Page 12 - aruba-today-20180630

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 30 June 2018
VP Pence tells Central America that the 'exodus must end'

By SONNY FIGUEROA Winning back trade privi-
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — leges rejected by Ecua-
U.S. Vice President Mike dor's former president, Ra-
Pence had a blunt mes- fael Correa, were a central
sage for three Central part of the talks for Moreno.
American governments: He was elected last year
You must do more to stop with Correa's backing but
migrants who enter the has since broken with his
United States illegally. mentor in adopting a more
"This exodus must end," business- and press-friendly
Pence told the leaders of stance that has earned him
Guatemala, Honduras and bipartisan praise in Wash-
El Salvador late Thursday in ington as something of a
a meeting in Guatemala bridge builder in ideologi-
City. cally polarized Latin Amer-
Pence said U.S. officials ica.
were working to keep Pence said relations have
families together and wel- improved under Moreno's
comed legal immigration leadership and noted their
from their countries, but he shared fight against inter-
urged the presidents to "tell national drug traffickers. He
your people that coming credited the new president
to the United States illegally with reversing a decade of
will only result in a hard jour- failed policy and rooting
ney and a harder life." Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno and his wife Rocio, meet with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence out corruption.
He made the comments and his wife Karen in Quito, Ecuador, Thursday, June 28, 2018. During their private meet-
to Guatemalan President Associated Press ing, Pence raised the is-
Jimmy Morales, Salvadoran sue of Julian Assange, the
President Salvador San- The three Central Ameri- migration and insecurity in Venezuela." WikiLeaks founder who Ec-
chez Ceren and Hondu- can countries are the a way that is not only good Moreno said a solution to uador has granted asylum,
ran President Juan Orlan- home nations of most of for the U.S. but good of the Venezuela's crisis is ul- U.S. officials said.
do Hernandez, leaders of the migrants detained and the people of the Central timately up to its own peo- Assange, whose leak of
countries where economic separated in recent weeks American countries. ple, but added that he and classified U.S. documents
struggles and violent crime amid Trump administration Earlier in the day, Pence Pence agreed to work to- infuriated U.S. government
have pushed many people policies that led to the sep- was in Ecuador, whose gether in coordination with officials, has been a stick-
to try to sneak into the U.S. arations of more than 2,000 leader he praised for im- the Organization of Ameri- ing point between the two
in hopes of finding better children. Pence noted the proving relations with the can States to promote citi- nations. He has been living
lives. White House's decision to U.S. zen rights and fundamental under asylum inside the Ec-
The U.S. vice president said reverse the policies. He also urged President freedoms throughout Latin uadorean Embassy in Lon-
the Trump administration Sanchez Ceren of El Salva- Lenin Moreno to hold a America. don since 2012. q
"will always welcome" im- dor said one of his ministers firm line against neighbor-
migrants who follow the had confirmed that the mi- ing Venezuela, which has
rules in getting permission nors in the shelters had their been crumbling in eco-
to enter the United States. basic needs covered, but nomic and political crisis.
But, he added, the U.S. is he emphasized that "it's vi- "The Ecuadorean people
determined to act strongly tal for their psychological have shown remarkable
against those who don't. health and their emotional compassion," Pence said,
"It is a threat to the security health to reunite them im- noting that 350,000 Venezu-
of the United States, and mediately with their fami- elans have fled to Ecuador,
just as we respect your bor- lies." a country of a little more
ders and your sovereignty, Honduras' president said it than 16 million people. "We
we insist that you respect is essential for his govern- must all take strong action
ours," he said. ment to tackle the roots of to restore democracy in

Official: Puerto Rico drug

ring halted after 97 indicted

Associated Press the suspects ran an al- drugs without getting out
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico leged $25 million trafficking of their cars.
(AP) — Federal authorities ring that distributed heroin, Authorities have estimated
in Puerto Rico say a major cocaine, marijuana and that roughly 70 percent of
heroin supplier has been prescription pills near a killings in Puerto Rico are
put out of business after playground in San Juan. tied to drugs. The U.S. ter-
a grand jury indicted 97 She said the suspects be- ritory of 3.3 million people
people on drug trafficking gan operating four years has reported 316 killings
charges. ago and ran their business this year, compared with
U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia as a type of drive-thru in 338 in the same period last
Rodriguez said Friday that which people would buy year.q