Pompeo says more US action coming to support Venezuela’s Guaido
January 21, 2020, 11:14 am

Pompeo says more US action coming to support Venezuela’s Guaido

Pompeo (L), Colombian President Ivan Duque (C) and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido walk during the inauguration of the III Hemispheric Ministerial Conference of Fight Against Terrorism in Bogota, on January 20, 2020. (AFP)

There will be more action by the United States to support Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday, after meeting with Guaido on the sidelines of a regional conference in Bogota.

The South American country, which is suffering economic collapse and hyperinflation under the leadership of President Nicolas Maduro, is a failed state, Pompeo said.

Guaido, recognized as his crisis-ridden nation’s legitimate president by more than 50 countries including the United States, defied a court order to travel to Colombia.

“I would fully expect there will be further action that the United States would take to continue to support President Guaido and the Venezuelan people,” Pompeo told journalists.

“We do not talk about particular sanctions but everyone can fully expect that the United States is not done,” Pompeo added, without specifying what action Washington will take.

Pompeo declined to address whether the United States is prepared to sanction Russia over its backing of Maduro.

Guaido will next travel to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum.

“We will have important meetings in Europe, in the European Union and specifically in Davos,” Guaido told journalists. “There are forces that are uncontainable, like those that seek democracy.”

Guaido would not confirm whether he will meet US President Donald Trump in Davos.

The trip will help gain global attention for Guaido as Venezuela’s political stalemate drags on and the country’s parliament is increasingly beset by violence.

There is little chance Guaido’s tour will break Venezuela’s deadlock, however, as the military continues to stand by the ruling Socialist Party and Maduro has shown himself to be resilient to US sanctions.

“It’s utterly irrelevant for us that a lackey has gone to meet his masters in Colombia,” said ruling Socialist Party Vice President Diosdado Cabello in a Caracas press conference, referring to Guaido. “He hasn’t achieved anything he promised.”

Colombia and the United States accuse Maduro of harboring armed groups like Colombia’s own Marxist-led National Liberation Army rebels and of having connections to everyone from drug traffickers to Hezbollah.

Maduro has branded Guaido as a US puppet and said the United States wants to invade Venezuela.

“(Maduro is) now running an operation that looks more like a cartel than anything else that one could describe. This isn’t good for Venezuela, it’s not good for the countries that are around Venezuela,” Pompeo said.

In his comments, Pompeo also applauded Colombia and other Latin American countries’ for their recent designations of Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

source: Reuters

Explosion rocks Sudanese capital Khartoum, several dead Two rockets land near US embassy in Baghdad, no casualties reported

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.