Argentina leader calls for keeping up pressure on Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Latest on Venezuela’s political crisis (all times local):

3:15 a.m.

Argentine President Mauricio says the governments of the region need to keep demanding elections and the release of prisoners in Venezuela.

Macri says that “in Venezuela they don’t have any respect for human rights,” and adds, “That is not democracy”.

The Argentine leader spoke English at the Center for Strategic International Studies right after meeting President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday.

Macri says that more desperate Venezuelans than ever are arriving and trying to settle in Argentina.

“Obviously,

In his words, “that is not the solution. They need to go back to a Venezuela with a democratic government.”

Venezuela’s government announced Wednesday it is pulling out of the Organization of American States due to criticisms of its human rights record.

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12:15 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump is calling Venezuela’s situation “a mess.”

Trump was asked Thursday about the political crisis in Venezuela that has already been blamed for almost 30 deaths.

Speaking briefly to reporters at the White House alongside visiting Argentine President Mauricio Macri he said “Venezuela is a mess.”

In his words, “I’m very sad for Venezuela. I’m very sad to see what’s happened in Venezuela. Venezuela is a very sad situation.”

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10:15 a.m.

In what’s shaping up to be a battle of political kids, President Nicolas Maduro’s son is pushing back against criticism of the government’s crackdown on protests by the offspring of the country’s top human rights official.

Nicolas Maduro Guerra issued a public letter Thursday saying he regrets his friend’s decision to seek “three minutes of fame” with a video that is being used as a “trophy of war” by the government’s enemies.

It’s a reference to an online video by Yibram Saab, a college student who pleads with his father to show bravery and help restore the constitutional order broken by the Supreme Court’s decision to gut the powers of the opposition-controlled congress. He says he was at a demonstration where police fired tear gas and rubber bullets that killed a fellow protester.

Tarek William Saab is the country’s ombudsman, designated to protect citizens’ rights.

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8:30 a.m.

The son of the top Venezuelan human rights official is speaking out against police repression of protesters and calling on his father to step in to prevent further bloodshed.

Yibram Saab says in an online video that he experienced police repression during an anti-government a protest Wednesday. Reading prepared remarks he asked his father to show bravery and help restore the constitutional order broken by the Supreme Court’s decision to gut the opposition-controlled congress’ last vestiges of power.

Ombudsman Tarek William Saab has the power to initiate impeachment investigations against high-court magistrates. But he’s shown staunch support for Maduro.

In the video, the younger Saab says: “Dad, you have the power to put an end to the injustice.”

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