- Title: Venezuela's Maduro says he will not join "hate campaigns" against Trump
- Date: 18th January 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JANUARY 18, 2017) (REUTERS) VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT, NICOLAS MADURO, ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE MADURO GREETING PEOPLE VARIOUS OF MADURO BEFORE BEGINNING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT, NICOLAS MADURO, SAYING: "What will Donald Trump do, do we expect? Nobody knows what President Donald Trump can do. I will not join the hate campaigns throughout the world against Donald Trump, because when I see the hate campaigns on CNN, in English and in Spanish, on the channels run by the oligarchies of the world, I ask myself why, what for? Because we have seen many dirty campaigns. I do ask this, I pray to God that (Trump) changes his politics towards Venezuela and Latin America." PEOPLE DURING THE NEWS CONFERENCE MADURO DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT, NICOLAS MADURO, SAYING: "I truly lament it because Obama has on average three coups to his name, Honduras, Mel Zelaya, Paraguay, Father Fernando Lugo, and Brazil, the great Dilma Rousseff, three Latin American giants. It is lamentable that the legacy of Bush continues and he has made it worse." MADURO DURING NEWS CONFERENCE MADURO ENDING NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS OUTSIDE THE ORGANISATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) BUILDING IN CARACAS OPPOSITION POLITICIAN, HENRY RAMOS OUTSIDE THE OAS NATIONAL POLICE OUTSIDE OAS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, JULIO BORGES, SAYING: "Nicolas Maduro took the decision that there would be no more elections in Venezuela, we have to stand up and fight and strip back from those in power our right to vote, our right to peace, our right to dignity, our right to work, our right to eat, because in Venezuela the constitution has now power, what is in power is the whim and whatever those in power want to do." PEOPLE WITH THE VENEZUELAN FLAG OUTSIDE THE OAS BUILDING OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS TOGETHER WITH RAMOS OUTSIDE OAS JUSTICE FIRST PART FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, JULIO BORGES, SAYING: "I also want to reiterate the fact that the Democratic Union made a decision and that is that the march on Monday 23 January is a march to the National Electoral Board to be held throughout the country, in all the National Electoral Board offices in Venezuela, because we have the right to hold elections, and last year they were not held, without justification they create governors, mayors, general elections, that is why we are calling for this process to be convened now." VARIOUS OF OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS OUTSIDE THE OAS
- Embargoed: 1st February 2017 21:55
- Keywords: Nicolas Maduro Venezuela Donald Trump United States
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ZM14QV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuela's socialist leader said on Wednesday (January 18) that he would not join what he called "hate campaigns" against the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, just days after he said the magnate could not be worse than outgoing Barack Obama.
On the campaign trail, the conservative Trump criticized Venezuela's ruling Socialists for oppressing their own people, but Nicolas Maduro refrained from firing back, speaking this week for the first time on the Republican's election win.
"What will Donald Trump do, do we expect? Nobody knows what President Donald Trump can do. I will not join the hate campaigns throughout the world against Donald Trump, because when I see the hate campaigns on CNN, in English and in Spanish, on the channels run by the oligarchies of the world, I ask myself why, what for? Because we have seen many dirty campaigns. I do ask this, I pray to God that (Trump) changes his politics towards Venezuela and Latin America," Maduro said in a news conference in Caracas.
Venezuela's government initially welcomed Obama's presidency but later soured on him, criticizing his "imperialist" foreign policy and accusing Washington of meddling to change governments in Brazil, Honduras and Paraguay.
"I truly lament it because Obama has on average three coups to his name, Honduras, Mel Zelaya, Paraguay, Father Fernando Lugo, and Brazil, the great Dilma Rousseff, three Latin American giants. It is lamentable that the legacy of Bush continues and he has made it worse," said Maduro.
Whilst the president spoke to reporters, opposition supporters rallied outside the Organisation of American States offices in the capital, led by National Assembly President, Julio Borges.
"Nicolas Maduro took the decision that there would be no more elections in Venezuela, we have to stand up and fight and strip back from those in power our right to vote, our right to peace, our right to dignity, our right to work, our right to eat, because in Venezuela the constitution has now power, what is in power is the whim and whatever those in power want to do," said Borges.
The government has effectively blocked the opposition's efforts to collect the signatures needed in order to hold a recall referendum to remove the socialist leader ahead of the planned 2018 presidential elections.
Borges urged Venezuelans to take to the streets in upcoming, nationwide marches.
"I also want to reiterate the fact that the Democratic Union made a decision and that is that the march on Monday 23 January is a march to the National Electoral Board to be held throughout the country, in all the National Electoral Board offices in Venezuela, because we have the right to hold elections, and last year they were not held, without justification they create governors, mayors, general elections, that is why we are calling for this process to be convoked now," said Borges. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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