Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan President, on Monday night denounced the United States which he stated has not complied with an agreement to lift economic sanctions imposed against the country.
Maduro said: ‘They never fulfilled a single comma of the signed agreement, never.
‘The US signed an agreement and should have lifted all sanctions against Venezuela. That is the truth.
‘One year ago, they asked us to engage in conversations with them confidentially and privately.
‘We then agreed to the total lifting of all illegal and criminal sanctions against Venezuela.’
‘More than nine meetings took place: six meetings in Qatar and three in Milan.
‘In these meetings, Venezuela was represented by Jorge Rodriguez, an expert in this type of negotiations; Governor Hector Rodriguez; Attorney General Reinaldo Muñoz, and the National Human Rights Commissioner, Larry Devoe.
‘In the conversations, we made claims.
‘There was an agreement to achieve the release of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab, a political prisoner in a US jail, on December 20th.
‘It was an exchange: they returned our kidnapped and tortured diplomat, and we returned a group of CIA agents, some of whom had come to invade Venezuela,’ Maduro added.
The Bolivarian leader also warned that the US intends to monitor and control the Venezuelan oil industry through licences.
‘They want to harm Venezuela economically.
‘I say to Venezuelan workers, entrepreneurs, and all our people: we have adopted our own economic model.
‘Despite threats and sanctions, we learned to work and recover.’
Maduro went on to speak about the situation in the Middle East including Venezuela support for Palestine.
He continued: ‘The current situation, it is a consequence of the actions of the Zionist Israel which has a neo-fascist regime supported by the United States.’
He said that talks must be held which include Hamas in order to stop the situation escalating.
He added: ‘An escalation of the conflict, as a result of the Nazi madness of Benjamin Netanyahu, could lead us to a third world war.
‘Venezuela advocates for peace, rationality, diplomacy, and truth.’
Maduro reaffirmed his commitment to the fight against corruption in Venezuela and said that authorities made new arrests against what he called counter revolutionaries who are supported by US imperialism.
‘These forces must be punished with the maximum penalties established by the Venezuelan Penal Code. Let whoever falls, fall!’
Maduro also asked citizens to debate the possibility that, based on the Venezuelan constitution and laws, the maximum penalties be established against those who engage in acts of corruption.
Maduro also stated that any amendment or reform to the Venezuelan Constitution must be submitted to a popular referendum because ‘it is the people who speak and decide’.
On Sunday, Maduro had a phone call with Colombian President Gustavo Petro in which the two discussed economic ties between the two neighbouring countries.
Speaking to the media after the telephone call, Maduro said: ‘We agreed on new levels of cooperation in the fight against criminal gangs and discussed the peace process in Colombia.
‘We thoroughly reviewed a wide range of topics, and I believe that the call with President Petro’s was very important and positive.
‘We hope to continue cooperation with Colombia through dialogue and understanding.
Maduro told the media that he rejects the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) which he called a lackey of the United States.
Meanwhile, the Cuban delegation will point out that the US blockade constitute the most relevant issue in the bilateral migration scenario.
On Monday, Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that Cuba and the United States have begun a new round of talks.
The talks are taking place in Washington DC and are set to last for three days.
Johana Tablada de la Torre, the Deputy Director of the US Directorate of the Cuban Foreign Ministry is at the talks which will include senior staff of the US State Department.
The Cuban delegation is being led by Vice Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio Dominguez, while the US delegation will be coordinated by Eric Jacobstein, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Speaking before the talks, Tablada de la Torre said: ‘Cuba’s cooperation with the US on migration matters has been serious and effective.
‘Our country will reaffirm its commitment and willingness to maintain cooperation to promote regular, safe, and orderly migration.
‘Since 2023, the US government has granted over 20,000 travel documents to Cuban migrants.’
Among the priorities that the Cuban delegation will address is the reiteration that the US economic blockade must be ended.
Tablada de la Torre continued: ‘This is the main issue that affects Cuban families.
The Cuban delegation will call on the US government to suspend the use of federal funds to finance major media outlets in a smear campaign says that the Cuban economy has failed when this is not the case.
On Tuesday, right-wing Argentina President Javier Milei celebrated the signing of an agreement to purchase 24 F-16 fighter jets from the Danish Army.
Milei said: ‘The agreement we are carrying out is only possible because I am accompanied by a cabinet with extremely talented human beings.
‘This is also possible thanks to this wonderful cabinet of which you are a part.
‘Thank you very much. From today, we Argentines once again have forces from the sky to protect us.
‘With the support of allies such as Denmark and the US, Argentina acquires 24 F-16 combat aircraft, marking a milestone in its defence and strengthening its Air Force to preserve sovereignty and freedom.’
The transaction has an approximate cost of 2.1 billion Danish kroner, or about £240 million.
A statement from the Argentinian Defence Ministry added: ‘We are very pleased that the Danish F-16s, which have served us very well over the years and have been well maintained and technologically updated, will be used by the Argentine Air Force.
‘With the deal, we strengthen defence cooperation between Denmark and Argentina, while Argentina joins the global family of F-16s.’
Denmark is about to replace its fleet with new F-35 models.
The statement explained that the sale had been negotiated in close coordination with the US government, which has given its approval for the transaction of the fighters.
- In Quito, Ecuador a group of 150 teachers gathered in front of the Ministry of Education on Sunday to protest against the state of emergency decreed 100 days ago by President Daniel Noboa.
The teachers, from 21 universities in different municipalities of Ecuador, consider the measures and Noboa as an act of ‘militarisation’.
150 teachers from 21 universities signed a manifesto rejecting the militarisation policy, which they describe as repressive and racist.
The statement said: ‘The complex solutions we need are to demand other policies and other approaches that allow us to rebuild the links, also from the point of view of education.
‘The government has taken the policy of militarisation and repressive force as the only way out.
‘It is not the way forward. We want more funding of education and for workers to get higher wages so that they can afford to live.
The state of internal armed conflict was decreed by Daniel Noboa as a solution to the violence generated by the criminal gangs operating in the country, which have been declared as terrorists.
