Shafaqna English- The Venezuelan Ambassador to Iraq visited the holy city of Karbala and the shrine of Imam Hussain (AS).
According to Shafaqna, citing Non News Agency, Ambassador Arturo Aníbal said during his meeting with Hassan Rashid Al-Abayaji, the Custodian of the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain (AS): “We came to this sacred place to pray for our country, which is facing threats.
My visit to the holy provinces of Karbala and Najaf aims to perform pilgrimage and to pray for peace in Venezuela and in South America, of which Venezuela is a part. We also met with the governors of Karbala and Najaf to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two countries.”
In return, Al-Abayaji welcomed Ambassador Aníbal and stated: “The people of Latin America — especially those in the Caribbean region are kind-hearted, sincere and honorable. The Venezuelan nation in particular has a proud history of supporting justice and defending oppressed peoples.”
This comes as Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro announced on Thursday (23 Oct 2025) that the country possesses 5,000 anti-aircraft missiles to counter what he described as “USA’s threats against Venezuela.”
Earlier this week, Maduro also said Venezuela’s defense strategy has been fully prepared in response to growing threats from the United States, particularly after USA’s warships were deployed near Venezuelan waters.
Meanwhile, USA’s President Trump has accused Maduro of direct involvement in drug trafficking into the United States and of leading a narcotics cartel; allegations Maduro has completely dismissed.
Source: Shafaqna Persian