Pompeo says more US action coming to support Venezuela’s Guaido
January 21, 2020, 11:14 am

Pompeo says more US action coming to support Venezuela’s Guaido

Pompeo (L), Colombian President Ivan Duque (C) and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido walk during the inauguration of the III Hemispheric Ministerial Conference of Fight Against Terrorism in Bogota, on January 20, 2020. (AFP)

There will be more action by the United States to support Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday, after meeting with Guaido on the sidelines of a regional conference in Bogota.

The South American country, which is suffering economic collapse and hyperinflation under the leadership of President Nicolas Maduro, is a failed state, Pompeo said.

Guaido, recognized as his crisis-ridden nation’s legitimate president by more than 50 countries including the United States, defied a court order to travel to Colombia.

“I would fully expect there will be further action that the United States would take to continue to support President Guaido and the Venezuelan people,” Pompeo told journalists.

“We do not talk about particular sanctions but everyone can fully expect that the United States is not done,” Pompeo added, without specifying what action Washington will take.

Pompeo declined to address whether the United States is prepared to sanction Russia over its backing of Maduro.

Guaido will next travel to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum.

“We will have important meetings in Europe, in the European Union and specifically in Davos,” Guaido told journalists. “There are forces that are uncontainable, like those that seek democracy.”

Guaido would not confirm whether he will meet US President Donald Trump in Davos.

The trip will help gain global attention for Guaido as Venezuela’s political stalemate drags on and the country’s parliament is increasingly beset by violence.

There is little chance Guaido’s tour will break Venezuela’s deadlock, however, as the military continues to stand by the ruling Socialist Party and Maduro has shown himself to be resilient to US sanctions.

“It’s utterly irrelevant for us that a lackey has gone to meet his masters in Colombia,” said ruling Socialist Party Vice President Diosdado Cabello in a Caracas press conference, referring to Guaido. “He hasn’t achieved anything he promised.”

Colombia and the United States accuse Maduro of harboring armed groups like Colombia’s own Marxist-led National Liberation Army rebels and of having connections to everyone from drug traffickers to Hezbollah.

Maduro has branded Guaido as a US puppet and said the United States wants to invade Venezuela.

“(Maduro is) now running an operation that looks more like a cartel than anything else that one could describe. This isn’t good for Venezuela, it’s not good for the countries that are around Venezuela,” Pompeo said.

In his comments, Pompeo also applauded Colombia and other Latin American countries’ for their recent designations of Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

source: Reuters

Explosion rocks Sudanese capital Khartoum, several dead Two rockets land near US embassy in Baghdad, no casualties reported

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.