring states. It was clear that if no announcement on the holding of fresh elections was made by President Maduro in the days after that EU statement, the European Union would take further actions, including on the issue of recognition of the country's interim leadership. I have been strongly in favour of co-ordinated EU action on Venezuela and fully subscribe to the European Union's common position. Far too often, the European Union speaks with multiple voices and, therefore, has no impact or effect. Instead it allows other countries to have that impact and effect.

On 3 February, in the absence of an announcement by President Maduro calling fresh elections in Venezuela, a number of EU member states began to issue statements recognising Juan Guaidó as interim President of Venezuela with responsibility to facilitate the holding of democratic elections and nothing else. Not to take a decision lightly, I took a number of days to consider our position and on 6 February decided that Ireland should join the vast majority of its EU partners, including Spain, Croatia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Finland, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Slovakia and France, all of which recognise the interim arrangements and support the call for free, fair and democratic elections. They include neutral and independent countries, countries with socialist and EPP governments and so on. There is a collective effort within the European Union to try to create pressure. In our view, the only way to resolve the issue is by facilitating the holding of free and fair presidential elections, which we have not seen in Venezuela for many years. I join the other EU member states mentioned in acknowledging and supporting Juan Guaidó as interim President of the democratically elected national assembly to enable him to call free and fair democratic elections. We share this position with 24 other EU member states, virtually every state in South America and many others in different parts of the world. I cannot be neutral on the dramatic humanitarian crisis unfolding in Venezuela. If any Member of the House have evidence to the contrary, I encourage him or her to share it. I reiterate that Ireland does not and will not support military intervention in this case and we have been vocal in expressing our concerns in that regard.

The Carter Center and others have recognised that the elections held in Venezuela were democratic, but there is a certain irony in people being concerned about the elections held in Venezuela when they have no problems with dictators in countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This is not about democracy and the Tánaiste did not in any way address the points I made about the situation having moved on. Since the backing of Juan Guaidó, the situation has changed on the ground. Troops are amassing on the borders of Venezuela under the guise of the provision of humanitarian aid. This is a country that needs such aid. I have a picture of a 12 year old Yemeni girl who is starving. She weighs 22 lbs. There is a need for a humanitarian aid intervention in Yemen, but there cannot be because the Americans are blocking the Saudis. I am not arguing for military intervention in Saudi Arabia. What I am arguing for is respect for international law. Within a very short space of time we will be in a situation where the fate of people not only in Venezuela but also in Nicaragua, Cuba and throughout Latin America will be seriously undermined in what is a resources war, about which I have not heard the Tánaiste say anything. The situation has moved on and it is becoming incredibly dangerous.

It is becoming incredibly dangerous, but it is important that Members know that Ireland is not alone in the position it is taking to try to avoid conflict. Countries in South America, including Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Peru and Ecuador, support the position we have taken.

Neighbouring countries are trying to deal with the humanitarian aid consequences of what has been happening in Venezuela. Aid is badly needed by ordinary people, but it is not being allowed to enter the country. Therefore, tension is building, which is a real concern.

The EU's position is very clear: we do not support the amassing of troops in a threatening way anywhere near Venezuela. We support facilitating the access for aid to support a population that badly needs medicines and other basic provisions, which they cannot get from their own Government. That is what we are trying to do.

Because of US sanctions.

Deputy Clare Daly knows my position with regard to Yemen. I have spoken about it with her and with many others on many occasions. We continuously advocate for the facilitation of access of humanitarian assistance on the ground in Yemen.