Tag: Nicolás Maduro

National Security Adviser John Bolton discusses reports that Russia persuaded Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro not to leave to Cuba. #CNN #News

From Joe Biden to the border, it’s been a busy week in American politics. A former Nevada legislator, Lucy Flores, accused former Vice President Joe Biden late last week of inappropriately touching and kissing her during a campaign event in 2014. Mr. Biden scrambled to defend himself and contain the crisis, the first of his possible presidential bid. “I’m not sorry for any of my intentions.” Additional Reading • Who Is Lucy Flores, the Woman Accusing Joe Biden of Kissing Her? • Biden’s Tactile Politics Threaten His Return in the #MeToo Era • Finding Biden in Familiar Fix, President Trump Adds a Jab Trump heads back to the border. On Sunday, White House officials defended Mr. Trump’s threat to end assistance to three Central American countries and to close parts of the border with Mexico, despite evidence showing that smuggling largely takes place at ports of entry. The administration is preparing an economic relief package for Venezuela in the event that President Nicolás Maduro’s government falls. The legislation would provide $200 million in aid for Venezuela and $200 million for neighboring countries taking in Venezuelan refugees. • A manager in the White House’s Personnel Security Office said senior officials granted security clearances to at least 25 people whose applications had been denied by career employees. The White House promised to close the gap.

— and then he took selfies with the audience CNN's town hall with Sen. Bernie Sanders just wrapped up. Bernie!" “We’re not going to pay outrageous prices.” Sanders stops short of calling Maduro a "dictator," warns against outside intervention in Venezuela Sen. Bernie Sanders didn't label Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro a “dictator” tonight, despite criticizing his government for failing to hold democratic elections. CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked Sanders, “Why have you stopped short of calling Maduro of Venezuela a dictator?” “It’s fair to say the last election was undemocratic, but there are still democratic operations taking place in that country,” Sanders said. “What I am calling for right now is internationally supervised free elections.” In a tweet on Saturday, Sanders called for a de-escalation of tensions on the country’s border with Colombia. Sanders said he'd support DC becoming the nation's 51st state. Sanders praises Trump's meetings with North Korea's Kim Jong Un Sen. Bernie Sanders — after criticizing President Trump as a "pathological liar" and describing how he is tearing the nation apart — praised the President's summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He said that if Trump's face-to-face meetings result in the denuclearization of North Korea, they're a "good idea." Bernie Sanders explains his Medicare-for-all plan Asked whether Americans will be able to keep private insurance plans through their jobs, Sanders said they won’t need it because Medicare for all will cover all their health care needs. “People like their doctors.

(Gray News) – Government and opposition forces are struggling for political power in Venezuela, a country hamstrung by economic chaos and widespread shortages. Who’s president? The Venezuelan economy turned south during his first term and his re-election bid last year turned controversial. When Maduro won the ballot, the nation’s opposition-controlled National Assembly refused to recognize the election results, calling the election unfair and the presidency vacant. That’s why Guaido declared himself acting president in January. But Guaido’s claim to power has been recognized by the United States and 50 other governments who say Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate. Up to this point, Venezuelan security forces have remained largely loyal to Maduro through pay raises and key political appointments. There are shortages in power, food and medicine. Recent U.S.-backed efforts to deliver humanitarian aid across the border from Colombia ended in violence, the Associated Press reported. He also announced $56 million in new assistance to countries in the region helping to absorb an exodus of more than 3 million Venezuelans who have fled in recent years.

Meanwhile, Vice President Pence traveled to Colombia to meet with opposition leader Juan Guaido, promising that the U.S. would increase sanctions on Venezuela in an attempt to oust President Maduro, and calling for other countries to do the same. Special correspondent Nadja Drost reports. Nadja Drost: The town of Urena on the border with Colombia was the front line on Saturday in the battle between the two leaders for control of Venezuela. Nadja Drost: They're following a plan devised by the man they now consider their president, Juan Guaido, who is trying to peel away support of President Nicolas Maduro from the military to allow aid into the country. Protesters want to make their way onto the bridge that crosses the river into Colombia, but the national guard has been blockading all groups from access. No matter what happens, protesters here today say they will find a way to break the blockade of the national guard in order to allow humanitarian aid from Colombia to pass the border into Venezuela. Nadja Drost: As the national guard took to the streets and started firing at protesters with rubber bullets, many of them were rescued by mobile units of volunteer nurses and brought to the nearest safe house, before being transferred to this private health clinic opening its doors to anyone injured. While the opposition blames Maduro for not allowing shipments of food and health supplies donated by the U.S., seen by the Maduro's government as their number one enemy, the government says the effort to force in aid is a form of foreign intervention and threat to sovereignty. While the Venezuelan Red Cross has offered to administer whatever aid is in the country, it has refused to participate in an operation where alleged political motivations eclipse humanitarian ones. Patients either don't come because they know the hospital can't to treat them, or they cross into Colombia.

They used to be working professionals in Venezuela but the long running crisis is forcing women to go to Colombia to find ways for their families to survive. #CNN #News

For Anahis Alvarado, whose battle with kidney failure has become more desperate as Venezuela sinks deeper into crisis, the prospect of bringing in emergency medical and food supplies can't come soon enough. Only a quarter of the dialysis machines where she receives treatment at a government-run clinic in Caracas still work. And last week she had to spend almost a third of her family's monthly income buying basic supplies like surgical gloves and syringes that President Nicolas Maduro's bankrupt government is no longer able to provide. "We're losing time," the 32-year-old Alvorado said. Some 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) away, in the Colombian border city of Cucuta, opponents of Maduro are hastily putting together plans with U.S. officials to open a "humanitarian corridor" to deliver badly needed food and medicine. The standoff has troubled international relief organizations, many who say the issue of humanitarian aid is being used as a political weapon by both sides. "But for the person who really needs the assistance, they don't care where it comes from." The Trump administration has pledged $20 million in humanitarian assistance to Guaido's government in addition to the more than $140 million it has already made available to South American countries absorbing the exodus of Venezuelan migrants. "All of us are victims and all of us need to work hard so Venezuela can resurge." "If the transition doesn't take place soon, we're not going to receive the real humanitarian aid we need."

The Venezuelan government, led by embattled President Nicolás Maduro, blocked a bridge connecting the nation to Colombia as humanitarian aid, called for by opposition leader Juan Guaidó, was due to arrive. CNN's Isa Soares reports. #CNN #News

"In its role as the only legitimate branch of government duly elected by the Venezuelan people, the National Assembly invoked the country's constitution to declare Nicolas Maduro illegitimate, and the office of the presidency therefore vacant. Trump also urged other governments to recognize Guaido, adding that he "will continue to use the full weight of United States economic and diplomatic power to press for the restoration of Venezuelan democracy." Trump continued by saying his administration will "continue to hold the illegitimate Maduro regime directly responsible for any threats it may pose to the safety of the Venezuelan people." Since then, Trump had mulled recognizing Guaido -- the president of the National Assembly -- as the country's legitimate president, and top Trump administration officials gradually ratcheted up their public statements, laying the groundwork for this step. Those deliberations came to a head this week as Venezuelans took to the streets in nationwide protests on Wednesday and with increased speculation that Guaido would formally swear himself in as the country's President, citing a provision in the country's constitution. Wednesday night, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement that said in part: "The United States stands with interim President Juan Guaido, the democratically elected National Assembly, and the people of Venezuela as they peacefully restore constitutional order to their country. ... We call on the Venezuelan military and security forces to continue protecting the welfare and well-being of all Venezuelan citizens, as well as US and other foreign citizens in Venezuela." White House press secretary Sarah Sanders did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CNN previously reported that Trump was considering recognizing Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela and that the White House was mulling oil sanctions. The next logical step is to recognize the president of the National Assembly as the rightful president," Rubio told reporters after leaving the White House.

Guaido encourages Venezuelans to leave their homes and jobs for two hours of protest to demand that President Maduro resign; Steve Harrigan reports from Caracas, Venezuela. #ShepSmith #FoxNews FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service dedicated to…