Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 5 February 2018

Tillerson says U.S. considers Venezuela oil sale restrictions

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO presidential election to be America.
Associated Press held by the end of April — Argentine prosecutors be-
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina months ahead of when the lieve Hezbollah and Iran
(AP) — Secretary of State country’s presidential vot- were responsible for the
Rex Tillerson said Sunday ing has traditionally taken 1992 bombing of the Israeli
that the U.S. is still consider- place. Embassy in Buenos Aires
ing restricting the sale of oil Speaking at a joint press and the 1994 bombing of
from crisis-torn Venezuela. conference with Tillerson, a Jewish community cen-
Tillerson said in Argentina’s Argentine Foreign Minister ter that killed 85 people in
capital that the U.S. wants Jorge Faurie said that Ar- Argentina’s worst terrorist
“free, fair, and verifiable gentina does not recognize attack.
elections” in Venezuela, “the political process and Last week, the Trump ad-
and wants to apply enough authoritarian deviation of ministration accused Syrian
pressure to end the crisis in Venezuela,” nor the assem- President Bashar Assad’s
the South American coun- bly. He also said Argentina government of producing
try. The government there U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks during a joint news is against the restrictions and using “new kinds of
has faced widespread conference with Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie, not in on freedoms and bans im- weapons” to deliver deadly
criticism over its decision picture, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. posed on opposition lead- chemicals despite commit-
to push up presidential Associated Press ers under Maduro’s govern- ting to abolish its program
elections under conditions But such sanctions also sanctions. ment. in 2013. Administration of-
that opponents say over- pose a great threat to “We’ve had exchanges “We’re always closely fol- ficials say that the U.S. is
whelmingly favor President Maduro. For all of his anti- in Mexico City, we’ve had lowing the situation in Ven- seeking a new way to hold
Nicolas Maduro. capitalist rhetoric, Venezu- exchanges today about it, ezuela, which has now chemical-weapons-users
But Tillerson also said that ela remains highly depen- and I think the point being drifted toward a health accountable and wanted
he wants to find ways to dent on U.S. oil exports, es- that all of us in the region and humanitarian crisis of cooperation from Russia,
mitigate the negative ef- pecially for importing food want to see Venezuela re- extraordinary proportions,” Assad’s patron, in pressur-
fect sanctions would have and medicine, which are in turn to its constitution,” said Faurie said. ing him to end the attacks.
on U.S. oil companies, Ven- short supply as crude prices Tillerson, who is on a six-day Tillerson and Faurie also Tillerson said that the U.S.
ezuelans and other region- have plunged and spiraling trip to Argentina, Colom- said that they had agreed is concerned “with reports
al countries that rely on inflation erodes its econo- bia, Panama, Peru, Mexico to work together to stop of weaponizing chlorine in
Venezuelan oil. my. and Jamaica. the Lebanon-based mili- particular,” and other po-
“The situation is becoming “This is under study, it’s un- Venezuela’s pro-govern- tant group Hezbollah from tential uses of chemical
quite dire in Venezuela, so der consideration,” Tillerson ment constitutional assem- raising money in Argentina weapons on civilians, in-
one of the aspects of con- said about the potential bly last month ordered the and other countries of Latin cluding children..q
sidering sanctioning oil is
what effect would it have Same-sex marriage a key issue as
on the Venezuelan people,
and is it a step that might
bring this to an end, to a Costa Ricans elect leader
more rapid end,” Tillerson
said. “Not doing anything By JAVIER CORDOBA riage, which about two- voters were undecided. If
to bring this to an end is Associated Press thirds of Costa Ricans also no candidate reaches 40
also asking the Venezuelan SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) oppose. His closest rivals are percent, the top two fin-
people to suffer for a much — Costa Ricans voted Sun- agri-businessman Antonio ishers advance to an April
longer time.” day in a presidential race Alvarez of the opposition 1 runoff. The January deci-
Venezuela sits atop the shaken by an internation- National Liberation Party sion by the Inter-American
world’s largest oil reserves al court ruling saying the and Carlos Alvarado of the Court of Human Rights has
and is the third-largest sup- country should let same-sex governing Citizens’ Action come to play a central role
plier to the U.S. The U.S. oil A woman casts her ballot couples get married. Party. But the outlook was in the campaign. The court
industry says that a ban behind a box cover that reads Evangelical candidate Fa- cloudy because none of also ordered the country
on petroleum imports from in Spanish “The vote is secret.” bricio Alvarado recently 13 candidates were polling to grant same-sex couples
Venezuela would hurt U.S. during a general elections in vaulted into first place in the at more than 17 percent rights such the ability to
jobs and drive up gasoline San Jose, Costa Rica, Sunday, polls after he took a strong and surveys indicated that inherit estates and adopt
costs. Feb. 4, 2018. stance against gay mar- more than a third of likely children.q
Associated Press