Continuing his international tour, Juan Guaido met today in Ottawa with representatives of the Canadian government, including Minister of Foreign Affairs François-Philippe Champagne. The two held a press conference, during which the minister said:
It is a great honour for Canada to receive president Guaido. The situation in Venezuela has worsened due to the actions of the Nicolas Maduro regime.
Minister Champagne also pointed out Canada’s commitment to the country’s democratic forces, and argued that Ottawa’s sanctions against 113 regime officials are “the strongest” in place.
During the press conference, the minister also said that Canada would contact the Cuban government in order to discuss the crisis in Venezuela, given Havana’s support for the Maduro regime. The minister said:
Obviously we will be engaging with Cuba… The solution needs to come from the region, so we will work with the region.
The minister shared the following message about the meeting on his Twitter account:
While Guaido tweeted the following images:
Bloomberg: Maduro Considering Privatizing PDVSA
Bloomberg reported today that the Maduro regime is considering privatizing PDVSA, the state-owned oil company, in a desperate attempt to keep it alive.
According to the report, regime officials have been in conversation with “large international corporations” about granting them a majority stake in PDVSA. These companies include Russia’s Rosfnet, Spain’s Repsol, and Italy’s Eni SpA, Bloomberg claims.
The report claims that the plan to privatize the oil company is still in its “initial stages”, and points out that even if the regime were willing to go ahead with the move, the US sanctions on the company would still be in effect, making any transaction involving PDVSA a potential non-starter for international organizations.
Cabello: “Nothing Will Happen” to Guaido When He Returns
Ruling party vice president Diosdado Cabello said today “nothing will happen” to opposition leader Juan Guaido when he returns to Venezuela in the coming days from his international trip. Given Guaido’s central role in the country’s opposition and the fact that his return would likely entail speaking directly to authorities at a border crossing, there were some fears that he might be detained in the attempt.
What’s going to happen with Juanito Alimana [a disparaging nickname for Guaido] when he comes back? Nothing. Same as what he did all of last year: nothing. Nothing will happen. He’s nothing.
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