Dec 24, 2015 Argentine President Mauricio Macri recently headed into his second week in office by calling on regional powers to supports his appeal for the freedom of jailed opposition leaders in Venezuela.
While addressing a Mercosur meeting in the the Paraguayan capital of Asuncio, Macri said:
“I specifically want to ask here, in front of all the dear presidents of the member states associated with Mercosur, for the speedy release of political prisoners in Venezuela because in Mercosur member states there is no place for political persecution on ideological grounds, nor the illegitimate deprivation of liberty for thinking differently,”
Responding to president Macri, Venezuelan Minister of foreign affairs Delcy Rodriguez said:
“I have to respond to President Macri because you referred to Venezuela. I am not speaking as a foreign minister; I am speaking in the name of the people of Venezuela and in the name of the president, Nicolas Maduro Moros. You are meddling in Venezuelan issues but I’m going to explain things to you. You are defending this person [jailed leader Leopoldo Lopez]. Furthermore, we know why you are doing so, you have done so expressly,”
Macri, meanwhile, faces tough economic challenges at home with a low central bank reserves coupled with a double-digit inflation rate.