UN Security Council to meet next week on US-Venezuela crisis

The UN Security Council will meet Tuesday to discuss the mounting crisis between Venezuela and the United States, diplomatic sources confirmed, in the wake of Washington's seizure of a tanker off Venezuela's coast.

"We request that an urgent meeting of the Security Council be convened to discuss the ongoing US aggression against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," said a letter to the Council from Caracas which was supported by China and Russia in its request.

The meeting will be held at 3 pm (2000 GMT) Tuesday, two diplomatic sources told AFP on condition of anonymity on Thursday.