- Title: We cannot play the blame game with coronavirus - Maas
- Date: 12th March 2020
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (MARCH 12, 2020) (REUTERS) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER HEIKO MAAS AND HIS BOLIVIAN COUNTERPART KAREN LONGARIC RODRIGUEZ ENTER ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER HEIKO MAAS, SAYING: "The U.S. decision was not coordinated with us. The mentioning of lapses in dealing with it in Europe indicated that there was possibly not much objective reasoning in this decision. I think that this is a global challenge and it wouldn't be right, also in the US, to make decisions based on a blame game." PRESS CONFERENCE WITH MAAS AND LONGARIC RODRIGUEZ CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN FOREIGN MINISTER KAREN LONGARIC RODRIGUEZ, SAYING: "Just when I left Bolivia, at the moment I was at the airport, two cases of coronavirus were detected at the airport. Two cases. I came with some warnings, but my interest to visit Germany and meet with Mr Maas was stronger that the possibility of getting infected with the virus. I am here and assured Mr Maas of our solidarity with the situation that Europe and Germany of course is experiencing right now. Because of the many cases we are having. My country is a country that needs international cooperation on various issues, among them of course health. We hope that we have the capacity to control this pandemics in Bolivia." NEWS CONFERENCE WITH MAAS AND LONGARIC RODRIGUEZ (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN FOREIGN MINISTER KAREN LONGARIC RODRIGUEZ, SAYING [WHETHER THE ELECTIONS NEED TO BE POSTPONED BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS]: --ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL TRANSLATION-- "No. The government did not consider this possibility. Probably because there so few cases now, only three. The government will do whatever it takes to curb the spread of the virus. The main goal of this government are the (snap) elections and the date (for them) that was decided upon." CAMERAS MAAS AND LONGARIC RODRIGUEZ WALKING OFF
- Embargoed: 26th March 2020 15:00
- Keywords: Bolivian elections U.S. imposed travel ban coronavirus
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4QW5ZB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Thursday (March 12) has criticized the U.S. decision to restrict the entry of Europeans into the U.S.
Trump announced on Wednesday a ban on travellers from 26 European countries entering the United States for a month.
Maas' Bolivian counterpart, Karen Longaric Rodriguez, the government is focused on making sure snap elections can still take place in May.
Candidates campaigning for forthcoming presidential elections suspended rallies to prevent the spread of the virus.
Bolivia, one of Latin America's poorest nations, has seen significant political upheaval in recent months with the controversial departure from office of its longtime president Evo Morales.
(Production: Leon Malherbe, Ute Swart) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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