UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all parties in Venezuela to avoid resorting to violence Friday after soldiers killed at least two people trying to prevent troops from blocking aid on the Brazilian border.
“Any loss of life is regrettable,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. “Looking ahead for tomorrow, the secretary-general strongly appeals for violence to be avoided.”
Dujarric said the message has been shared with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and would also be handed to his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza.
Humanitarian aid has become a key focus of the power struggle between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who enjoys Russian support, and US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has been recognized as interim leader by more than 50 countries.
The US and Venezuelan top diplomats requested the meetings with Guterres.
So far, the UN chief has resisted pressure to take a side, instead using his position to seek to negotiate a solution to the crisis, and opposing any politicization of humanitarian aid.
“The secretary-general is doing what he can,” Dujarric said, hinting that Guterres has little room to maneuver.
“Aid should be used in a way which is impartial... and without military objective,” Dujarric added, denouncing Friday’s violent flare-up.
Guterres has met with Arreaza twice so far since early February.
Arreaza is due to preside over an afternoon meeting with 46 countries including China, Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia and Syria.
The countries are part of a group created last week at the UN to defend the principles of the UN Charter.
UN chief calls for avoiding violence in Venezuela
UN chief calls for avoiding violence in Venezuela
- Dujarric said the message has been shared with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and would also be handed to his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza
Russian drone attack forces power cuts in Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih, military says
- Kyiv says the campaign has forced rolling outages and emergency cuts to cities across the country, as repair crews work under fire and Ukraine relies on air defenses and electricity imports to stabilize the grid
KYIV: Russian drones struck infrastructure in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday, forcing emergency power blackouts for more than 45,000 customers and disrupting heat supplies, military administration head Oleksandr Vilkul said.
“Please fill up on water and charge your devices, if you have the chance. It’s going to be difficult,” Vilkul said on the Telegram messaging app.
Water utility pumping stations switched to generators and water remained in the system, but there could be pressure problems.
The full scale of the attack was not immediately known. There was no comment from Russia about the strike.
Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine’s power plants, substations and transmission lines with missiles and drones, seeking to knock out electricity and heating and hinder industry during the nearly four-year war.
Kyiv says the campaign has forced rolling outages and emergency cuts to cities across the country, as repair crews work under fire and Ukraine relies on air defenses and electricity imports to stabilize the grid.
Kryvyi Rih, a steel-and-mining hub in the Dnipropetrovsk region and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown, has been hit repeatedly, with strikes killing civilians and damaging homes and industry.
The city sits close enough to southern front lines to be within strike range, while its factories, logistics links and workforce make it economically important and a key rear-area center supporting Ukraine’s war effort.
