Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 15 augusT 2017

Maduro seeks probe of opposition over Trump’s military talk

By JOSHUA GOODMAN nior officials sought to rally
Associated Press opposition to Trump, U.S.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Vice President Mike Pence
— President Nicolas Mad- found himself doing dam-
uro asked the pro-govern- age control for the Repub-
ment constitutional assem- lican leader in a previously
bly Monday to investigate scheduled visit to Latin
the opposition for alleg- America.
edly supporting Donald Seeking to highlight the
Trump’s remarks on using worsening plight in Ven-
military action to resolve ezuela, he met Monday
Venezuela’s political crisis. in Cartagena, Colombia,
Addressing a rally of gov- with a small group of Vene-
ernment supporters, Mad- zuelans who have fled their
uro said Trump’s com- homeland. He described
ments were prompted by their stories as “heartbreak-
the failure of the opposi- ing” and before leaving he
tion’s campaign to oust and his wife, Karen Pence,
him after months of desta- grasped hands with the
bilizing protests. group in a prayer circle as
Calling for “justice,” he she prayed for “comfort to
said the truth commission the Venezuelan refugees.”
set up by the constitutional Trump’s remarks last week
assembly should investi- that he wouldn’t rule out a
gate opposition leaders as “military option” for Vene-
“traitors” for not speaking Diosdado Cabello, a member of the Constitutional Assembly and Venezuelan ruling party chief, zuela shocked even allies in
out clearly against the U.S. center front, is surrounded by bodyguard and supporters during an anti-imperialist march to de- Latin America who thought
president. Opponents who nounce Trump’s talk of a “military option” for resolving the country’s political crisis in Caracas, the U.S. had turned its back
don’t cooperate in the in- Venezuela, Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. on decades of big-stick
vestigation will face arrest, (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) diplomacy in the region.
he warned. ers, gathered at the presi- mention Trump by name, to Cuba and other foreign Pence’s last stop on the
“If they don’t show up on dential palace. instead blaming Maduro powers. four-nation tour will take
their own, we’ll go looking The main opposition alli- for converting Venezuela Maduro also ordered two him to Panama, which saw
for them with handcuffs,” ance rejected the use of into a threat to regional days of civilian-military ex- the last U.S. military invasion
he told a few thousand military threats to resolve stability and accusing him ercises to dissuade a U.S. in Latin America, the 1989
government supporters, Venezuela’s crisis. But its of ceding the country’s attack. “Operation Just Cause” to
many of them state work- statement Sunday didn’t sovereignty and oil wealth As Maduro and other se- remove military dictator
Manuel Noriega.
Tillerson: diplomats in Havana suffered ‘health attacks’ “The phantom of military
interventions in Latin Amer-
ica disappeared a long
By M. WEISSENSTEIN there had been “incidents diplomats involved,” Tiller- ciated Press that the hear- time ago and we don’t
M. LEE which have caused a vari- son said in Bedminster, New ing loss appeared to have want it to return,” Colombi-
Associated Press ety of physical symptoms.” Jersey, where President been caused by the de- an President Juan Manuel
HAVANA (AP) — Secretary U.S. officials later revealed Donald Trump and mem- liberate use of some sort Santos, the staunchest U.S.
of State Rex Tillerson said that American diplomats bers of his administration of sonic device operating ally in the region, said Sun-
that U.S. diplomats in Ha- had suffered unexplained spoke to reporters. outside the range of audi- day at a news conference
vana had been the victims losses of hearing, and on In the fall of 2016, a series of ble sound. alongside Pence.
of “health attacks” that Thursday Canada’s gov- U.S. diplomats began suf- Former diplomats and stu- Pence said Monday that
left them with hearing loss ernment said at least one fering unexplained losses of dents of U.S.-Cuba rela- Trump’s remarks were in-
— the most definitive U.S. Canadian diplomat in hearing, according to offi- tions said they found it inex- tended to put Maduro on
statement yet on a series Cuba also had been treat- cials with knowledge of the plicable that Cuba would notice that “we will not
of mysterious incidents that ed for hearing loss. case. have tried to harm U.S. and stand by while Venezuela
have puzzled longtime ob- “We hold the Cuban au- Some of the diplomats’ Canadian diplomats, par- collapses into dictatorship”
servers of U.S.-Cuban rela- thorities responsible for find- symptoms were so severe ticularly in the fall of 2016 as and that “a failed state in
tions. ing out who is carrying out that they were forced to President Barack Obama Venezuela threatens the
His comments Friday came these health attacks on cancel their tours early and was ending a second term security and prosperity of
two days after the State De- not just our diplomats but, return to the United States, marked partly by the re- our entire hemispheres and
partment issued a vaguely as you’ve seen now, there the officials said. opening of diplomatic rela- the people of the United
worded statement saying are other cases with other The officials told The Asso- tions with the island.q States.” q