Arreaza on TIAR: We do not want a war, but Venezuela has every right to defend its territory

Regarding the activation of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR) against Venezuela, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza, asked the United Nations Security Council to intervene on the issue.
During the 19th Political Council of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas – Peoples’ Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP), held in New York (USA), Arreaza pointed out that the activation of the TIAR by Washington and its partners in the Organization of American States (OAS) is “illegal,” recalling that Article 53 of the United Nations Charter states that coercive measures require authorization from the Security Council:
“The manner in which this alleged session of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance is convened is illegal. Venezuela withdrew from the Treaty in 2015, Venezuela is not part of the OAS», he stressed.
“(Those who invoke the TIAR) did not read article 53 of the United Nations charter. They have no power to take measures if they are not elevated and approved by the Security Council. That is why we have reminded the Security Council of its duty, to assume this responsibility and neutralize this new aggression against Venezuela», affirmed the chancellor.
We don’t want another war:
On Monday, several foreign ministers (except Uruguay and Trinidad and Tobago) agreed to impose greater sanctions against Venezuela, during a meeting in New York. For Arreaza, it is «not a coincidence» that the Colombian Chancellor, Carlos Holmes Trujillo, was elected as president of the Body of Consultation of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance:
«It is the Latin American country (Colombia) from where all the aggressions against Venezuela are being prepared», said Arreaza, who recalled that Caracas offered the Government of Iván Duque all the information about the military and paramilitary groups that train in Colombian territory to attack his country.
In that sense, he stressed that Venezuela is in no way seeking an international confrontation or a war, however, it has every right to defend its territory.