Cuban President Raul Castro was not the only Latin American leader to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the Americas Summit in Panama.
Obama met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who wants the U.S. to lift sanctions recently slapped on seven senior Venezuelan officials accused of human rights abuses tied to anti-government protests last year in Venezuela.
Maduro often criticizes the U.S. for what he says is meddling in his country's affairs, and even accuses the U.S. of trying to overthrow his government.
"It was a serious, frank meeting. We told the truth but it was cordial," said Maduro. "We believed that with the results of the summit, supported by the handing over of 10.5 million signatures, with the support of the people (of Latin America), with the willingness of our peoples, we could open up the possibility of a process for talks with the United States government and explore a path to relations with respect, which is fundamental.''
Venezuelan presidential aide Teresa Maniglia said on her Twitter account that there was "a lot of truth, respect and cordiality" at the meeting, which Obama administration officials said lasted only a few minutes.
National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said Obama "reiterated" in the meeting with President Maduro that the U.S. is not interested "in threatening Venezuela, but in supporting democracy, stability and prosperity in Venezuela and the region."
Several of Maduro's Latin American counterparts have been critical of the sanctions. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who met with Mr. Obama at the summit and is slated to meet with Mr. Obama in Washington in June, said Saturday that "unilateral measures and policies of isolation" are "always counterproductive and ineffective."
She said the South American regional block UNASUR supports dialogue to ease political tensions in Venezuela.
President Obama also met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos who said the relations between his country and the U.S. "are at the best level ever."
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, like many of his counterparts at the summit, praised the U.S. president for the push to establish ties with Cuba. He said at the summit's plenary session the "openness to dialogue is charged with promise and possibilities."
Obama met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who wants the U.S. to lift sanctions recently slapped on seven senior Venezuelan officials accused of human rights abuses tied to anti-government protests last year in Venezuela.
Maduro often criticizes the U.S. for what he says is meddling in his country's affairs, and even accuses the U.S. of trying to overthrow his government.
"It was a serious, frank meeting. We told the truth but it was cordial," said Maduro. "We believed that with the results of the summit, supported by the handing over of 10.5 million signatures, with the support of the people (of Latin America), with the willingness of our peoples, we could open up the possibility of a process for talks with the United States government and explore a path to relations with respect, which is fundamental.''
Venezuelan presidential aide Teresa Maniglia said on her Twitter account that there was "a lot of truth, respect and cordiality" at the meeting, which Obama administration officials said lasted only a few minutes.
National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said Obama "reiterated" in the meeting with President Maduro that the U.S. is not interested "in threatening Venezuela, but in supporting democracy, stability and prosperity in Venezuela and the region."
Several of Maduro's Latin American counterparts have been critical of the sanctions. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who met with Mr. Obama at the summit and is slated to meet with Mr. Obama in Washington in June, said Saturday that "unilateral measures and policies of isolation" are "always counterproductive and ineffective."
She said the South American regional block UNASUR supports dialogue to ease political tensions in Venezuela.
President Obama also met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos who said the relations between his country and the U.S. "are at the best level ever."
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, like many of his counterparts at the summit, praised the U.S. president for the push to establish ties with Cuba. He said at the summit's plenary session the "openness to dialogue is charged with promise and possibilities."
[voanews.com]
12/4/15
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Related:
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It is absolutely ridiculous to consider Venezuela, Argentina a threat (Cristina Fernández de Kirchner)
- El presidente de Cuba, Raúl Castro, aseguró que "Venezuela no es ni puede ser una amenaza para una superpotencia", en referencia a las declaraciones hechas por Washington...
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Obama-Castro meeting overshadows anti-US line at summit ...
ReplyDeletePANAMA CITY (AP) — As usual when Latin America leftist leaders get together with U.S. officials, there were plenty of swipes at the U.S. during the seventh Summit of the Americas.
From 19th century territorial raids on Mexico to U.S. support for the overthrow of Chile's socialist government in 1973 and the 1989 invasion of Panama that removed Gen. Manuel Noriega, Washington's interventions in Latin America were all targets of rebuke during long speeches by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his allies. That prompted President Barack Obama to retort, "I always enjoy the history lessons that I receive when I'm here."
But the historic meeting between Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro on Saturday before the summit closed provides the U.S. and Latin America with an opportunity to move beyond a history of grievances and mistrust and set a course of closer cooperation.........Associated Press
12/4/15
Maduro Holds 'Cordial' Meeting With Barack Obama...
ReplyDeleteThe meeting held with US President Barack Obama on the margins of the Summit of the Americas in Panama was cordial, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said.
This was the first meeting of the two leaders, held at Venezuela's request, which lasted for about 10 minutes. The encounter followed the historic meeting of Obama with Cuban President Raul Castro.
"We told each other the truth, I would even say it was cordial," Maduro said in an interview with the TeleSUR TV channel Saturday.
He added that, following the summit, the dialogue between the United States and Venezuela would continue.
In March, Obama signed an Executive Order stating that Venezuela threatens US national security. It imposed sanctions against several Venezuelan citizens...............http://sptnkne.ws/cUs
VII CUMBRE DE LAS AMERICAS: « EEUU y Canadá no quisieron que haya documento »...
ReplyDeleteEl presidente de Bolivia, Evo Morales, aseguró que el borrador del acuerdo debatido por representantes de los países que participaron de la cumbre de Panamá fue « rechazado por la delegación norteamericana » debido a que uno de los puntos criticaba el decreto con que Washington declaró a Venezuela como una « amenaza ».
« Lamento mucho que uno o dos países puedan vetar esa decisión unánime », dijo Morales al revelar que « los gobierno de Estados y Canadá no quisieron que haya un documento » producto de los acuerdos alcanzados en la VII Cumbre de las Américas, que tuvo lugar entre hoy y ayer en Panamá.
Morales aseguró que el decreto de Barack Obama contra Venezuela fue el factor principal de la falta de una declaración conjunta. En su criterio, la calificación de amenaza « no es sólo una agresión a Venezuela, sino a toda América Latina y el Caribe »..............elcorreo.eu.org
12/4/15