By Zoila Palma: Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto has demanded the immediate release of former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are currently held in U.S. custody.
Gil made the call during a speech at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, urging the United States to free the couple without delay.
Maduro, 63, was ousted from power and taken into custody by U.S. forces on January 3 in a raid that Caracas has condemned as illegal and violent.
He and Flores are being held in New York, awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges, which Maduro has denied, calling himself a “prisoner of war.”
In his address, Gil described the January operation as an “illegal military action” that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people and the arbitrary detention of the Venezuelan leaders.
He stressed that Venezuela seeks diplomatic engagement with the United States but insists it must be on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect.
Gil also highlighted that Venezuela is pushing for “international cooperation based on the legal equality of states,” even as his government pursues internal reforms.
According to AFP, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister referenced a new amnesty law recently passed by the Venezuelan legislature, which officials say is a step toward national healing and “acknowledging past wounds, forgiveness, and reconciliation.”
The amnesty legislation has drawn both praise and criticism domestically, as it extends to thousands of political prisoners but excludes certain serious offenses.
The post International News: Venezuela’s Foreign Minister calls for immediate release of Maduro at United Nations appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto has demanded the immediate release of former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are currently held in U.S. custody. Gil made the call during a speech at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, urging the United States to free
The post International News: Venezuela’s Foreign Minister calls for immediate release of Maduro at United Nations appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
