US move in Venezuela signals Russia, China to pull back from South America - Lithuanian FM

VILNIUS - The United States' detention of Venezuela's authoritarian leader sends a signal to Russia and China to pull back from South America, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Monday.

"One of the key reasons, when it comes to the United States' security focus on the Western Hemisphere (...), is that other states exerting harmful influence there, interfering in political processes, taking over entire sectors of the economy and affecting security and stability in the region, will have to pull back in one way or another," Budrys told LRT television.

"We are talking about Russia, China, and Iran as well, and their influence in South and Central America. America is saying: enough," he said.

The minister said developments in Venezuela also sent a signal to other authoritarian leaders backed by Russia and China.

"This is yet another dictator who had placed certain security guarantees in the Russian basket and has now lost all of that," he said.