South America

SANTIAGO, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Chile is "very interested" in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), president Sebastian Pinera said on Tuesday.

During a meeting with foreign correspondents in Santiago, Pinera confirmed he will attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing in April, saying "I will participate in everything that is beneficial for Chile."

CARACAS, March 26. /TASS/. Two Russian jets have arrived in Venezuela with the approval of President Nicolas Maduro’s government, President of Venezuela’s National Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello said on Monday.

"Two jets from Russia have landed in Venezuela, which was approved by the only legal government in Venezuela - the government of Nicolas Maduro," he said in a statement aired by the Venezolana de Television TV channel.

CARACAS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez on Monday said the country's main Guri hydroelectric plant was sabotaged again, causing another blackout in several regions, but authorities have managed to restore power quickly.

"We want to inform the whole country that just as we have been denouncing, we have received a new attack on the load and transmission center of the National Electricity System," said Rodriguez.

However, the state-run electricity company was able to restore power to the affected areas "in record time," he said.

CARACAS, March 24. /TASS/. More than $30 billion disappeared from Venezuela’s foreign accounts in the past two months, Venezuelan Minister for Communication and Information Jorge Rodgriguez told reporters in Caracas.

"In the past two months, over $30 billion were stolen," he was quoted as saying by Venezuela’s state TV.

The official accused Washington of ordering to seize Venezuela’s assets.

"Assets, which Venezuela has in various banks, are being withdrawn. This is carried out under direct orders from the [US President Donald Trump’s] administration," he said.

CARACAS, March 24. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said the country’s security forces have foiled a plan to assassinate him masterminded personally by the opposition’s leader Juan Guaido.

"The North American imperialism wants to kill me. We have just exposed a plan to kill me, which was personally led by the devil’s puppet [Guaido]," Maduro said, noting that the prosecutors had made serious progress in investigating this case and would soon start arresting "new terrorists."

CARACAS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced Saturday the arrest of a "powerful Colombian paramilitary leader" in the Venezuelan state of Carabobo.

Maduro did not reveal the name of the person arrested, simply referring to him as the "head of the Rastrojos," a criminal group in neighboring Colombia.

However, he did say the Colombian was "providing testimony and proof of who hired him and who brought him to Venezuela."

MONTEVIDEO, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China and Uruguay vow to work together to promote bilateral ties and deepen cooperation, visiting Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua and Uruguayan Vice President Lucia Topolansky said in a meeting here on Saturday.

Hu conveyed Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan's warm greetings to Topolansky, who is also president of the General Assembly and president of the Senate.

Washington, March 23; AFP/GANASHAKTI: The United States on Friday slapped sanctions on a key Venezuelan bank, BANDES and four affiliates over their support for President Nicolas Maduro.

The US move came just hours after Maduro's regime defied the United States and arrested a top aide of opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom Washington recognizes as the crisis-hit country's interim leader.

23 Mar 2019; DW: Seven right-wing presidents of South American nations gathered in Chile's capital Santiago on Friday to announce a new political association dubbed Forum for the Progress of South America, or Prosur.

The bloc would function "without ideology and bureaucracy, but with a total commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights," Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said.

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Former Brazilian President Michel Temer decided to remain silent when being questioned on Friday, local authorities reported.

Temer, who was arrested Thursday on corruption charges and spent the night in a room at the Rio Federal Police headquarters, has told authorities that he would exercize his right to silence.

The prosecution office accused Temer as being the leader of a group that committed crimes of corruption, embezzlement and money laundering.