Page 12 - aruba today 12aug2017

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 12 auguSt 2017

Venezuela’s Maduro: ‘Mr. Donald Trump, here is my hand’

discussed Venezuela along bank said it banned trad-
with North Korea and Af- ing in Venezuelan bonds
ghanistan in a security brief- over what it said were “re-
ing with top national securi- cent development and
ty aides and Vice President the political climate” in the
Mike Pence, who travels to country, according to an
neighboring Colombia on internal memo.
Sunday in a trip where dis- Any future transactions
cussions on how to pressure involving Venezuelan of-
Maduro is expected to fea- ficials or assets will have
ture prominently. to go through additional
“We had some very good screening, according to
meetings, some very good the memo whose authen-
ideas, very good thoughts, ticity was confirmed by the
and a lot of decisions were bank.
made,” Trump said follow- Venezuela is in the midst
ing the briefing, without of a severe economic
providing any details. downturn caused by low
Maduro’s apparent olive oil prices and government
branch was undermined policies that have scared
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, center, with his wife Cilia Flores, left, and Constitutional in the same speech by his away private investment.
Assembly President Delcy Rodriguez wave as they arrive to the National Assembly building for a own angry rant against The country’s bonds are
session with the Constitutional Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. Trump, who he accused one of the few ways the
(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
of backing a failed attack current government is able
on a military base a week to raise money to support
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ day to members of a new, tionship with the U.S. as he ago. its collapsing economy.
Associated Press all-powerful constitutional has with Russia. The Trump administration in But as the country’s po-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) assembly, Maduro instruct- The remarks came a day turn has called Maduro a litical crisis has worsened,
— Venezuelan leader Nico- ed Venezuela’s foreign after the Trump adminis- “dictator” and issued sanc- the bonds issued by the
las Maduro said he wants minister to approach the tration slapped sanctions tions against him and more government as well as the
a meeting with President United States about arrang- on eight close allies, ac- than two dozen other for- state-owned oil company
Donald Trump, the same ing a telephone conversa- cusing them of violating mer and current officials. PDVSA have become a
man he ridicules as a crass tion or meeting with Trump human rights and demo- Even as the U.S. for now point of contention and
imperial magnate, as the at next month’s United Na- cratic norms, and debated holds back applying eco- concern for investors who
U.S. weighs slapping crip- tions General Assembly. whether to pile on with ad- nomic sanctions, the Mad- increasingly worry they are
pling economic sanctions “Mr. Donald Trump, here ditional economic sanc- uro government is finding supporting an oppressive
on his socialist administra- is my hand,” the socialist tions to further isolate the itself increasingly isolated regime as well as a coun-
tion. president said, adding that government. from financial markets. try that is a great risk of de-
In a lengthy address Thurs- he wants as strong a rela- On Thursday, Trump said he On Thursday, Credit Suisse faulting on its debts. q
Argentines march to demand answers about missing activist

BUENOS AIRES, Argen- ance has sparked violent
tina (AP) — Thousands of protests in recent weeks in
Argentines are staging a Argentina.
demonstration to demand Human rights groups es-
answers about the fate of timate that about 30,000
a missing activist. people died or were forci-
Santiago Maldonado was bly disappeared during the
last seen Aug. 1 when bor- country’s 1976-1983 military
der police evicted a group dictatorship.
of indigenous Mapuches Maldonado’s family says
from lands in Patagonia border police detained
owned by Italian clothing him when he was block-
company Benetton. Dem- ing a road in Chubut
onstrators on Friday gath- province. The protesters
ered in front of the presi- were demanding the re-
dential palace asking their lease of a jailed Mapuche
government to find the leader who is wanted by People hold photos of Santiago Maldonado, who’s missing, during a demonstration at Plaza
28-year-old alive. Chile. Authorities deny any de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, Aug. 11, 2017.
Maldonado’s disappear- wrongdoing. q (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)