Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 16 august 2019
S. Korea's Moon calls for talks to end trade row with Japan

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) rule from 1910 to 1945.
— South Korean President After threatening stern
Moon Jae-in offered an ol- countermeasures and de-
ive branch to Japan to end claring that South Korea
an ongoing trade dispute would "never lose" to Ja-
Thursday, saying Seoul will pan again, Moon has taken
"gladly join hands" if Tokyo a more conciliatory tone
wants to talk. over the past week as there
Moon in a nationally tele- was relief in Seoul that the
vised speech also down- impact of Japan's trade
played the threat posed by measures might not be as
North Korea's recent short- bad as initially thought.
range ballistic launches There have also been
and expressed hope that concerns that the govern-
Washington and Pyong- ment's nationalistic calls for
yang would soon resume unity were allowing pub-
nuclear negotiations. lic anger toward Japan to
"If a country weaponizes reach dangerous levels.
a sector where it has a Nevertheless, tens of thou-
comparative advantage, sands of people were ex-
the order of peaceful free pected join anti-Japan
trade inevitably suffers. A People watch a TV screen showing a live broadcast of South Korean President Moon Jae-in's protests planned for Thurs-
country that accomplished speech during a ceremony to celebrate the Korean Liberation Day at the Seoul Railway Station in day, including an evening
growth first must not kick Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019. candlelit vigil near Seoul's
the ladder away while oth- Associated Press presidential palace.
ers are following in its foot- Thousands of protest-
steps," Moon said in refer- emony marking the 74th trade curbs on South Ko- anese companies to offer ers dressed in raincoats
ence to Japan. anniversary of Korea's lib- rea. reparations to South Kore- marched in heavy rain to-
"If Japan better late than eration from Japanese rule Seoul has accused Tokyo ans forced into labor dur- ward the Japanese Em-
never chooses the path of at the end of World War II of weaponizing trade to ing World War II. Tokyo's bassy in Seoul. They car-
dialogue and cooperation, came amid heightened target its export-depen- measures struck a nerve in ried signs that said "Apolo-
we will gladly join hands," public anger and diplo- dent economy and retali- South Korea, where many gize for War Crimes" and
he said. matic fallout over Tokyo's ate against South Korean still harbor resentment over "Compensate Forced
Moon's speech at a cer- recent moves to impose court rulings calling for Jap- Japan's ruthless colonial Laborers."q

Venezuela's Maduro battles for control of US-based refinery

By SCOTT SMITH ezuea's president, there-
Associated Press fore recognizing his board
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) appointments.
— The government of Presi- "It does show they are step-
dent Nicolas Maduro on ping up the attacks on the
Thursday nullified the newly opposition," Dallen said of
named board of Venezu- the Maduro government's
ela's prized Citgo refineries latest move. "They're going
in the U.S. amid a political to try to make it as pain-
battle for control of the ful as possible for anybody
country, saying opposition who sides with Guaidó."
leaders had no right to ap- State comptroller Elvis Am-
point them. oroso, who made the an-
The battle over the nation's nouncement on state TV,
most valuable foreign as- also said the ad-hoc board
set comes as Maduro fends members are banned from
off opposition leader Juan leaving the country and
Guaidó, whose claim to their Venezuelan bank ac-
Venezuela's presidency counts have been frozen.
is backed by the United But it is unclear whether
States and more than 50 any of them continue to
other nations. live in the South American
The opposition-run National Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores, right, lead a rally condemning country. Amoroso also said
Assembly appointed the the economic sanctions imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Venezu- another five leading figures
15-member Citgo board ela, in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019. opposed to Maduro have
early this year after Guaidó Associated Press been banned from politics
declared presidential pow- for 15 years. They including
ers, arguing that Maduro's timated $8 billion and in- tallex, which seeks to liq- Miami-based Caracas former Attorney General
re-election was illegitimate. cludes three refineries in uidate Citgo for payment Capital Markets brokerage Luisa Ortega, former Cara-
Maduro maintains pow- Louisiana, Texas and Illinois, following a disputed take- firm, said U.S. courts have cas Mayor Antonio Ledez-
er with backing from the in addition to a network of over of the Canadian min- already weighed in on who ma and three opposition
military and allies such as pipelines. Citgo is also at ing firm by Venezuela's late controls Citgo, deferring to lawmakers, all of whom
Cuba, Russia and China. the center of court battles, President Hugo Chavez. the U.S. government's rec- are living in self-imposed
Citgo is valued at an es- such a lawsuit filed by Crys- Russ Dallen, head of the ognition of Guaidó as Ven- exile.q