- Title: Venezuela's Maduro says Trump merits 'a thousand impeachments'
- Date: 30th September 2019
- Summary: UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION (FILE - 2018) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ELN ARMY IN JUNGLE
- Embargoed: 14th October 2019 22:04
- Keywords: Trump impeachment trials
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA / UNITED NATIONS / BOGOTA, COLOMBIA / UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA / UNITED NATIONS / BOGOTA, COLOMBIA / UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA004AYUPPON
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, under fire all year to quit from the United States and its allies, exulted on Monday (September 30) in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, though he did not expect the White House to let up against him.
Trump is under fire over his request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for an investigation into Joe Biden, a leading Democratic candidate to challenge him in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
The leftist Venezuelan leader accused Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of bombarding foreign leaders and officials with calls threatening to withdraw aid and block loans as part of their campaign to topple him, saying Trump "should have a thousand impeachments against him" for such calls.
Washington recognises Congress head and opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim leader, but Maduro retains power due to the loyalty of the armed forces and international support from China and Russia.
Opposition leader Guaido welcomed the new EU travel bans and asset freezes on another seven Venezuelan officials, saying it demonstrated the global pressure on Maduro.
Colombia on Monday publicly defended a dossier it says proves Maduro supports guerrilla groups and drug traffickers, but removed the armed forces' head of intelligence after widespread criticism of the report.
Colombia has long accused Maduro of sheltering rebel fighters and crime gang members. The allegations reached a fever pitch last month when several former commanders from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) said they were re-arming in video Colombian officials say was filmed in Venezuela.
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