Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 19 March 2019
Colombia: 1,000 Venezuelan forces crossed border since Feb.

By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA though she did not provide
Associated Press details. Some past reshuf-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) fles have entailed rotations
— About 1,000 members of ministers rather than a
of the Venezuelan security major overhaul of leader-
forces have fled to Colom- ship.
bia since last month, giving Key Cabinet figures include
up weapons and uniforms Rodriguez, a former foreign
as they abandoned the minister; Information Minis-
government of Venezuelan ter Jorge Rodriguez, broth-
President Nicolas Maduro, er of the vice president;
Colombian authorities said and Defense Minister Vladi-
Monday. mir Padrino Lopez, a mili-
Colombia’s foreign minis- tary general. All face U.S.
try released the updated sanctions for alleged cor-
number of Venezuelan po- ruption and human rights
lice and military personnel violations.
who crossed the border, Guaido on Monday scoffed
many around the time of a at the report of Cabinet
Feb. 23 attempt by oppo- changes, telling journalists
sition leader Juan Guaido that it merely reflects how
to deliver U.S.-provided the government is weaken-
humanitarian aid to Ven- ing and “without answers.”
ezuela. The attempt failed He again said that the na-
because Venezuelan forc- tionwide power outages
es blocked trucks trying to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, center right, who has declared himself interim presi- were the result of govern-
cross from Colombia into dent, poses for a photo with members of a coalition of opposition parties, and other civic groups ment corruption and mis-
Venezuela. after their meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, March 18, 2019. management and not, as
The deserters have re- Associated Press Maduro claimed, an act of
ceived lodging, health Jean Marchena Castillo, ing pro-Maduro politician, whose population is endur- sabotage directed by the
care and legal aid, and an army captain, told lo- said in Caracas on Monday ing hyperinflation and a United States.
were accompanied by cal media that pro-Maduro that the security forces who scarcity of medicine and U.S. and Russian officials,
some 400 family mem- forces were threatening fled to Colombia had been other necessities. meanwhile, were meeting
bers, Colombian officials relatives of some of those offered bribes to do so. De- More than 3 million Venezu- in Rome this week to dis-
said. Colombia, the United who fled Venezuela. Some serters strongly deny such elans have fled the country cuss the crisis in Venezuela.
States and about 50 other deserters say their small mil- allegations. in recent years, about one- Elliott Abrams, the U.S. spe-
countries support Guaido’s itary salaries were the only Despite the desertions, third of them finding refuge cial envoy for Venezuela,
claim that he is the interim source of income for their Maduro has retained the in Colombia. was to hold talks with Rus-
president of Venezuela families. support of Venezuela’s key Nearly a week after Ven- sian Deputy Foreign Min-
and that Maduro is illegiti- Humberto Calderon Berti, military leaders, who are ezuela’s worst blackouts ister Sergei Ryabkov on
mate because his re-elec- Guaido’s representative in considered pivotal in de- inflicted more hardship Monday and Tuesday, the
tion last year was marred Colombia, said he plans to termining the outcome of across the country, Maduro U.S. State Department said.
by irregularities. work with Colombian au- the country’s power strug- was said to be planning Ryabkov said in comments
The welfare of the Venezu- thorities to provide training gle. Maduro alleges that a Cabinet reshuffle. Vice carried by Russian media
elan deserters, and their and employment opportu- Guaido is a collaborator in President Delcy Rodriguez that, “We will do everything
families back home, is a nities to the men. a U.S. plot to overthrow the made the announce- to protect our cooperation
growing concern. Diosdado Cabello, a lead- government in Venezuela, ment on Twitter on Sunday, with Caracas.”q

Nicaragua talks on hold as both sides trade accusations

By GABRIELA SELSER part of the march, which it work to do,” he said.
Associated Press labeled a “provocation.” The Vatican’s ambassa-
MANAGUA, Nicaragua Protests against President dor to Nicaragua, Walde-
(AP) — Nicaragua’s gov- Daniel Ortega’s govern- mar Sommertag, who has
ernment and opposition ment have been effective- mediated the talks, asked
accused each other of un- ly banned since Septem- for patience Monday. Re-
dermining the latest round ber. sponding to criticism that
of political dialogue Mon- The government said op- he seemed to be siding
day, after police arrested position negotiators’ par- with the government, Som-
more than 100 at a week- ticipating in Saturday’s mertag said he had no per-
end protest. protest was “inconceiv- sonal interest and was giv-
The opposition Civic Alli- able, contradictory and ing his all to brokering the
ance condemned the gov- unbelievable.” It said there talks.
ernment’s “violent repres- were 107 arrests and the Luis Rosadilla, representa-
sion” of Saturday’s march, detainees were released tive of the Organization of
in which it said some 164 Demonstrators chant during a protest demanding the hours later. Mario Arana, American States, called on
people were arrested. government release hundreds of protesters held in custody an economist participating those involved to build a
The group said in a state- since 2018, in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, March 16, 2019. in the dialogue as a rep- good atmosphere for dia-
ment that it was frustrated Associated Press resentative of the private logue. “The government
that the talks had not pro- people it considers political plained that opposition sector, said the talks were must show the political will
duced results, including prisoners. representatives participat- suspended for the time be- to overcome the crisis,” he
the release of hundreds of The government com- ing in the negotiations were ing. “The mediators have said.q