Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said he was open for talks with his American counterpart Donald Trump with hopes of improving ties with the US and ending a prolonged political crisis in Venezuela. However, it is uncertain whether the US is willing to do so due to Trump’s hard stance on Venezuela’s socialist government.

During the interview with the Washington Post, Maduro said he was willing to sit down with Trump, suggesting that both countries can benefit from the recovered ties based on mutual respects.

 “If there’s respect between governments, no matter how big the United States is, and if there’s a dialogue, an exchange of truthful information, then be sure we can create a new type of relationship,” the former bus driver told the Post.

Maduro also slammed the White House’s hardliners such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former national security adviser John Bolton for supporting economic embargoes that have worsened Venezuela’s financial crisis (triggered by the sharp drop in global oil prices in 2014).

“I believe Mike Pompeo has failed in Venezuela and is responsible for Donald Trump’s failure in his policy toward our country. I think Pompeo lives in a fantasy. He’s not a man with his feet on earth. I think Trump has had terrible advisers on Venezuela. John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, Elliott Abrams have caused him to have a wrong vision,” Maduro added.

How did the US react?

In response to the Post interview with Maduro, Bolton tweeted that negotiations are unlikely, adding that Maduro should be an exile in either Cuba or Russia, among the countries that back the former aide to the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

“Maduro tells the Washington Post he wants negotiations with the United States? The only negotiations we should have with Maduro are what he wants for lunch on the plane that will take him to permanent exile in Cuba or Russia. Viva Venezuela libre.”

Maduro tells the Washington Post he wants negotiations with the United States? The only negotiations we should have with Maduro are what he wants for lunch on the plane that will take him to permanent exile in Cuba or Russia. Viva Venezuela libre. @JGuaido

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) January 19, 2020

An Overview of Venezuela’s Crisis

The economic crisis in the oil-rich nation turned into the political discontent due to the growing distrust in the socialist regime. In 2017, mass rallies took place to protest against Maduro’s new constitution, which was seen as a threat to democracy.

In May 2018, Maduro won re-election against his contender, Henri Falcon, meaning that the socialist politician would secure another six-year term in office.

Maduro’s victory divided Venezuela, as well as Latin American nations and the world. Venezuela’s opposition groups and the West accused Maduro of rigging the vote. They called for a fresh election, while countries such as China, Russia, Turkey, and some of the leftist nations such as Bolivia supported Maduro and slammed the West for interfering in Venezuela’s domestic politics.

An unknown politician from the opposing side Juan Guaido became a self-proclaimed president, the US, and its European allies supported. Earlier this month, the 36-year-old man was sworn in as the head of the National Assembly despite being blocked from entering the parliament building.

Will the talks with Trump be a reality?

Maduro’s call for talks with Trump came as no surprise, given that in early 2019 he confirmed that Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Arreaza had secretly met with the US envoy to Caracas in New York. The incumbent expressed his readiness to talk with Trump anytime, anywhere, without specifying more detail.

Two senior Venezuela officials confirmed Maduro’s statement, but they had no authority to talk publicly about the meeting. Both officials admitted that Arreaza and the US envoy Elliott Abrams had met twice at Washington’s request.

In August, Norway mediated the talks between Venezuela’s government and opposition representatives. However, the negotiations faltered.

In the recent interview with the Washington Post, Maduro hoped that he could meet with Trump and asked the POTUS to remove the economic sanctions that have worsened the crisis.

Despite Venezuela’s mismanagement in the oil sector and corrupt government, the US-backed sanctions have killed tens of thousands and halted Venezuelans to access food and health care, according to the Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) report in 2017.

The sanctions are depriving Venezuelans of lifesaving medicines, medical equipment, food, and other essential imports. This is illegal under US and international law and treaties that the US has signed. Congress should move to stop it,” the report said as The Independent quoted.

Unlike Bolivia’s President Evo Morales who resigned following protests against his re-election, Maduro’s position is still strong thanks to the military support he has enjoyed so far.

Trump has yet to respond to Maduro’s call so far. However, as long as the US does not want to recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader and insists on sanctions, the talks (if they take place) unlikely to create peace for Venezuela.

L'articolo Maduro’s Ready To Talk To Trump, No Response From The White House So Far proviene da InsideOver.

London is the second richest city in the world after New York City. According to Business Insider, there are 2.7 trillion dollars of total private wealth in London. London, however, is a divided city.

Despite the apparent wealth, London has the highest rate of poverty in Great Britain. Traditionally, the East End, the area of London east of the city also known as the business district, has been impoverished. During the reigns of Queen Victoria and Edward VII, there were dreadful slums in this part of London. The worst slum was ‘Old Nichol’ in Shoreditch. From the early twentieth century, slums were demolished and council flats built to house former slum dwellers. Although this improved the lives of those who inhabited slums, there is still much deprivation.

When England hosted the summer Olympics in 2012, a large number of jobs were created, however, the majority of those jobs ceased to exist when the Olympic Games ended. There is still high unemployment in the East End. This is exacerbated by Canary Wharf, a business development adjacent to dilapidated council estates. Many of those who inhabit council flats are in low paid work while those who work at Canary Wharf earn high incomes. Near to the East End is the city where the Stock Exchange is located; many here are paid high salaries. This further distinguishes the economic division in London leading to poverty.

On a similar note, Westminster is one of London’s wealthiest boroughs because it is the area where all the tourist landmarks are situated such as The National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. Also, Westminster incorporates many places of entertainment such as London’s West End theatres. Westminster, however, has the highest number of rough sleepers in England. In the autumn of 2018, 306 people spent a night on the streets in Westminster. This is more than double the number of those in Camden, the borough with the second-highest rate of rough sleeping. The main factors that have caused rough sleeping are unaffordable accommodation, relationship breakdown, eviction and release from institutions, such as prisons, where no support has been provided.

Another form of homelessness are those who live in temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfast hotels. The number of households in temporary accommodation in London is ten times higher than the national average; high rents have been responsible for this. Also, the introduction of ‘The Bedroom Tax’ precipitated a high number of evictions. The regime penalized people who lived in a council property where there were more bedrooms than people living there. For example, if one person inhabited a three-bedroom, council flat, the tenant would have to pay rent for the other two bedrooms not being occupied. This led to many having a shortfall on their rent account and they were evicted because of this.

The introduction of ‘Universal Credit,’ which was a huge change to welfare in decades, caused misery and suffering to millions because claimants had to wait months before they received any money; this caused there to be arrears on rent accounts and tenants were evicted although they were not to blame. The majority of people evicted were then placed in temporary accommodation in outer London because Housing Benefit (this covers the payment of rent for those without work or in low paid jobs) costs are cheaper than in inner London. Inner London has become ‘gentrified’ (wealthy people have moved to once poor areas) and therefore rents are much higher there than in outer London. London has the highest rate of child poverty in England. 700,000 children in London are living in poverty. Tower Hamlets, a borough in the East End, has the highest rate of child poverty in London, at 56.7%.

The high cost of living and reduction in welfare have been responsible. Also, there has been a ‘benefits freeze’ which has prevented welfare benefits being increased to accommodate the rising cost of living. Two-thirds of child poverty exists in families where at least one adult is working. Although unemployment is at its lowest since the 1970s, a high number of people are in low paid jobs. A Joseph Rowntree Foundation Survey in 2016 revealed that 55% of Londoners living in abject poverty were in employment.

The ‘gig’ economy has been responsible for the rise in poverty in London and the rest of England. The ‘gig’ economy is a labour market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contract or freelance work rather than permanent jobs. Also, there have been a high rise in the number of ‘zero hour’ contracts: an employee might have work one day but nothing for the rest of the week. Such jobs have no holiday or sick pay. Irregular and low paid work as well as the high cost of living in London have caused millions to be living in poverty.

Poverty is detrimental to people’s physical and mental health. Limited money forces people to eat cheap food which contains much sugar, fat and salt which can precipitate Diabetes, heart disease and obesity. The stress of poverty can cause people to become mentally ill or to use alcohol or drugs as coping mechanisms. A living wage needs to be introduced. A living wage is the minimum income necessary for workers to meet their basic needs of food, housing and other essential needs. Far more council homes and housing association properties need to be built; these cater for those in low paid work.

Also, the high cost of living needs to be reduced. For example, there should be a freeze on fares being increased. Such changes would greatly reduce poverty. Britain has the sixth richest economy in the world yet for many, there is no quality of life owing to poverty. There is a proverb: History repeats itself. Britain in the early twenty-first century has become the second Victorian age.

L'articolo London has the Highest Poverty Rate in Great Britain proviene da InsideOver.