"The recent events did not affect either in terms of consular work or from a diplomatic point of view. The position of the Italian government was very cautious," the diplomat said, adding that the embassy never recognized Guaido as head of state, and so did the country's other diplomatic missions across the world.
The only instruction the embassy received from Venezuelan Foreign Ministry was to maintain calm and peace in the country, he said.
READ MORE: Venezuelan FM Says US Sanctions Expose Oil as Purpose of Coup Attempt
The positions of Russia, China, India, the Caribbean Community, Mexico and Uruguay on the issue were very important, Rodriguez stressed.
"Russia's position was one of the strongest in the UN Security Council. The conflict with Venezuela is neither local nor internal. Global strategies are at stake, we need to look at the current situation from this point of view. Oil is not coal, and the Caribbean is a small Mediterranean," the ambassador said.
Last Monday, mass protests started across Venezuela and lasted for several days. On Wednesday, head of the parliament Juan Guaido declared himself the country's interim president. Incumbent leader Nicolas Maduro has claimed that Washington has been orchestrating an anti-government coup in the country. Russia has stressed that it supported Maduro as the legitimate president.
