Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 world news
Tuesday 5 sepTember 2017
France’s Macron meets with Venezuela opposition leaders

PARIS (AP) — French Presi- opposition activist, was
dent Emmanuel Macron scheduled to attend the
met with Venezuela op- meeting with Macron but
position leaders Monday Venezuelan immigration
to discuss the embattled authorities seized her pass-
nation’s humanitarian and port Saturday as she pre-
political crisis, two days af- pared to board her flight.
ter a leading activist was No official explanation has
barred from leaving the been given for why Tintori
country in order to attend was barred from travel-
the Paris meeting. ing, but it came a day
Two leaders of Venezuela’s after she was ordered to
opposition-controlled Na- appear before a judge to
tional Assembly told Ma- answer questions about a
cron that Venezuelans are large sum of cash found
in dire need of basic ne- in her vehicle. Those who
cessities like food and med- did make the trip are also
icine at the same time that scheduled to meet with
President Nicolas Maduro’s German Chancellor An-
government is stripping gela Merkel, British Prime
away basic civil rights. Minister Theresa May and
Assembly President Julio Spanish Prime Minister Mari-
Borges said Macron asked ano Rajoy. International
“several times what he France’s President Emmanuel Macron, second from right, talks with President of the Venezuelan pressure on Maduro to hold
could do to relieve the cri- parliament, Julio Borges, left, and vice president of the Venezuelan parliament, Freddy Guevara, elections and allow hu-
second from left, during a meeting, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Monday, Sept. 4, 2017. Macron,
sis” and offered the possi- who recently called Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s leadership a “dictatorship,” manitarian aid to enter the
bility of providing humani- denounced the move and said Saturday on Twitter: “We are waiting for Lilian Tintori in Europe. The country has grown since
tarian aid. Venezuelan opposition must remain free.” an all-powerful national as-
That’s a prospect that (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool) sembly that trumps every
Maduro is likely to reject. any foreign assistance, de- pave the way toward for- offered free food and other branch of govern-
The Venezuelan leader has nying the nation is facing a eign intervention. medicine and it’s unbe- ment was installed in early
routinely refused to accept crisis and claiming it could “Dozens of countries have lievable that the main ob- August. Dozens of foreign
stacle is (the) government, nations have refused to
the one which is supposed recognize the new legisla-
to defend the rights of the tive body and offered their
Venezuelan people,” Borg- support to the opposition-
es said. The Paris stop by controlled congress.
Borges and Freddy Gue- Maduro has refused to
vara, the National Assem- change course, decrying
bly’s first vice president, is international calls to re-
the first on a trip aimed at spect a balance of power
raising European aware- as another example of im-
ness of the South American perial forces meddling in
nation’s upheaval. Venezuela’s domestic af-
Lilian Tintori, a prominent fairs. q

Turkey slams Merkel, rival

over anti-Turkish rhetoric

By ZEYNEP BILGINSOY In Sunday’s debate, Schulz
Associated Press said he would seek to end
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish long-running but currently
officials have denounced stalled talks on Turkey join-
German Chancellor An- ing the EU over what he
gela Merkel and Martin perceived to be Turkish
Schulz, her main opponent President Recep Tayyip
in this month’s general Erdogan’s increasingly au-
election, for their anti-Turk- thoritarian policies.
ish rhetoric during a tele- Merkel, who has previously
vised debate. expressed doubts about
Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman Turkey ever joining the EU,
for the Turkish presidency, refused to commit firmly
said in a tweet Monday to the same move, which
that Merkel and her So- would have to be agreed
cial Democratic Party rival among EU members.
were seeking to divert at- But she sharply criticized Er-
tention from urgent issues dogan’s rule, saying: “Tur-
in their country and in Eu- key is departing from all
rope, such as a surge in democratic practices at
discrimination and racism. breakneck speed.”q