BERLIN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- A senior Venezuelan diplomat to Germany on Saturday condemned the United States for its "most serious act of aggression" against a South American nation and called for the immediate, unconditional release of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were captured during a U.S. assault and then transferred to the United States on Jan. 3.
Martin Saatdjian, minister counsellor at the Embassy of Venezuela in Germany, made the remarks at the 31st International Rosa Luxemburg Conference, which was held in Berlin on Saturday.
Speaking on behalf of the Venezuelan Ambassador Ramon Orlando Maniglia Ferreira, Saatdjian said "it is imperative to express with the utmost firmness our absolute rejection of any action that violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations."
He added that despite the current crisis, the Venezuelan state remains stable.
"In Venezuela, all state institutions and the political power structure remain firm and operational," he said.
Saatdjian noted that the situation in Venezuela is not merely an internal matter for the country.
It has become an emblematic case for the defense of international law against foreign intervention and the use of force, he said.
The conference was held by the German newspaper junge Welt (young world) and takes place every year in January.
Participants from countries including Germany, Spain, the United States and Italy, expressed their opposition to war and called for efforts to promote equality and peace. ■