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Thread: Bernie should have promoted Maduro socialism

  1. #21
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    Angry

    Obama administration upset over Venezuela's jailing of opposition leader...

    U.S. 'deeply disturbed' over Venezuela's jailing of opposition leader
    Aug. 29, 2016 -- The U.S. Department of State said it is "deeply disturbed' by the decision of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's administration to jail opposition leader Daniel Ceballos, the former mayor of San Cristobal.
    Ceballos is one of several opposition leaders, including Leopoldo Lopez, arrested in early 2014 and accused of corruption and of inciting violent anti-government protests in which 43 people died -- both government supporters and opponents. Ceballos was later released from jail to serve in house arrest due to kidney problems but he was rearrested and sent to prison on Saturday ahead of a planned nationwide opposition rally scheduled for Thursday. Authorities initially told Ceballos and his wife he was being taken for a medical exam.

    The jailing of Ceballos has been criticized by the United States and human rights groups. Venezuela's Interior Ministry said he was jailed because authorities believed he was going to flee the country. "The United States is deeply disturbed by the Venezuelan government's decision to move opposition leader Daniel Ceballos from house arrest to prison," U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. "Mr. Ceballos' transfer to prison represents an effort to intimidate and impede the Venezuelan people's right to peacefully express their opinion September 1. We condemn it and call for Mr. Ceballos' immediate release."


    Venezuela's former mayor of San Cristobal, Daniel Ceballos, seen here signing a referendum petition seeking to establish a recall against President Nicolas Maduro, was jailed on Saturday by Venezuelan authorities. Ceballos was under house arrest after previously being released due to medical concerns

    Kirby said rule of law in Venezuela has been "degraded to an alarming degree." "There is no place in a democratic society for employing the instruments of the state to bully, intimidate, and silence the political opposition," Kirby added.

    Amnesty International said the move was an attempt to silence the opposition. "Authorities in Venezuela seem to be willing to stop at nothing in their quest to prevent anyone from criticizing them, particularly as the political and humanitarian situation in the country continues to deteriorate," Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International's Americas director, said in a statement.

    http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-Ne...?spt=sec&or=tn
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    Nicolas Maduro: U.S. launching 'imperialist attack' on Latin American left
    Aug. 29,`16 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has likened the killing of a Bolivian minister and the impeachment on Brazil's president to an U.S. "imperialist attack."
    Maduro said the imperialist attack is a plan to destabilize the leftist governments of South America. "It's an imperialist attack against all," Maduro said during a pro-government rally in Caracas. "From Venezuela we will fight the coup of the oligarchy."

    Maduro said the recent alleged destabilization efforts are similar to the Cold War's Operation Condor, in which the U.S. government partly supported some right-wing dictatorships in South America in order to repress left-wing movements that were perceived as communist.

    The Venezuelan head of state has often accused the United States of working against the socialist government left behind by late former President Hugo Chavez. Maduro accuses the United States of supporting the Venezuelan opposition and corporations as part of an "economic war" against his administration. "Venezuela has lived hours of anguish and pain that we can't afford to live again," Maduro said. "In order to maintain and build our freedom and our independence, to not be slaves any more of the Yankee empire."

    Maduro's comments follow the death of Bolivian deputy interior minister Rodolfo Illanes, who was killed by striking miners who kidnapped him, and amid the Brazilian impeachment trial against President Dilma Rousseff.

    http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-Ne...?spt=sec&or=tn

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    Maduro gonna crackdown on protestors...

    Venezuela's Maduro vows crackdown on protest violence
    August 30, 2016 • Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro vowed Tuesday to jail opposition leaders if they incite violence at upcoming protests to pressure authorities to allow a referendum on removing him from power.
    Maduro, whose opponents blame him for a devastating economic crisis, accused opposition leaders of plotting a "terrorist coup" against him ahead of Thursday's nationwide protests. "We must defeat the coup d'etat without impunity. Whoever gets involved in a coup plot, or calls for violence, is going to jail, sir. Shriek, weep or scream, but you're going to jail," he told supporters at a rally in Caracas billed as an early counter-demonstration.


    Members of the Venezuelan opposition shout slogans during a march to demand electoral power to activate the recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas

    Maduro accused the United States of plotting against leftist governments in Latin America. "The threat is coming directly from American imperialism," he said. One opposition figure, Yon Goicoechea, was arrested on charges of possessing explosives he allegedly planned to detonate at the upcoming protests. Opposition lawmaker Tomas Guanipa said the authorities had planted evidence against Goicoechea. "Even if you throw us all in jail, you won't stop the people from taking to the streets to fight for democratic, electoral and peaceful change," he said.


    Venezuelan National Assembly lawmakers vote during a session in Caracas, Venezuela. When Venezuela's opposition lawmakers took over congress in January, they vowed it was the beginning of the end for President Nicolas Maduro. But Maduro has since managed to almost completely sideline the legislature, and now the ruling socialist party is talking about shutting it down altogether.

    The protests are the first since electoral authorities indicated it was too late to organize a recall vote this year -- infuriating the opposition, which wants a referendum by January in order to trigger new elections. With Venezuela hit by shortages of food, medicine and basic goods, the opposition coalition behind the referendum, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), insists that getting rid of Maduro's socialist government is the only way out of the crisis.


    People stand in line as they gather at a validation center during Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) second phase of verifying signatures for a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas

    Venezuela's Catholic Church called on the government to allow Thursday's protests to go ahead freely. The journalists' union meanwhile said conditions are difficult for the press ahead of the demos. Masked attackers threw Molotov $#@!tails and flaming excrement at the offices of opposition-leaning newspaper El Nacional on Tuesday, and authorities denied entry on Monday to a team of reporters from Al Jazeera TV.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/venezuela...215450479.html

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    Red face

    Venezuelan protestors protest Maduro tryin' to stop demonstration...

    Venezuela regime accused of intimidation, halting transportation ahead of protest
    Aug. 31, 2016 -- The Venezuelan opposition has accused President Nicolas Maduro's regime of political intimidation for carrying out arrests and prohibiting transport ahead of a planned protests in Caracas.
    In Venezuela's Táchira state, at least 120 people were not allowed to leave on a private charter bus because Venezuela's Ministry of Transportation did not authorize the trip on Tuesday. Gustavo Gandica, secretary general of the Justice First Táchira opposition party, said the Maduro administration's decision to "not to let us travel to Caracas is a sign of the fear that this government has that people speak in the streets." Gandica vowed to reach Caracas for the opposition's demonstration, the "Taking of Caracas" protest. In the Zulia state's capital of Maracaibo -- Venezuela's second-largest city -- the Democratic Unity Roundtable opposition coalition organized about 10,000 people to travel to Caracas. In Maracaibo's bus terminal, tickets to Caracas were no longer being sold. The police presence at the terminal has increased and people attempting to travel for the protest have been intimidated by authorities, El Pitazo reported.

    The opposition has accused the Maduro regime of arresting its members for political reasons ahead of the protest, including the recent arrests of opposition activist Yon Goicoechea and Daniel Ceballos, the former mayor of San Cristobal. Venezuela's National Union of Press Workers on Monday said that three Al Jazeera journalists sent to report about the demonstration were detained and were set to be deported back to the country from which they arrived, Colombia.

    [centert][/center]

    The opposition says the Maduro administration's recent decree to ban private aircraft and drones until Monday is an attempt to prevent the recording of the visual impact of the opposition's protest. The opposition vowed that millions of people would take to the streets of Caracas. "The 'Taking of Caracas' will be the beginning of a new era of mass demonstrations," opposition leader Tomás Guanipa said, adding that the government "is desperate to avoid" so many people gathering in Caracas.

    Opposition leaders have stressed that Thursday's demonstration will be peaceful but Interior and Justice Minister Gen. Nestor Reverol -- who was recently indicted in the United States on cocaine trafficking charges -- said government intelligence suggests there could be acts of "violence and destabilization." Reverol has authorized security personnel to use weapons and toxic substances, such as tear gas, to repel violent protesters in order to assume the "constitutional responsibility to defend and protect the people." Maduro's administration has said Thursday's protest is a coup d'etat attempt facilitated by the United States.

    http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-Ne...?spt=sec&or=tn

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    Cool

    Demonstration in the streets of Caracas against Maduro...

    Venezuelan oppositions vows to keep up pressure on Maduro
    Sep 1,`16) -- Venezuela's opposition is vowing to keep up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro after flooding the streets of Caracas with demonstrators Thursday in its biggest show of force in years.
    Protesters filled dozens of city blocks in what was dubbed the "taking of Caracas" to pressure electoral authorities to allow a recall referendum against Maduro this year. Protesters, dressed mostly in white and carrying Venezuelan flags, chanted, "It's going to fall, it's going to fall, the government is going to fall." The buildup to the protest was tense. Maduro's government jailed several prominent activists, deployed security forces across the city and warned of bloodshed. A small group of protesters, some of them wearing masks and throwing rocks, squared off with riot police as the rally was ending. Police used tear gas to break up the crowd and arrested a few youth. Maduro told a much smaller rally of state workers and hard-core supporters that opponents are plotting a coup such as the one that briefly toppled his late predecessor Hugo Chavez in 2002.


    Demonstrators take part in the "taking of Caracas" march in Caracas, Venezuela, Sept 1, 2016. Venezuela's opposition is vowing to keep up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro after flooding the streets of Caracas with demonstrators Thursday in its biggest show of force in years. Protesters filled dozens of city blocks in what was dubbed the "taking of Caracas" to pressure electoral authorities to allow a recall referendum against Maduro this year.

    He said authorities had arrested people possessing military fatigues and C4 explosives, and who had plans to fire upon the crowds dressed as national guard members. "Today we've defeated a coup attempt that sought to fill Venezuela and Caracas with violence and death," Maduro told his supporters without providing details about the accusations. "We're still looking for several criminals that paid to massacre the people." Caracas political analyst Dimitris Pantoulas said the "warlike" language may have actually energized opponents who otherwise might be on vacation or, at a time of economic crisis, standing in long lines for food. "The government made a big mistake by throwing fuel onto the flames," said Pantoulas. As the rally was wrapping up, the head of the opposition Democratic Unity alliance outlined the next steps in its campaign to force Maduro from office. "Today is the beginning of the definitive stage of our struggle," Jesus Torrealba told supporters.

    He called for a nationwide demonstration of pot-banging Thursday night to protest growing hunger. There are also plans for two more street protests, including one Sept. 14 coinciding with the arrival of heads of state from around the world for a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement taking place on the Caribbean island of Margarita. "This isn't the country I grew up in and it's not the one I want my children to live in," said Olga Delgado, a school administrator, who arrived to the protest on crutches following hip-replacement surgery. She was wearing a hat reading "I am squalid," appropriating for herself one of Chavez's favorite taunts for his opponents. Maduro tried to mock his opponents' show of force, saying they had failed to amass more than 30,000 supporters and joking that he and First Lady Cilia Flores would go the movies at a shopping mall near where they were gathering.

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    Red face

    Ya might be in trouble - if ya need Mugabe to stand by ya...

    Venezuela summit draws few leaders in blow to Maduro
    Sep 17 2016 - Venezuela Only a handful of leaders have traveled to a meeting of a large Cold War-era bloc in Venezuela this week, in an embarrassment for the crisis-hit socialist government.
    Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has touted the 17th meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement as one that would "be remembered for centuries," as the unpopular leftist seeks to bolster his international legitimacy. Yet the turnout from the 120-nation Cold War-era bloc has paled compared to past meetings, including the previous summit in Iran in 2012, attended by some 35 heads of state. Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, Iran's Hassan Rouhani and Palestine's Mahmoud Abbas, as well as regional allies from Cuba, Ecuador and Bolivia are among the few heads of states who have landed on the Caribbean island of Margarita.

    The half-century old movement formed by nations wanting to avoid aligning with the United States or Soviet Union has dwindled in relevance over the years. But it appears that heads of states' attendance at the summit in recession-stricken Venezuela is particularly low, possibly even in single digits, although the government did not respond to a request for a list of attendees. Venezuela's opposition, vying to remove Maduro in a recall referendum, has jumped on low attendance as a sign of his isolation. "Millions of dollars of Venezuelans' money spent for the government's ego," said opposition leader Henrique Capriles. "Many of the countries didn't come to the show!"


    Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe (C) walks next to Venezuela's Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez (R) as he arrives to the 17th Non-Aligned Summit in Porlamar, Venezuela

    In one glaring absence, co-founder and key member India did not send Prime Minister Narendra Modi, only the second time the country's head of state has missed a summit since its 1961 founding. Venezuela is undergoing a major economic crisis that has sparked worsening food shortages and triple-digit inflation. Margarita was once known as the 'Pearl of the Caribbean,' a tourist hub that drew visitors from around the world, but hotel occupancy is under half what it was last year and some islanders recently humiliated Maduro by chasing him in a poor neighborhood, banging pots and pans.

    The delegates who did come complained privately of a lack of organization, delays and shabby hotels, despite Venezuela's efforts to make Margarita shine by repainting roads, stocking supermarket shelves and boosting security on the crime-ridden island. Venezuela unveiled a statue of Chavez near the summit on Friday, took over the group's presidency on Saturday, and, in a series of speeches, leaders from Mugabe to Cuba's Raul Castro lambasted imperialism and pledged their support to Maduro. And the summit's final document was set to express solidarity with Maduro, according to a draft seen by Reuters. "The Venezuelan people are full of emotion and pride," Maduro said in a speech on Saturday.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ve...-idUSKCN11N0FZ
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    Zimbabwe police on alert for election reform protesters
    Sun, Sep 18, 2016 - Riot police were expected to be out in force in Zimbabwe yesterday after protesters planned fresh demonstrations calling for electoral reform and the resignation of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
    Police this week issued an order barring protests in the capital Harare, but campaigners on Friday vowed to challenge the ban through the courts, which overturned a similar order earlier this month. A coalition of opposition parties under the banner of the National Electoral Reform Agenda is demanding reform ahead of the 2018 election, when Mugabe, now aged 92, plans to stand again. Mugabe has vowed a crackdown on dissent and blasted judges for “reckless” rulings allowing previous demonstrations.

    Promise Mkwananzi, spokesman for the protest group Tajamuka, said they would march yesterday despite the police order. “The constitution and the high court allow for peaceful demonstrations,” he said. “The police are promoting lawlessness in the country by banning peaceful demonstrations.”

    Two weeks ago, police detained scores of people including activists and bystanders following violent protests in the capital. “Tensions have been visibly mounting and the momentum for more protest is growing,” the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies said in a report this week. “The state has a limited repertoire of options to respond with, so far falling back on its traditional modes of repressive policing.”

    Mugabe has vowed to end the wave of recent protests, last weekend warning marchers that they were “playing a dangerous game.” Unemployment is about 90 percent in Zimbabwe, which has been gripped by a cash shortage worsened by a severe regional drought.

    http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worl.../18/2003655392
    Last edited by waltky; 09-18-2016 at 12:36 AM.

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    Angry

    Many Venezuelans skipping meals to cope with food shortage...

    Venezuela election board sinks push for Maduro referendum in 2016
    Thursday 22nd September, 2016: Venezuela's national election board on Wednesday dashed opposition hopes of holding a referendum this year to remove unpopular socialist President Nicolas Maduro.
    If the opposition next month successfully collects 20 percent of total voter signatures requesting the plebiscite, then it "could take place halfway through the first quarter of 2017," the board said in a statement. The timing is crucial because if Maduro were to lose a referendum this year, as polls indicate he would because of an economic crisis, that would trigger a new presidential vote, giving the opposition a chance to end 17 years of socialism.

    But should he lose a referendum next year, Maduro, 53, would be replaced by his vice president, maintaining the Socialist Party in power until the OPEC nation's next presidential election scheduled for the end of 2018. "We reject the anti-constitutional elements of this announcement by the election board," said Jesus Torrealba, head of the opposition Democratic Unity coalition, which has been holding street rallies for months demanding a vote this year. Conditions around the next phase toward a referendum, the collection of 20 percent of voter signatures or about 3.9 million in total from Oct. 26 to 28, also appeared designed to stymie the opposition.

    Opposition members had wanted the 20 percent threshold to be at the national level and 19,500 vote machines to be placed around the country to maximize Maduro foes' ability to register signatures. But the board approved only 5,392 machines and said the threshold had to be met in each state. Opposition leaders, who say the years of socialism under Hugo Chavez and then Maduro have wrecked Venezuela's economy and stamped on basic rights, accuse the election board of being in the government's pocket. They contrast Venezuela's laborious referendum process with the speed with which neighbouring Colombia is organising a referendum on a peace deal with guerrillas.

    But government officials say the opposition coalition, of about 30 diverse groups, wasted time at the beginning of 2016 reaching consensus on seeking to activate the referendum. They also accuse them of fraud in an initial signature collection drive of 1 percent of voters. "There will be no referendum in 2016, it's not under discussion. They are cheats," the Socialist Party's No. 2, Diosdado Cabello, said on state TV. After narrowly winning election in 2013, Maduro has seen his popularity plummet amid an economic crisis. Venezuela's 30 million people are suffering shortages, huge shopping lines, triple-digit inflation and a third year of recession. Many people are skipping meals.

    http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...1/3146534.html

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    Red face

    Granny says, "Dat's right - da fix is in...

    Venezuela's high court deals blow to bid to unseat Maduro
    Oct 17,`16 -- Venezuela's government-stacked courts have dealt another blow to the opposition's attempts to unseat President Nicolas Maduro.
    In a decision Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that opponents must collect signatures from 20 percent of registered voters in each of Venezuela's 24 states in order to force a recall referendum. The opposition had argued it needed to garner only 20 percent nationally to trigger the vote.

    The ruling will make it harder for opponents to mobilize support, especially in rural states dominated by the government, when it attempts next week to collect and electronically verify 4 million signatures over three days allotted for the petition drive.

    Polls show Venezuelans overwhelmingly want to cut short Maduro's term. But the embattled socialist still has control over key institutions including courts and the electoral council.

    http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...10-17-23-07-23

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    Red face

    Dey need to boil him in oil...

    Venezuela congress presses for Maduro trial in rowdy session
    Oct 23 2016 - Venezuela's opposition-led National Assembly in a rowdy session on Sunday pressed to put Nicolas Maduro on trial for violating democracy, days after authorities nixed a recall referendum against the unpopular leftist president.
    The measure is unlikely to get traction as the government and the Supreme Court have systematically undermined the legislature on grounds it is illegitimate until it removes three lawmakers accused of vote-buying. But it marked a further escalation of political tensions in the crisis-hit OPEC nation. "It is a political and legal trial against President Nicolas Maduro to see what responsibility he has in the constitutional rupture that has broken democracy, human rights, and the future of the country," said opposition majority leader Julio Borges during a special congressional meeting. The session was briefly interrupted when around 100 apparently pro-government protesters stormed in, brandishing Socialist Party signs and shouting "The Assembly will fall!" before officials herded them out.

    Opposition lawmakers said there were injuries and tweeted photos of two men receiving care after alleged blows to the head. There were also reports some journalists had been robbed of their camera and flak jackets. "The Socialist Party is showing what it has left. There are no ideas or arguments, only violence!" said opposition leader and two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles. The opposition coalition, seeking to end 17 years of socialism in the South American nation, says Thursday's suspension of its drive for a plebiscite against Maduro shows Venezuela has abandoned democracy.

    Ruling party officials accuse the opposition of fraud in their signature drive and say the coalition is seeking a coup to gain control of Venezuela's vast crude reserves, the world's largest. Despite that oil wealth, Venezuela has plunged into an unprecedented economic crisis, with many people skipping meals due to shortages and soaring prices. Many Venezuelans fear preventing the referendum increases chances of social unrest in the already volatile and violent country. The opposition coalition has called for a major peaceful protest on Wednesday, dubbed "The takeover of Venezuela".

    'PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY!'

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    Thumbs up

    Hey - no fair!...

    Lawmakers decry government ‘coup’ in Venezuela
    Tue, Oct 25, 2016 - Venezuela’s opposition-majority legislature on Sunday declared that President Nicolas Maduro’s government had committed a coup d’etat by blocking a referendum on removing him from power, vowing mass protests and international pressure.
    Furious over the electoral authorities’ decision to suspend the process of organizing a recall vote, opposition lawmakers passed a resolution declaring “the breakdown of constitutional order” and “a coup d’etat committed by the Nicolas Maduro regime.” The measure came during an emergency session on the economic and political crisis gripping the South American oil giant, which briefly descended into chaos when a group of Maduro supporters forced its way past security guards and burst into the National Assembly, causing lawmakers to halt the proceedings for 45 minutes. The legislators then called on Venezuelans to “actively defend” the constitution, declaring they would ask the international community to “activate mechanisms” to restore democracy. “An ongoing coup d’etat has been perpetrated in Venezuela, culminating in the decision to rob us of a recall referendum. We’re here to officially declare the regrettable and painful rupture of constitutional order,” said majority leader Julio Borges of the center-right opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable.


    An opposition lawmaker struggles while pro-government supporters force their way into Venezuela’s National Assembly in Caracas during an extraordinary session held on Sunday.

    The assembly yesterday was to “lay the groundwork for a session that would include a legal and political trial of the president ... to determine what his role is in the interruption of constitutional order,” Borges said. Pro-Maduro lawmakers accused the opposition itself of seeking to stage a coup. “Don’t try to take advantage of these hard times to finish off our nation,” Deputy Earle Herrera said. Despite its harsh words, the legislature’s resolution is largely symbolic. The Venezuelan Supreme Court has declared the legislative majority in contempt of court for defying it by swearing in three lawmakers at the center of an electoral fraud investigation. The opposition, which says the accusations are trumped up, condemns the high court as a Maduro lapdog. The court has slapped down every bill passed by the legislature since the opposition took control in January.

    Lawmakers nevertheless said they were going to address the issue of Maduro’s purported dual nationality — Colombian and Venezuelan — in session today. If confirmed, it would make him ineligible to be president. Ruling party bloc leader Hector Rodriguez said that Maduro sent a message from the Middle East: “Tell them that I send my greeting, send a hug and that I will see them at the table to have a dialogue.” Venezuela’s crisis hit a new low on Thursday when the National Electoral Council indefinitely suspended the recall referendum process after criminal courts in five states ruled the opposition had committed fraud in an initial petition drive. Holding a recall referendum was the opposition’s main strategy to get rid of the man they accuse of driving the once-booming country to the brink of collapse. The opposition had been gearing up for the last hurdle in the complex process: a three-day drive starting on Wednesday to collect signatures from 4 million voters demanding a recall vote. Opposition leaders now say they will launch a new wave of nationwide protests tomorrow.

    http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worl.../25/2003657906
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    Pope meets with embattled Maduro to discuss mounting Venezuela crisis
    Oct. 24, 2016 - "The pope ... has the well-being of all Venezuelans in his heart," the Vatican said Monday.
    Embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met with Pope Francis for the first time in three years Monday to discuss mounting troubles in the South American nation. Maduro, Venezuela's fiery leader since the death of Hugo Chavez in 2013, made an unannounced trip to the Vatican on Monday and was received by the pontiff, the Holy See said in a statement. The Vatican said Pope Francis agreed to meet with the 53-year-old leader because he feels for the Venezuelan people as they endure political, social and economic upheaval at home. "The meeting took place in the context of the worrying situation ... which the country is going through and which has had severe repercussions on the daily life of the entire population," the Vatican statement said. "The pope, who has the well-being of all Venezuelans in his heart, wanted to offer his contribution in support of constitutionality in the country and to every step that could help to resolve the open questions and create greater trust between the parties."


    Francis is well-versed in South American crises, having served as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio in his home country of Argentina between 2001 and his election as pope 12 years later. Maduro made the stop in Rome on his way back from the Middle East, where he lobbied for limits on crude oil distribution in a bid to increase prices and help Venezuela's faltering economy. It was Maduro's first papal visit since both were elected in early 2013. Over the weekend, opposition lawmakers in Caracas accused Maduro's regime of orchestrating a coup d'etat by postponing a recall effort, and of facilitating the "breakdown of constitutional order."

    Maduro has been a controversial world leader, particularly toward the United States, which has only exacerbated Venezuela's ongoing troubles. Monday, the Vatican encouraged Maduro to improve his relations with opposing Venezuelan officials and other nations to find a solution to the crisis. "[Francis] urged [the parties] to show courage in pursuing the path of sincere and constructive dialogue, to alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly of the poor, and to promote renewed social cohesion, which will allow the nation to look to the future with hope," the Vatican said. Maduro has a long way to go to get his government back on track. A recent poll found that 75 percent of Venezuelans disapprove of the job he is doing.

    http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-Ne...?spt=sec&or=tn
    Last edited by waltky; 10-24-2016 at 11:04 PM.

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    Granny says, "Dat's right - tar n' feather him, an' run him outta town onna rail... Venezuela's congress opens political trial against Maduro Oct 25,`16 -- Venezuela's opposition-controlled congress has opened a political trial against President Nicolas Maduro for breaking the constitutional order, deepening a standoff triggered by the authorities' suspension of a recall referendum against the embattled socialist leader.
    The move, in a special legislative session Tuesday, had been expected ever since opposition leaders declared themselves in open rebellion and called for mass street demonstrations to force Maduro from office. But it's unlikely to have any legal effect as Maduro still controls other branches of government, including the Supreme Court, which has already declared the National Assembly illegitimate. In Tuesday's vote, in which the opposition argued Maduro had stopped doing his job and effectively abandoned the presidency, several lawmakers also questioned whether he was a dual Colombian national and therefore constitutionally ineligible to hold Venezuela's highest office. It's an old, unproven claim widely seen as a stretch but one that analysts say is a natural reaction to the government's own trampling of the constitution in scrapping the recall that offered the best hope of peacefully resolving Venezuela's political and economic crisis. "If Maduro has dual nationality, he has no constitutional right to govern Venezuela," said Juan Miguel Matheus, an opposition lawmaker. "He'll go down as one of the biggest liars in history and the constitutional mechanisms to remove him from power and call new elections should be activated."
    Unlike other countries in Latin America such as Brazil, where Dilma Rousseff was removed from the presidency in August, Venezuela's National Assembly can't impeach the president. That decision lies squarely with the government-stacked Supreme Court, which has never voted against Maduro and has invalidated all legislation emerging from National Assembly until it remove three lawmakers linked to vote-buying claims. Maduro, speaking at a rally Tuesday, accused opposition lawmakers of behaving as if in a "circus" and trying to carry out a "parliamentary coup." "Congress is useless for our people's interests," he told thousands of mostly state workers outside the presidential palace. "It has a single goal: to damage Venezuela." He also lashed out at President Barack Obama. "Obama is going and before he leaves he wants to cause Venezuela damage," he said. "This is Obama swiping his tail before he leaves." Even as tempers flared, with Maduro's opponents gearing up for a mass demonstration Wednesday, promoters are calling the "Taking of Venezuela," the government and opposition have agreed to embark on an attempt at dialogue to defuse the crisis. The talks, being sponsored by the Vatican and other South American governments, are set to begin Oct. 30 in the Caribbean island of Margarita. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...10-25-16-26-24
    Last edited by waltky; 10-25-2016 at 04:33 PM.

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