World News U.S. VP Pence urges Latin American countries to isolate Venezuela
EU in migration deal
QUITO, (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence urged Latin American countries yesterday to help isolate crisis-stricken Venezuela, an ideological adversary of Washington that is struggling under a severe and prolonged economic crisis.
Pence met with Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno as part of a tour of Latin America that has included meetings with Venezuelans who left the socialist country because it is so difficult to obtain food or medicine.
“One specific threat to our collective security that is on (our minds) ... is the ongoing collapse of Venezuela into dictatorship, deprivation and despair,” Pence said during a news conference with Moreno.
“We respectfully urge Ecuador and all of our allies across the region to take steps to further isolate the Maduro regime.”
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro slammed Pence in response, accusing him of currying favour with conservative Latino voters in Florida.
“The sick and obsessive Mike Pence is going around Latin America, he’s campaigning,” Maduro said in a televised broadcast. “He has failed on this mini-tour of South America.”
On Wednesday, Maduro called Pence a “poisonous viper” and vowed to defeat what he called Washington’s attempts to force him from power.
Pence said the United States offered to provide $2 million in assistance to Ecuador to handle the growing influx of migrants from Venezuela, whose numbers are overwhelming social services agencies in countries all over Latin America.
Washington has already levied sanctions against Venezuela, including barring American citizens from working with a group of high-ranking Venezuelan officials and blocking U.S. investors from acquiring newly issued bonds.
Moreno stopped short of agreeing to isolate Caracas, instead urging involvement by the secretary-general of the United Nations.
“We believe that the solution for Venezuela can only be provided by Venezuelans,” he said.
Moreno said Ecuador had taken in nearly 150,000 Venezuelan citizens and BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - European Union leaders agreed yesterday a hardfought accord on migration after more than nine hours of talks.
Below please find main excerpts of their agreement:
1. The European Council reconfirms that a precondition for a functioning EU policy relies on a comprehensive approach to migration which combines more effective control of the EU’s external borders... This is a challenge not only for a single Member State, but for Europe as a whole.
2. The European Council is determined... to prevent a return to the uncontrolled flows of 2015 and to further stem illegal migration on all existing and emerging routes.
3. As regards the Central Mediterranean Route, efforts to stop smugglers operating out of Libya or elsewhere should be further intensified. The EU will continue to stand by Italy and other frontline Member States in this respect.
4. As regards the Eastern Mediterranean Route, additional efforts are needed to fully implement the EUTurkey Statement, prevent new crossings from Turkey and bring the flows to a halt... More efforts are urgently needed to ensure swift returns and prevent the development of new sea or land routes... In the light of the recent increase in flows in the Western Mediterranean, the EU will support, financially and otherwise, all efforts by Member States, especially Spain, and countries of origin and transit, in particular Morocco, to prevent illegal migration.
5. In order to definitively break the business model of the smugglers, thus preventing tragic loss of life, it is necessary to eliminate the incentive to embark on perilous journeys. This requires a new approach based on shared or complementary actions among the Member States to the disembarkation of those who are saved in Search And Rescue operations. In that context, the European Council calls on the Council and the Commission to swiftly explore the concept of regional disembarkation platforms, in close cooperation with relevant third countries as well as UNHCR and IOM. Such platforms should operate distinguishing individual situations, in full respect of international law and without creating a pull factor.
6. On EU territory, those who are saved, according to international law, should be taken charge of, on the basis of a shared effort, through the transfer in controlled centres set up in Member States, only on a voluntary basis, where rapid and secure processing would allow, with full EU support, to distinguish between irregular migrants, who will be returned, and those in need of international protection, for whom the principle of solidarity would apply. All the measures in the context of these controlled centres, including relocation and resettlement, will be on a voluntary basis, without prejudice to the Dublin reform.
7. The European Council agrees on launching the second tranche of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey and at the same time on transferring 500 million euro from the 11th EDF reserve to the EU Trust Fund for Africa.
8. Tackling the migration problem at its core requires a partnership with Africa aiming at a substantial socio-economic transformation of the African continent...
9. In the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework, the European Council underlines the need for flexible instruments, allowing for fast disbursement, to combat illegal migration. The internal security, integrated border management, asylum and migration funds should therefore include dedicated, significant components for external migration management.
10. The European Council recalls the need for Member States to ensure the effective control of the EU’s external borders with EU financial and material support. It also underlines the necessity to significantly step up the effective return of irregular migrants.