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Maduro invites US special envoy, reveals secret meetings

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Venezuela has plunged into a major political crisis amid a growing row over President Nicolas Maduro’s future as the country’s leader.

Maduro started a second term on January 10, following a widely boycotted election last year that many foreign governments refused to recognise.

On January 23, Juan Guaido, leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared himself interim president.

Shortly after Guaido took an oath swearing himself in, US President Donald Trump publicly recognised him as the country’s leader. In response, Maduro broke off diplomatic ties with the United States and gave US diplomats in the country 72 hours to leave.

Maduro also accused Guaido of staging a coup and ordered his arrest.

Here are all the latest updates as of Thursday, February 14:

Maduro invites US special envoy, reveals secret meetings
President Nicolas Maduro has invited a US special envoy to come to Venezuela after revealing in an interview with The Associated Press news agency that his foreign minister recently held secret meetings with the US official in New York.

The second of two meetings took place on February 11, four days after the envoy – Elliott Abrams – said the time for dialogue with Maduro’s government had long passed.

Even while criticising Trump’s confrontational stance toward his socialist government, Maduro said he holds out hope of meeting him to resolve an impasse over his recognition of Guaido.

Maduro said that while in New York, his foreign minister invited Abrams to come to Venezuela “privately, publicly or secretly.”

“If he wants to meet, just tell me when, where and how and I’ll be there,” Maduro told AP, without providing more details. He said both New York meetings lasted several hours.

There was no immediate comment from Washington.

Maduro said he would not give up power and called the US aid currently sitting on the border with Colombia mere “crumbs” following Washington’s move to freeze billions of dollars in Venezuela’s assets.

He blamed the economic sanctions imposed by the US against Venezuela for the severe food and medicine shortages in his country.

US violating UN charter principles, says Venezuela FM
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has announced the formation of a group that believes the UN Charter’s commitment to non-interference in another country’s affairs is being violated, particularly in the South American nation.

Arreaza was surrounded by diplomats from 16 countries including Russia, China, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba and Nicaragua.

He told reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday there were many more supporters.

Venezuela official calls US aid a ‘spectacle’
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza says that “the momentum of the coup that the government of the United States was promoting is over – it didn’t happen”.

He told reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday that the US needs to rethink its strategy because “the loyalty of our armed forces has already been proved”.

Arreaza dismissed a February 23 deadline set by self-declared president Juan Guaido to bring badly needed food and medicine into Venezuela, saying the opposition leader doesn’t control a single policeman and “whatever he says is absolutely absurd”.

He said President Nicolas Maduro controls the government and is the only one who can give deadlines. Maduro is blocking the aid, saying that Venezuelans are not beggars and that the move is part of a US-led coup.

Arreaza called the assistance a “spectacle that the US is organising” and denounced US sanctions against Venezuela.

“The US has blocked our economy,” he said. “The cost of this blockade is over $30bn – and they are sending this so-called humanitarian aid for $20m. So what is this? I’m choking you, I’m killing you, and then I’m giving you a cookie? So that’s a show.”

Venezuela prosecutor to probe Guaido appointments
Venezuela’s chief prosecutor says he’s launched an investigation into opposition leader Juan Guaido’s appointment of a transitional board of directors for the state oil company.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab said Thursday in a news conference that Guaido’s appointments are part of an illegal power grab.

Saab says he’s investigating the board members designated to oversee PDVSA and its Houston-based subsidiary Citgo. He calls the appointments by Guaido and the National Assembly a “circus.”
Guaido has also appointed several ambassadors, including a representative to the United States.

Wednesday, February 13
Duque meets Venezuelan opposition envoy
President Ivan Duque of Colombia met on Wednesday with the Venezuelan opposition’s envy to Washington.

Duque held a meeting with Carlos Vecchio, opposition leader and self-declared interim president Juan Guaido’s envoy at Blair House, across the street from the White House.

Colombia has said that the Venezuelan crisis, counter narcotics efforts and trade will be the main topics at a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Duque later on Wednesday afternoon.

Translation: #Washington we met with the Ambassador of the legitimate government of Venezuela @carlosvecchio We express our support for the restoration of democracy and [ we will help to] facilitate the supply of humanitarian aid for the Venezuelan brothers #DuqueEnEEUU, President Duque wrote.

Maduro: Guaido will have to answer before courts
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro threatened opposition leader Juan Guaido with facing the courts “sooner or later” for violating the constitution by anointing himself legitimate head-of-state, according to an interview published on Wednesday.

Maduro, speaking with Lebanese television channel al-Mayadeen TV, said Guaido was seeking to divide the country and convince the Trump administration to launch a foreign intervention.

“If the American empire dares to touch even one palm leaf in our territory, this will turn into a new Vietnam,” he said.

“This person, who believes that politics is a game and he can violate the constitution and the law, sooner or later will have to answer before the courts,” Maduro said, adding he was “absolutely sure” of this.

US congress won’t support military intervention
Congress will not support US military intervention in Venezuela despite comments hinting at such involvement by President Donald Trump, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said on Wednesday.

“I do worry about the president’s saber rattling, his hints that US military intervention remains an option. I want to make clear to our witnesses and to anyone else watching: US military intervention is not an option,” US Representative Eliot Engel said at the opening of a hearing on the volatile political situation in the nation.

Engel also warned about the possible effects on the Venezuelan people of US sanctions on state oil company PDVSA . The United States in January imposed sanctions aimed at limiting President Nicolas Maduro’s access to oil revenue.

Trump: ‘Terrible mistake in blocking aid’
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Venezuela’s leftist leader Nicolas Maduro is “making a terrible mistake” by blocking US humanitarian aid.

Trump said it was “sad” that the oil-rich Latin American country is in “turmoil” and said Washington has still not ruled out sending troops to the region.

“We look at all options,” he said. “You’ll see,” he said when asked if thousands of US troops could deploy.

Trump was meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque at the White House to discuss the crisis in Venezuela.

China denies holding talks with opposition
Beijing refuted a Wall Street Journal report stating it was in talks with Venezuela’s opposition leader and self-declared interim president in order to protect its investments in the crisis-hit Latin American country.

“I think that [the journal’s] approach is not constructive nor is it professional,” Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Wednesday.

“In fact, the report is false and it is fake news,” she said, adding that China sought a “political solution through dialogue and consultation” to Venezuela’s ongoing crisis.

The Journal had reported on Tuesday that Chinese officials met with representatives of opposition leader Juan Guaido in Washington to discuss Venezuela’s 20-billion-dollar debt to China and the status of joint projects.

Tuesday, February 12
At UN, Venezuela FM says no humanitarian crisis
Venezuela’s foreign minister insisted at the United Nations on Tuesday that there is no humanitarian crisis in his country even as he announced plans to step up cooperation with UN agencies to help the economy.

Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza met on Monday with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres – their second meeting in a month.

The UN has said it stands ready to ramp up humanitarian aid to Venezuela but requires consent from Maduro’s government.

Arreaza told a news conference at UN headquarters, that the US has used aid as a political weapon against Venezuela.

“There isn’t a humanitarian crisis. There is an economy that is subject to a blockade,” he added, arguing that US sanctions were responsible for the economic problems and accusing the US of seeking regime change.

“A government that is threatening you with use of force, with invasion, with a blockade, that gives orders to other countries for them to block you, do they really want to provide you with humanitarian aid?” said Arreaza.

Russia’s Lavrov warns US against using force in Venezuela
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned his US counterpart Mike Pompeo against US interference, including “use of force”, in Venezuela.

“Lavrov has warned against all interference in Venezuela’s domestic affairs including the use of force threatened by Washington and which is in violation of international law,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Guaido seeks to resume diplomatic ties with Israel
Opposition leader Juan Guaido has said he would renew diplomatic ties with Israel.

According to Israel Hayom newspaper, Guaido said in an interview that relations with Israel, which were suspended by late leader Hugo Chavez, are in the process of being stabilised.

He also said he is weighing whether Venezuela’s embassy to Israel should be relocated to Jerusalem.

China holds talks with Venezuela’s opposition: WSJ
According to a report released by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, China has been holding talks with Venezuela’s political opposition to safeguard its investments in the country.

Chinese diplomats, concerned over the future of its oil projects in Venezuela and nearly $20bn that Caracas owes Beijing, have held debt negotiations in Washington in recent weeks with representatives of Juan Guaido.

Maduro calls for return of Venezuela’s UK-deposited gold
President Maduro has called on Britain to return “more than 80 tonnes of gold” reserves deposited in London instead of sending humanitarian aid.

The socialist leader told the BBC, according to a transcript made public Tuesday, that his country may have gold reserves weighing 80 tonnes or more deposited at the Bank of England.

Maduro said the gold is “legally Venezuela’s, it belongs to the Central Bank of Venezuela”.

“They should send a convoy with the dollars they’ve stolen from us,” said Maduro.

“Send a convoy with the 80 tonnes of gold. Let it come, the convoy of money, it’s our money. With that, we could solve our country’s problems.”

Guaido: Aid will enter on February 23
Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido announced on Tuesday that aid would be brought into the country on February 23, despite opposition from President Maduro.

US aid has been piling up in Colombia at the border with Venezuela but until now the bridge border crossing has been barricaded by the military, under Maduro’s orders.

Opposition and government supporters share their views
Translation: Here is the happy youth!

Now ready to march to Plaza Bolivar on the Youth Day, following the example of Jose Felix Ribas, we celebrate with love and above all loyalty the Day of Youth, Pedro Infante (sports minister).

The “Day of the Youth” is a commemoration of the participation of students in a 19th-century independence battle against colonial authorities.

[source: Al Jazeera]
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