WEBVTT - Colombia, Trump and the drug war

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<v Speaker 1>You know.

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<v Speaker 2>I was here on January third when Maduro was extracted

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<v Speaker 2>from his country. It was a very surreal moment, as

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<v Speaker 2>you can imagine. And I remember being here in Bogota

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<v Speaker 2>in Colombia, and people were stunned because everybody was just thinking,

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<v Speaker 2>what did just happen?

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<v Speaker 3>And is Columbia next.

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<v Speaker 4>Monica ville Mezza is a Colombian journalist in Bogata, where

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<v Speaker 4>the president, Gustav Petro, has been trading bubs with Donald

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<v Speaker 4>Trump for months.

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<v Speaker 2>Trump had been asked a couple of times by different journalists,

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<v Speaker 2>is Petro the Columbia president next? And he was calling

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<v Speaker 2>him a thog, a drug trafficker. He better watch his behind.

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<v Speaker 2>He's no friend of the United States. He's very bad,

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<v Speaker 2>very bad guy.

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<v Speaker 5>And he's got to watch his ass because he makes

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<v Speaker 5>cocaine and they send it into the United States of

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<v Speaker 5>America from Colombia.

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<v Speaker 2>There's absolutely no proof that Petro was a drug trafficker whatsoever,

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<v Speaker 2>but he kept sort of saying that there could be

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<v Speaker 2>armed strikes on land in Colombia.

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<v Speaker 1>He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories.

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<v Speaker 4>He's not going to be doing.

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<v Speaker 3>Good will be in operation by the US and how

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<v Speaker 3>it sounds good.

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<v Speaker 4>To be Columbia looks like it could be next on

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<v Speaker 4>Trump's hit list, until an unexpected phone call turn things around.

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<v Speaker 4>Now the volatile pair is set to meet in the

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<v Speaker 4>White House today. I'm Nicole Johnston and you're listening to

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<v Speaker 4>seven AM today Monica Villemza on drugs, deportations, and the

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<v Speaker 4>danger of what could happen next if Trump and Petro

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<v Speaker 4>don't make up. It's Tuesday, February three. So Monica, where

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<v Speaker 4>does this all begin? Between Trump and the Colombian President

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<v Speaker 4>Gusta Petro.

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<v Speaker 2>To give of your audience a little bit of contact,

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<v Speaker 2>the whole fate started when Trump's started deporting migrants. A

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<v Speaker 2>lot of them were Colombians, and the ones he was

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<v Speaker 2>sending to Columbia were shackled in the plane, and Petro

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<v Speaker 2>thought that it wasn't dignified and he was very vocal

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<v Speaker 2>about it. And then Trump said I'm going to apply

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<v Speaker 2>tariffs on the whole country, and that was nearly catastrophic

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<v Speaker 2>because a third of Columbian exports go to the United States.

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<v Speaker 2>That didn't happen, But then he put Petro on something

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<v Speaker 2>that we call here the Clinton List. It bars individuals

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<v Speaker 2>from conducting any transaction with any company that's affiliated to

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<v Speaker 2>the US financial system, so you essentially have to do

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<v Speaker 2>all your transactions in cash.

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<v Speaker 6>President of the General Assembly in my first speech.

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<v Speaker 2>Then Petro goes to the United Nations General Assembly in

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<v Speaker 2>September and he has a very strong vision of the

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<v Speaker 2>war on drugs, criticizing Trump's approach.

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<v Speaker 6>The anti drug policy is not meant to stop cocaine

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<v Speaker 6>that is coming to the United States. The anti drug

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<v Speaker 6>policy is to dominate the peoples of the South as

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<v Speaker 6>a whole.

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<v Speaker 2>Then he joins some anti Israeli protests in the street,

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<v Speaker 2>takes a megaphone and starts saying that American soldiers should defect,

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<v Speaker 2>which is a clear act of provocations.

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<v Speaker 6>Gone Lord, than the Trump our. There's gone Lord and money.

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<v Speaker 2>That Trump and all of the White House understandably are

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<v Speaker 2>furious about this.

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<v Speaker 1>The United States says it's revoking Colombian President Gustavo Petro's

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<v Speaker 1>visa after he joined a pro Palestinian rally in New

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<v Speaker 1>York on Friday and called on US soldiers to disobey

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<v Speaker 1>President Donald Trump's orders.

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<v Speaker 4>And mon, could you tell us a bit about the

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<v Speaker 4>massive protests that we had on January seven after Venezuela.

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<v Speaker 2>It was a massive protest that Petro called for. He

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<v Speaker 2>was very critical, as you said, of Trump violating a

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<v Speaker 2>country's sovereignty. And I think because that rhetoric had been

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<v Speaker 2>ramped up up to that point where they said Columbia

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<v Speaker 2>could be next, Petro, You're next.

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<v Speaker 5>Well, the rallies on the streets across Columbia just show

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<v Speaker 5>how much the relationship with Washington DC is deterior. Writing

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<v Speaker 5>here in Columbia, these people have gathered to the street.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, the states were very high.

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<v Speaker 2>But funnily enough, when he came out and spoke to

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<v Speaker 2>the protest, he had just gone off the phone with

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<v Speaker 2>Trump where things were smoothed out apparently, and this meeting

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<v Speaker 2>that we're going to have on Tuesday between both heads

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<v Speaker 2>of states in Washington d C. Was planned during that

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<v Speaker 2>phone call, so we know it was like fifteen minutes long.

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<v Speaker 2>Petro talked for about forty minutes, apparently explaining that he

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<v Speaker 2>was in fact combating drug trafficking and and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>he was very much trying to be part of this

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<v Speaker 2>war on drugs and cooperate, and all of a sudden,

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<v Speaker 2>Trump ended up saying that he was honored to have

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<v Speaker 2>spoken to the president, so everything shifted, you know, one

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<v Speaker 2>pint eighty Petro.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, he sounds like quite a character. To put

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<v Speaker 4>him mildly, could you describe first what kind of lada

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<v Speaker 4>he is.

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<v Speaker 3>He is a character, You're absolutely right.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, he was a rebel gorilla fighter M nineteen

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<v Speaker 2>was a gorilla movement that demobilized in the nineties, so

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<v Speaker 2>he took up arms as a gerilla fighter, then he demobilized.

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<v Speaker 2>He is a left wing president, which is very rare

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<v Speaker 2>in Columbia. We've had mostly center or right wing presidents

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<v Speaker 2>in the past, and he's had controversial policies and his

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<v Speaker 2>critics will say he's a populist. The country's not doing

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<v Speaker 2>very well economically right now. Some people blame him, obviously,

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<v Speaker 2>some others don't. He does have a lot of support,

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<v Speaker 2>but he has been a different president in Columbia.

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<v Speaker 4>So, as you said, Trump's accused Petro of trafficking cocaine

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<v Speaker 4>to the US. Now, you've been covering the drugs trade

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<v Speaker 4>in Columbia for years now, could you tell us how

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<v Speaker 4>it operates there, who's behind it, where.

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<v Speaker 2>Is it at It seems like a question that could

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<v Speaker 2>be answered simply, but sadly it's not. The cocaine trade

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<v Speaker 2>in Colombia is bigger than ever. Pablo Escobar, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>with the famous dog Lord of the eighties, he could

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<v Speaker 2>have never imagined how much cocaine there is these days.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's basically controlled by gorilla groups that sort of

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<v Speaker 2>starting taxing the coca crops and then started doing more

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<v Speaker 2>than taxing and became involved in the transportation and distribution

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<v Speaker 2>of cocaine. There's huge routes that leave Columbia through the Pacific,

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<v Speaker 2>but also through the Caribbean. The country has two oceans,

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<v Speaker 2>so obviously many many ports, and a lot of places

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<v Speaker 2>that are effectively abandoned by the government. That makes this

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<v Speaker 2>drug trade thrive. And as you can imagine, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>places where there's not a lot of opportunity, people are poor,

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<v Speaker 2>it does become a way out of poverty for many people.

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<v Speaker 3>So it's something that.

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<v Speaker 2>Clements have lived with for many years and something that's

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<v Speaker 2>actually on the rise.

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<v Speaker 3>Coming up.

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<v Speaker 4>What a former gorilla fighter and a real estate tycoon

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<v Speaker 4>have in common. So we now have this meeting set

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<v Speaker 4>for Tuesday in the US between Trump and Petro. What

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<v Speaker 4>is it that each leader wants to try and get

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<v Speaker 4>out of it. Well.

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<v Speaker 2>Look, I think Colombia because of its economy, the ties

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<v Speaker 2>it has with America.

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<v Speaker 3>It has been America's closest ally in the region for decades.

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<v Speaker 3>They have military cooperation.

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<v Speaker 2>The biggest source of financial investment independent investment in Umbia

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<v Speaker 2>is America. I think Petro really wants to keep these

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<v Speaker 2>ties closed. It doesn't seem like it's convenient for the

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<v Speaker 2>economy and for security, etc. For both countries to be fighting,

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<v Speaker 2>but especially Columbia would have a lot more to lose.

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<v Speaker 2>I think Trump, on the other hand, wants someone to

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<v Speaker 2>maybe help mediate with Venezuela. You know, Petro was very

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<v Speaker 2>close and was very close to Maduro, and he's still

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<v Speaker 2>close to the government there. It's better to have an

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<v Speaker 2>ally in the region like it always has been in

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<v Speaker 2>terms of counter narcotics. But the real problem is drug trafficking,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think maybe Trump feels that if they work

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<v Speaker 2>together they can achieve more than fighting. It's hard to tell.

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<v Speaker 2>It really is a wild card. I mean a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of people here are sort of saying this could go

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<v Speaker 2>very well or it could go very very badly, almost

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<v Speaker 2>like a sort of repeat of the Zelenski disastrous.

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<v Speaker 3>White House meeting that you probably remember.

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<v Speaker 4>So what it sounds like there's a riding on this

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<v Speaker 4>meeting between the two of them. What could it actually

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<v Speaker 4>mean for the rest of Latin America, not just Columbia.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, it's a very good question. The thing that

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<v Speaker 2>Trump is probably thinking long term is maybe recovering some

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<v Speaker 2>of the influence that America had economically financially in terms

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<v Speaker 2>of oil for instance, from the region being more having

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<v Speaker 2>better ties and exploiting these resources more so that China

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<v Speaker 2>and other players don't, you know what I mean, It's

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<v Speaker 2>a lot more about geopolitics. So I think he wants

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<v Speaker 2>to rely more on this neighboring countries, these countries that

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<v Speaker 2>have historically been very close to the United States. He

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't want China, Russia, etc. To have a growing influence

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<v Speaker 2>which they were having in Latin America. And I think

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<v Speaker 2>it's really interesting to see people that are leaders that

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<v Speaker 2>really admired Trump that have become his friends, like Milay

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<v Speaker 2>in Argentina. How you know, Trump has really given him

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<v Speaker 2>a lifeline. He saved an economy that effectively in shambles.

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<v Speaker 2>So he's trying to show that maybe it pays to

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<v Speaker 2>be on his side. But of course, there's a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of history that and you know that doesn't help in

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<v Speaker 2>terms of these countries having a colonial past with the

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<v Speaker 2>United States.

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<v Speaker 4>So mon, all eyes are going to be on DC

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<v Speaker 4>in this big meeting between Trump and Petro. What do

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<v Speaker 4>you think is the best way for Petro to go

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<v Speaker 4>about dealing with Trump? Because he's been pretty bullish so far.

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<v Speaker 4>Is that working for him?

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<v Speaker 2>I think being bullish hasn't worked. Trump doesn't take sort

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<v Speaker 2>of humiliation or provocation very well, and I think he

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<v Speaker 2>has definitely shown that he is willing to change his

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<v Speaker 2>stone a little bit.

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<v Speaker 3>Regarding Trump and vice versa.

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<v Speaker 2>Trump really did say it was an honor to speak

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<v Speaker 2>and I quote the word an honor to speak to

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<v Speaker 2>President Petro. He explained things I understand it better now.

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<v Speaker 2>So very recently, he's also talked about Maduro being sort

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<v Speaker 2>of kidnapped and spoken against it. So I don't think

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<v Speaker 2>they ever see ido eye on Venezuela. You know what's

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<v Speaker 2>really interesting is that they have very opposing personalities. They said,

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<v Speaker 2>at opposing ends of the political spectrum. They couldn't be

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<v Speaker 2>more different than each other. You know, you have a

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<v Speaker 2>real estate tycoon from New York and this former gorilla

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<v Speaker 2>fighter who demobilized in the nineties.

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<v Speaker 3>But they are very similar as well.

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<v Speaker 2>They have these kind of very larger than live personalities.

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<v Speaker 3>They can be quite controversial.

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<v Speaker 2>They always tack to Twitter and like ranting and sort

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<v Speaker 2>of attacking each other. But let me remind you that

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<v Speaker 2>this meeting that we're going to see is still very

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<v Speaker 2>much a wildcard. Nobody knows what's going to happen, and

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<v Speaker 2>both personalities being sort of mombastic and controversial, it will

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<v Speaker 2>be very interesting to see what's going to come out

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<v Speaker 2>of it.

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<v Speaker 4>Mon thank you so much for joining us on seven AM.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you so much for having me.

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<v Speaker 4>Also in the news, mortgage holders are bracing for an

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<v Speaker 4>interest rate rise when the Reserve Bank meets later today.

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<v Speaker 3>The majority of.

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<v Speaker 4>Economists are expecting a quarter of a percent jump in

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<v Speaker 4>the official cash rate due to a bump in inflation

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<v Speaker 4>over December. It's a big u turn for the RBA,

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<v Speaker 4>which cut interest rates as recently as August, and Australia's

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<v Speaker 4>biggest political donors have been revealed, with Clive Palmer topping

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<v Speaker 4>the list. Palmer donated fifty three million dollars to his

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<v Speaker 4>own trumpet of Patriots Party, while Gina Reinhardt's company donated

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<v Speaker 4>almost a million to right wing political lobby group Advance

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<v Speaker 4>Labour scored more than four million dollars worth of donations

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<v Speaker 4>from the unions. I'm Nicole Johnston. This is seven AM.

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<v Speaker 5>Catch a later

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<v Speaker 1>N