Two Venezuelan soldiers on Saturday recounted the harrowing moment when U.S.forces attacked Fort Tiuna in Venezuela's capital of Caracas.
In a large-scale U.S. military operation against Venezuela early Saturday morning, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and flown to New York.
Francisco Machillanda, a Venezuelan soldier, recalled fighting back when a U.S. helicopter attempted to land at their military base.
"They attacked us when they wanted to land in our unit. We weren't going to allow it. We joined forces to make them leave because they couldn't land there. If they landed in our unit, they would take it over, and we couldn't allow that. We defended our unit because we knew they wanted to land there. When the helicopter was coming down, we had to take action because otherwise they would have taken our unit. We are free people and we will do everything to defend our homeland," said the soldier. "I heard the explosion. I heard a whistle, just a whistle, then suddenly I couldn't hear anything. We felt the impact. When I got up, everything was already in ruins, everything was destroyed, everything, the boxes, everything," said another soldier in a local hospital.
A family member of an injured military officer told reporters about her horrible experience living near the military base.
"At approximately 02:00 in the morning, I heard loud explosions in Simon Bolivar, Los Chinos. The explosion woke me up and I looked at the window facing the mountains. I held my dad's hand tightly because he was next to me, and when I turned to the window I saw the mountains full of fire. I heard the helicopters flying overhead and the sound of explosions one after another," said the resident.
"I also looked out and they were running out terrified, and on my floor, the floor where I live, you could hear everyone shouting, 'Run, run, run.' I called some friends and they evacuated immediately. At approximately 09:30 in the morning, they informed us of the order for immediate evacuations for all civilians," she added.
Venezuelan soldiers recount US attack on Fort Tiuna
Venezuelan soldiers recount US attack on Fort Tiuna
Venezuelan soldiers recount US attack on Fort Tiuna
China and Ukraine should stick to the right direction and maintain stable and healthy development in bilateral relations, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday in Munich.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Noting that the international situation has undergone great changes, Wang said China stays committed to the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, cherishes the traditional friendship between China and Ukraine, and continues to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields.
Wang said that China-Ukraine trade developed steadily last year, making China remain as Ukraine's largest trading partner and the largest source of imports. Besides, various meetings of the intergovernmental cooperation committees between the two countries were held successively, bringing benefits to both peoples.
China is willing to provide new humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and hopes that the Ukrainian side will continue to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in Ukraine, he said.
On the Ukraine crisis, Wang said it is gratifying to see that various dialogues have been intensively carried on recently. He stressed that China's position is consistent and has always followed the four principles put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, as China stays firm in its objective and just position, and actively promotes peace talks.
The four principles include that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported, according to China's Foreign Ministry.
China is willing to maintain communication with Ukraine and work with the international community to play a constructive role in the early political settlement of the crisis, Wang said.
For his part, Sybiha said that Ukraine and China enjoy a traditional friendship and are important strategic partners. He described China as a major country with significant international influence, saying that the Ukrainian side attaches great importance to developing relations with China, and there is huge potential for bilateral cooperation.
Ukraine adheres to the one-China principle and will take practical measures to safeguard the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and enterprises in Ukraine, he added, saying that Ukraine appreciates China's consistent respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and its positive efforts to promote peace talks.
The war in Ukraine should come to an end, he noted, expressing hope that China would play an important role in achieving an early ceasefire and comprehensive peace.
China-Ukraine relations should maintain stable, healthy development: Chinese FM
