Page 12 - aruba-today-20180414

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 14 april 2018
Pence urges Latin American allies to isolate Venezuela

By KEN THOMAS cently said it would pursue
Associated Press sanctions of its own — the
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Showing first Latin American nation
solidarity with opposition do so — by blacklisting doz-
leaders, U.S. Vice President ens of Venezuelan officials
Mike Pence urged Latin from doing business in the
American allies on Friday Central American country.
to further isolate Venezu- Ana Quintana, a senior pol-
ela, suggesting the Trump icy analyst on Latin Ameri-
administration would seek ca and the Western Hemi-
additional sanctions to sphere for the Heritage
counter the country’s politi- Foundation, said Pence
cal crisis. Pence, in Lima for would seek to “continue
the Summit of the Ameri- the momentum” of U.S. pol-
cas, announced that the icy on Venezuela. She said
U.S. would provide nearly the “vast majority of the
$16 million in humanitarian region’s democratic lead-
assistance to Venezuelans ers have been so united on
who have fled their country addressing the crisis.”
under the rule of President Pence will also aim to coun-
Nicolas Maduro. ter China’s attempt to exert
“We want one message more economic influence
to be clear: We are with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, center, speaks with Venezuelan opposition leaders Carlos in the Americas at a time
the people of Venezuela,” Vecchio, left, Julio Borges, David Smolansky and Antonio Ledezma during a meeting at the when the Trump adminis-
Pence said at the U.S. am- residence of the US ambassador, in Lima, Peru, Friday, April 13, 2018. tration has been embroiled
bassador’s residence, seat- Associated Press in a trade dispute with the
ed with a group of Venezu- Pence is subbing for Presi- ther tensions as the neigh- presidential election that Chinese. White House offi-
elan opposition leaders. dent Donald Trump after bors, along with Canada, the opposition is boycot- cials said the vice president
The vice president called the president pulled out of work to renegotiate the ting and that many foreign would emphasize the U.S.
Maduro’s government a his first planned visit to Latin North American Free Trade governments consider a as the “partner of choice”
“dictatorship” and said America to manage the Agreement. sham. During the meeting in Latin American trade,
the U.S. would continue to U.S. response to an appar- In a series of meetings with with four opposition lead- noting that nearly half of
push a hard line against the ent chemical weapons at- Latin American leaders, ers, Pence listened as they the U.S. trade agreements
country’s leadership. tack on civilians in Syria. Pence plans to promote described their once-pros- are based in the Western
“The U.S. and our allies, I The White House said good governance and perous country devolving Hemisphere.
believe, are prepared to Pence would sit down Sat- democratic institutions and into chaos. Antonio Le- Yet the timing of the trade
do much more,” Pence urday with Mexican Presi- urge allies to maintain pres- dezma, the former mayor pitch will be delicate.
said, accusing Maduro of dent Enrique Pena Nieto, sure on Maduro. The U.S. of Caracas, pleaded with Pence landed in Peru short-
“refusing humanitarian aid who has yet to meet with has sanctioned Maduro Pence through a translator ly after Trump signaled his
to be delivered to Venezu- Trump in an impasse over and dozens of top officials, to bolster sanctions against interest in possibly rejoining
ela.” He said the U.S. would the wall Trump has pledged accusing the country of hu- Maduro, asking for “not negotiations in the Trans-
push “additional sanctions, to build along the U.S.-Mex- man rights abuses and slid- only humanitarian aid but Pacific Partnership, the Pa-
additional isolation and ico border. Pence’s meet- ing into a dictatorship. humanitarian intervention.” cific Rim trade pact he fre-
additional diplomatic pres- ing with Pena Nieto will fol- With the White House’s en- The Trump administration quently blasted during the
sure — beginning in our low Trump’s calls to send couragement, Maduro has is considering imposing an 2016 campaign, injecting a
hemisphere but across the National Guard troops to been barred from the sum- oil embargo on the OPEC dose of uncertainty among
wider world.” the border. That adds fur- mit over his plans to hold a nation, while Panama re- U.S. trading partners. q

Leading candidate in Brazilian

election charged with racism

By MAURICIO SAVARESE Dodge said Bolsonaro pro- were treated as merchan-
Associated Press motes hate speech by at- dise and with the idea of
SAO PAULO (AP) — One of tacking blacks, women, inequality between human
the front-runners in Brazil’s foreigners, native Brazilians beings,” Dodge said. “Af-
presidential campaign was and homosexuals, dealing ter that, the accused said
charged with racism on Fri- a major blow to a politi- quilombolas don’t do any-
day by the country’s top cian polling second ahead thing and are unfit even to
prosecutor. of October’s presidential breed, deprecating them Demonstrators opposed to Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio
Attorney General Raquel elections. Jailed former emphatically and abso- Lula da Silva have their picture taken with Lawmaker Jair
Dodge charged conser- President Luiz Inacio Lula lutely for who they are.” Bolsonaro, the main right-wing candidate for the October
vative deputy Jair Bolso- da Silva currently leads the Brazilian politicians have presidential election, during a protest in Brasilia, Brazil,
naro for statements com- preferences, but could be a special jurisdiction in the Wednesday, April 4, 2018.
paring members of rural barred from running by Bra- country’s top court, which Associated Press
settlements founded by zil’s electoral authorities. will later decide whether three years. Dodge also in the end of January
the descendants of slaves “This unacceptable state- Bolsonaro will have to stand wants him to pay about showed Bolsonaro leading
to animals. Members of ment on quilombolas is trial. $120,000 in collective dam- in Brazil’s presidential race
the settlements are called aligned with the regime If convicted, Bolsonaro ages. if da Silva is not allowed to
“quilombolas” in Brazil. of slavery in which blacks could be jailed for up to A Datafolha poll published run.q