Venezuela has terminated talks with the United States

[Catherina]

Cancillería Vzla ‏@vencancilleria

[COMMUNIQUE] The Bolivarian Government has terminated talks that were aimed at regularizing diplomatic relations with the USA

https://twitter.com/vencancilleria/status/358433609109078017

[hr]
http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/actualidad/politica/este-es-el-comunicado-con-el-que-venezuela-termina.aspx

Translation mine

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically rejects the statements issued to the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Senate, by Samantha Power, candidate for Ambassador of that country to the Organization of the United Nations, where she claimed it would be part of her work to "fight the repression of civil society" conducted by several countries, among them Venezuela.

Her disrespectful opinions were endorsed and supported by the State Department today, contradicting the tone and content of the statements made by the Secretary of State John Kerry, in his June meetings with the Chancellor of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Elias Jaua, in the city of Antigua, Guatemala.

The concerns expressed by the U.S. government about the alleged repression in Venezuela into civil society are unacceptable and unfounded; on the contrary, the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela has amply demonstrated that it possesses a strong system of constitutional guarantees to preserve the practice of and unconditional respect for fundamental human rights, as has been recognized by the United Nations on many occasions and situations (scenarios).

However, the world constantly expresses concern about the repressive practices exercised by the United States, including the violation of human rights in the illegal internment camp of Guantanamo, the massacres of civilians by drones and the lamentable persecution unleashed against Edward Snowden, a victim of fierce repression, for exercising his right to dissent and denouncing practices of the Government of the United States which violate, among other things, the right to privacy of all people in the world, enshrined in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in addition to the blatant intent to violate the rules governing the right to asylum, widely recognized by civilized nations.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterates that, as has been expressed by the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, in order to build a good relationship with the U.S. government, requires practicing mutual respect and the full and total recognition of the principles of sovereignty and self-determination.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will never accept interference of any kind in its internal affairs. Due to the backing of the State Department for interventionist agenda raised by the candidate Ambassador, Samatha Power, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela terminates the processes initiated during the Guatemala talks, which were designed to stabilize our diplomatic relations.

Caracas, 19 July 2013

Kerry's bullying phone call, (here and here), Samantha Powers insults, and the US government's refusal to correct her statement, didn't go over well.

Things are zipping right along. We're winning hearts and minds everywhere this month.

[ehcross]

1. Venezuela has terminated talks with the U.S.- Maduro's bus driver mentality fails as president-to-be

Nicolás Maduro is a former bus driver in Caracas. He was made president of Venezuela by dictator Hugo Chávez, despite his total lack of formal education. This background explains his rebellious character, but not his blind hatred of the United States, his country's best customer for Venezuelan oil.

Maduro is (or aims to be) a bad copy of Chávez, having none of the good qualities but all the shortcomings of Chávez, plus a hopeless IQ. He reacts on slow motion but explodes noisily at his incapacity. Maduro inherited from Chávez his status as Venezuelan President, but has never had to expose himself to an election.

Venezuelans are living through a long and bitter conflict between Chavistas and the rest. Given that Chavistas have been given weapons to help fight widespread crime and looting, it has become common to watch looting of non-Chavista businesses.

The country has been badly mismanaged by Maduro cronies and scarcity is widespread. Maduro is asking Congress to reward him with special powers to govern without limitations.

[JDPriestly]

2. Regardless of your opinion about Chavez and Maduro, that statement pretty much

recites a laundry list of complaints about the US, many of which are shared by liberal Americans.