Here is an excerpt of the remarks by Ambassador Hector Gomez Hernandez, representative of Spain to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council emergency meeting on Venezuela in New York on Monday:

Spain would like to express our profound concern about what's happened in Venezuela, and as the secretary general of the United Nations has noted, it constitutes a very worrying precedent with implications for the region and for the world.

We consider that these actions constitute a very troubling precedent for regional peace and security, and we recall that the natural resources of a country are part of its sovereignty.

We share the view that the fight against organized crime in the region is a priority, but that fight can only be waged through international cooperation.