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Venezuelan Security Forces Detain High-profile Activist; 19 People Arrested for an Alleged Plot to Kill Maduro; U.S. Threatens to Re-impose Sanctions Against Venezuela; Russian Influence Growing in Venezuela Amid Tension With U.s.; American Woman Goes Missing in Madrid; Chilean Activists Demand the Return of a Huge Moai Statue From the British Museum. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired February 20, 2024 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[02:00:22]

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from around the world, and everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Anna Coren, live from Hong Kong.

Just ahead: Just days after his death, Alexey Navalny's widow vows to continue his fight.

Outmanned, outgunned with Russian troops on the advance. Ukraine could be in one of its most precarious positions since the war began.

And human rights activists sound the alarm after new arrest by the Maduro government. Ahead, concerns that a new era of repression is emerging in Venezuela.

For three days now, the mother of the now dead Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, says she has tried to retrieve her son's body from a hospital morgue, only to be refused each time.

Navalny's spokesperson says officials went 14 days for a chemical examination to determine cause of death, sparking accusations of a Kremlin cover up.

Now, we should know, she didn't provide evidence for her claims. Navalny's widow has vowed to take up her husband's cause and will fight for a happy beautiful Russia.

The 47-year-old opposition leader died suddenly on Friday in an Arctic penal colony, seemingly in good spirits one day, earlier, in a video court appearance.

More now from CNN CHIEF Global Affairs Correspondent Matthew Chance reporting from Moscow.

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Despite the risks, Russians are publicly grieving at Alexey Navalny's death.

In Moscow, a steady stream of mourners laying flowers for the late opposition leader.

Across Russia, rights activists say hundreds have been detained for just this.

My hero has died, this man told us. I grew up watching and learning from him. So, it feels like a personal loss, he says.

This woman tells us, she desperately wants Russia to change. But now we're at a dead end, she says. With sorrow, grief, and pain.

You feel that pain more than Navalny's own family. And his widow, Yulia, here meeting outraged European leaders, is vowing to expose what she says are her husband's killers, and to assume his opposition mantle.

YULIA NAVALNAYA, WIFE OF ALEXEY NAVALNY (through translator): I will continue Alexey Navalny's work. I will keep fighting for our country and I encourage you to stand by my side.

To share not only grief and the endless pain that has enveloped us and does not let go. I'm asking you to share my rage, anger, hatred for those who dared to kill our future.

CHANCE (voice over): Meanwhile, the Russian president, expected to be reelected next month, has yet to mention the unexplained death of his fiercest critic. But the Kremlin refusing to comment, while it says investigations are underway.

Even recovering Navalny's remains in Russia is proving painstaking. His elderly mother, Lyudmila, has traveled nearly 2,000 miles to the remote Arctic region where he died in prison, has been told, according to Navalny's spokeswoman, that postmortem tests in the body won't be released for at least another two weeks.

Plenty of times, say Navalny supporters deeply suspicious of the Kremlin, for the real cause of this sudden tragic death to be hidden.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Ukraine is suffering setbacks on the battlefield and Joe Biden is slamming House Republicans for obstructing additional aid to Kyiv at a time of critical need. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are making a big mistake not responding.

Look, the way they are walking away from the spread of Russia, the way they're walking away from NATO, the way they're walking away from meeting our obligations is just too shocking. I've been -- for a while, I've never seen anything like this.

[02:05:07]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, Biden said he'd be willing to meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson to discuss a funding bill. Johnson has so far declined to bring it to a vote on the floor.

The European Union's top diplomat says the block is moving towards new sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. Josep Borrell told a meeting in Brussels, the penalties will be named the Navalny Human Rights Sanctions Regime, in honor of Alexey Navalny.

Other members are calling for an independent report on the opposition leader's death, not a Kremlin report.

Borrell indicated that Russian prison officials tied to Navalny's death, could face arrest -- could face asset freezes and travel bans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEP BORRELL, FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, EUROPEAN UNION (through translator): We have to send a message of support to the Russian opposition. And at the same time, we will continue watching how the war is, it about two years that Putin launched this war against Ukraine.

And it doesn't look they're being ready to stop it, by the contrary. So, in both fronts, in the political one, and the military one, you have to continue our support to Ukraine, and to the Russian people who want to be living in freedom. And to pay an homage to Navalny.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Joining me now from Kyiv, is a Peter Zalmayev, of the director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative. Peter, great to have you with us.

I mean, you would assume there were no more sanctions to apply on Russia. So, how does the West punish Putin for Navalny's death?

PETER ZALMAYEV, DIRECTOR, EURASIA DEMOCRACY, INITIATIVE: Well, yes, we keep hearing about yet another package being considered, I thought it was like the 13th package. And once again, Viktor Orban was trying to block it.

Well, by all accounts, these sanction packages have been very limited use. And if anything, they have actually, they strengthened, you know, Putin support on the part of his elites.

You know, Putin has been able to spread around some very lucrative contracts as a result of, you know, taking over those Western companies who have left.

So there -- and they had been very, very limited in actually, you know, preventing Vladimir Putin from continuing to wage his war in Ukraine. So, I will just in a second, what Garry Kasparov, the chess champion, and a leading Russian opposition activist has said that the best way to punish Putin, including for the death of Navalny is by actually getting this aid package approved in Congress and for the Europeans to ratchet up their production of weapons to send to Ukraine.

This is the only way to stop Putin.

COREN: Peter, let's speak about that U.S. Congress aid package. We know that GOP skeptics Trump supporters in the House, a holding out on the $60 billion aid package. Do you think that Navalny's death will guilt them to change their minds?

ZALMAYEV: Well, you would think so. And you know, we've heard that we've seen them we've heard encouraging comments including from, you know, the Republican rank and file, but also from Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the -- of the House. But once again, the presumptive nominee and the leader, the Republican Party, Donald Trump has once again refused to call Vladimir Putin by name.

And I suspect that there is a sort of this nascent wing of the Republican Party. And Liz Cheney has called it, as a matter of fact, Putin wing of the Republican Party.

That see Vladimir Putin and his coterie as sort of like-minded souls and would like to have something similar to what Vladimir Putin has in Russia.

In the United States. Tucker Carlson has recently said that, you know, well, politicians kill. I mean, this is just the reality of life. This is quite sickening to see to, you know, a party of Ronald Reagan saying these things.

My hope, and the Ukrainians hope is that, you know, reason will prevail. There is still a majority in the U.S. Congress supporting Ukraine, but they just simply don't have -- we don't have the time to wait for this.

We're already seeing how Russia is trying to capitalize on the capture of Avdiivka, and to, you know, push elsewhere. You know, this is a very critical moment. Ukraine is running out of weapons, and this is simply a do or die moment for us.

COREN: Yes. Peter, let's talk a bit about the fall of Avdiivka. It would appear that Russian forces now have momentum and that the Donetsk region seems quite vulnerable. What do you anticipate will be Putin's next move? And can Ukrainians, more importantly, hold those defensive lines?

[02:10:02]

ZALMAYEV: Well, Ukrainians have been very hard at work building fortifications outside of Avdiivka, few kilometers back. Right now, Russians are probing where else they can attack, maybe capture the neighboring villages, but also, seeing if they can attack elsewhere. Kupiansk is a major see, the gateway to the larger city of Kharkiv. And in the south, we're hearing that as many as 50,000 Russian troops have been assembled. It's, you know, we see that Putin is trying to capitalize on the momentum. He's got his election, or I would just call it recoronation in the middle of March, March 17.

And his military commanders are trying their hardest, their damnest, to present him with some significant victories.

What let's also not exaggerate what happened in Avdiivka. This is the second or the second such victory in the last year after Bakhmut. This is the city the Russians have essentially been fighting to capture for the last 10 years.

Once again, the world's second largest army tried to get a city of about pre-war population of 30,000. Ukrainians would not only be able to hold their defense lines, but recapture all their territory if the West only stopped prevaricating, hesitating, stop caring about Vladimir Putin's red lines, and give Ukraine what it needs.

COREN: Yes, we certainly hope so.

Peter Zalmayev, in Kyiv, great to get your insights and perspective. Thanks so much for joining us.

Well, we were just talking about Avdiivka and Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited troops near Kupiansk on Monday to boost morale after a devastating defeat in that eastern town.

Zelenskyy thanks to the soldiers for their service and told them "I am confident in you." But he also issued a plea for help amid a shortage of supplies and funding.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Right now, the situation is extremely difficult in several parts of the front line, where Russian troops have amassed maximum reserves. They are taking advantage of the delays in aid to Ukraine, and these are very tangible issues.

There is a deficit of artillery, there is a need for frontline air defense, and for a longer range of our weapons.

Well, Ukraine is watching for the Kremlin's next move after Russian troops took control of Avdiivka, over the weekend.

Ukraine had defended the strategic town for 10 years, as Peter said before pulling out.

Well, joining us now from London is CNN's Clare Sebastian.

Clare, the fall of this town, Ukraine's eastern front, especially in that Donetsk region now appears quite vulnerable with this renewed Russian momentum. What towns villages are now most at risk?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, I think look, Avdiivka was somewhere that Ukraine had put a lot into defending, as you say over the course of 10 years, because it does potentially open up routes further west towards towns like Pokrovsk, in the -- in the eastern Donetsk region, where frankly, we haven't seen a lot of movement along the front line through the entirety of this war.

You can see the section there, shaded in stripes, which has been controlled by Russia and Russian backed separatists since 2014. But Russia is now on the attack, not just in this region, really emboldened really taking advantage of this moment, where Western weapons supplies to Ukraine have been waning, largely because of the stalling in the U.S. Congress of new funding.

There's two other major hotspots right now, up in the north, in Kharkiv region, where we saw President Zelenskyy visiting, trying to boost the morale of troops there, and quite significantly, down in the south in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Russia is essentially attacking in the area, where Ukraine was able to take a small amount of territory, a very small amount in what is largely believed to have been their field counter offensive last year.

Take a look at this video. This comes from the Ukrainian command in the West. They have posted a video showing the intensity of the fighting in that Zaporizhzhia region. They said it was a difficult night.

This video came out just in the last hour or so, but they are managing to repel, they say the Russian attacks.

Now, this is the moment that we're at: Russia is the one attacking Ukraine is digging in, trying to defend, trying to hold on while it waits for more Western weapons supplies.

And it's not new territory, it should be noted as well, Russia, both in the north and the south, attacking in areas that Ukraine has previously recaptured, in counter offensive. So, you see the nature of this war, this back and forth in terms of territory changing hands here, Anna.

COREN: Clare, videos are now surfacing of wounded Ukrainian soldiers left behind during that withdrawal from Avdiivka. Tell us about those soldiers that are in those videos and the POWs Who's also captured by Russia. Do we know their fate?

[02:15:03]

SEBASTIAN: Yes. So, this -- I think gives a sense of what the reality of that withdrawal was like. Ukraine has said, you know, this was -- this was sort of an orderly withdrawal. It was designed to save the lives of soldiers that are going to come back and hit harder.

But the reality is, and this is a video of one of a group of soldiers from Ukraine 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade, who were injured and had to be left behind.

He is seen here talking to his sister. You can see her emotion in that video. He said, both his legs were broken, he had shrapnel in his back. There was nothing he could do. Now, they -- that group of soldiers and other one spoke to his wife, they had expected to be captured by Russians. There was even a suggestion that the 100th Brigade had spoken to the Russian side, tried to negotiate, that they will be captured and then eventually exchanged in a prisoner swap. But a video posted by a Russian military blogger just a day later showed their bodies later identified by families.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has now opened an investigation into that. So, a snapshot really of the reality on the ground. The brutality of this and the chaos as we see Russia on the attack, not only in this area, but on multiple fronts along that 1,000-kilometer frontline. Anna?

COREN: Clare Sebastian in London, thank you. Well, the U.S. is calling for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, when they propose U.N. draft resolution, which falls short of the wishes of most other security council members. We'll have the details.

Plus, Brazil summons the Israeli ambassador, Israel declares President Lula persona non grata, over his remarks on the war in Gaza. That's next.

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COREN: The U.S. is now putting forward its own U.N. Security Council draft resolution on Gaza, calling for a temporary ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas.

The draft proposed by the U.S. also warns against an Israeli ground operation in Rafah, but it falls short of urging for an immediate ceasefire and instead calls for one "as soon as practicable."

Well, this all comes after the U.S. vowed to veto an Algerian draft proposal which is set to come up for a vote Tuesday morning.

Meantime, European countries are pushing for urgent action, with 26 out of 27 E.U. countries agreeing to call for an immediate humanitarian pause, which would lead to a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.

Top E.U. diplomat, Joseph Borrell, says the statement also calls for the unconditional release of hostages, and the provision of humanitarian assistance. But despite calls for a ceasefire, there is been no lead up to the war or the push to save the wounded.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society says it has now evacuated more patients from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

[02:20:00]

A source inside the hospitals says 16 patients were evacuated on Monday with a wounded being transferred to the American and Indonesian field hospitals

SOS inside the hospital says 16 patients were evacuated on Monday, with a wounded being transferred to the American and Indonesian field hospitals in Rafah. The World Health Organization says the evacuations come amid an acute shortage of food, oxygen, and basic medical supplies.

It says the hospital has neither tap water nor electricity and is relying only on a backup generator. The WHO says it evacuated 14 critically ill patients from there on Sunday.

Well, journalist Elliott Gotkine is following developments and joins us now live from London. Elliott, tell us more about this ceasefire proposal from the U.S., and is it getting any traction?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN JOURNALIST: Anna, as you were saying, we were just the other day talking about this Algerian U.N. Security Council Resolution, which calls for a complete cessation of hostilities in which the U.S. has said it will veto. So, that resolution is going to be dead on arrival.

It's unclear that this proposal -- this draft U.S. resolution is going to have any better luck because of course there are other members of the U.N. Security Council, Russia, for example, who could very easily veto that as well. And they may not be alone in doing so.

But what the U.S. is proposing is a temporary ceasefire as soon as is practically -- as practicable in its words. And the reason that he's proposing this along with the release of all the 100 Israeli hostages who were kidnapped as part of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October the 7th. The reason it is saying this is because it wants to forestall an Israeli ground operation in Rafah, which it is warning could lead to additional displacement of Palestinians and have implications for peace and security in the region. If that displacement leads to Palestinians spilling over the border into Egypt.

Egypt has already said that potentially Palestinians going over into Egypt, as a result of an Israeli operation could jeopardize the decades old peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. So, the U.S. very concerned about that.

And what we also had, interestingly, on Monday was comments by Benny Gantz, who is a member of the war Cabinet. He's a former chief of the general staff, a former defense minister, saying that for the first time during a direct line between this potential Rafah operation and the hostage situation, saying that if all hostages are not released in time for Ramadan on March the 10th, then, that ground operation, Anna, will proceed.

COREN: Elliott, I believe new video has surfaced of the 9-month-old baby. His mother and brother who were kidnapped on October 7th. What more can you tell us about that?

GOTKINE: That's right, Anna.

The IDF released this footage with the permission of the Bibas family, showing, it says, a security camera footage from Eastern Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip on October the 7th, when Shiri, and her two young children, this is 4-year-old Ariel, and baby -- 9- month-old baby, Kfir Bibas.

You can see the telltale red hair popping out from underneath that shawl that the militants put around them, seemingly being hustled to a particular area.

Other security camera footage shows them being put into a car. Now, Israel is saying that this comes from a smaller militant group in the Gaza Strip. And they say that they are incredibly concerned about the status of the Bibas family.

The husband of Shiri, I should say was kidnapped separately.

Now, back in November, Hamas said that the -- that Shiri and her two young children have been killed in an Israeli airstrike. And then, released a propaganda video of the husband's reaction to being told of this news and the family in response to this video, being released by the IDF saying that it was heartbreaking. And saying that it was also, saying that it was inhumane, as well.

And Prime Minister Netanyahu, also saying that it was heartbreaking and underlining that this is who he says Israel is dealing with kidnappers of babies. Anna?

COREN: Elliott Gotkine, many thanks.

In the coming hours, the International Court of Justice is set to kick off a second day of historic hearings on the legal consequences of Israel's practices in policies in the Palestinian territories.

On Monday, Palestinian and Israeli officials laid out contrasting views over the role of the court in addressing the long running conflict. The Palestinian foreign affairs minister advocated for the ICJ to recognize the Palestinian people's right to self-determination.

While the Israeli representative criticize the Palestinian Authority for, "distorting reality" and avoiding direct negotiations by seeking a ruling from the court.

A non-binding decision is not expected to come down for months.

Houthi attacks are continuing in the Red Sea. The Yemeni rebel group says they targeted to American vessels in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, causing accurate and direct casualties.

[02:25:07]

The rebels say the attack was in support of the Palestinian

As they targeted to American vessels in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, causing accurate and direct casualties. The rebels say the attack was in support of the Palestinian people and in response to what they called American British aggression against Yemen.

The group says they also targeted a British ship. U.K. officials say of vessels sustained superficial damage after being attacked by a drone ahead. Ahead, new arrest by the Maduro government, and growing concerns about a new era of repression in Venezuela.

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COREN: Welcome back.

Well, Russia's foreign minister, he's on a diplomatic swing through Latin America this week.

First up, Havana where Sergey Lavrov met his Cuban counterpart.

Lavrov lashed out at Western powers who accused of trying to preserve their dominance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEY LAVROV, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, RUSSIA (through translator): The means used by representatives of the United States and other Western countries for this purpose, do not include diplomacy, but blackmail ultimatums, threats, the use of brute military force, and sanctions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Lavrov is set to visit Venezuela today, where he is expected to hold talks with President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, as well as the Venezuelan foreign minister.

Well, Russia's influence with the Venezuelan government has been growing, amid tension between Venezuela and the U.S.

Meanwhile, human rights activists accused the Maduro regime of reverting to repressive policies against its people, including the detention of a high-profile activist.

Stefano Pozzebon has a story.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: Yahara Cabrejo learned on social media that her son had been detained. In the video she saw, taken from the security cameras of a shop nearby, her son, Juan Freites, is manhandled into a car by two men and driven away. She hasn't seen him since.

YAHARA CABREJO, MOTHER OF JUAN FREITES (through translator): Today is 25 days that I don't know anything about him. Why was he detained? I don't know. What he's accused of, I don't know.

[02:30:04]

What I know is from the media, that he's supposedly involved in some conspiracy. But I have no idea what that is about. We're left in the dark. POZZEBON (voice-over): Three days after the detention, Venezuela's attorney general confirmed that Freites had been arrested as part of an investigation into an alleged plot to kill President Nicolas Maduro. Cabrejo and her lawyer deny Freites was involved in any plot. And so far, no proof has been presented by Venezuelan authorities. Freites is a member of opposition party, Vente Venezuela. And he and two other party members were detained in January.

The party leader, Mara-a Corina Machado, who is the front-runner opposition candidate to challenge Maduro, has been barred by the Supreme Court from running in these year's presidential election. In total, 19 people have been arrested, including the Rocio San Miguel, a Spanish Venezuelan citizen and security analyst, who was picked up by the Intelligence Service as she was trying to leave the country. San Miguel is also accused of participating in a conspiracy, again, without any evidence and when the UN Human Rights team protested her detention last week, Venezuela expelled the local staff.

The Venezuelan government claims to have uncovered several plots to murder Maduro and blames the U.S. and the UN of colonialism. Maduro himself vowed to unleash a campaign of Bolivarian fury against these opponents. And someone wrote exactly those words, Bolivarian fury, on the wall of Cabrejo's house shortly after her son's arrest.

The United States have threatened to re-impose oil sanctions in retaliation for Venezuela's authoritarian actions. But less than six months ago, the two countries had reached an agreement that included free and fair elections in Venezuela this year.

JUANITA GOEBERTUS, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Those of us who are democrats understand that that's how elections take place, and that you face elections knowing that you could potentially lose. But when you're an autocrat, there's huge existential threats in losing power.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Renewed tensions between Washington and Caracas could also have consequences in the U.S. Venezuelans are one of the largest migrant groups at the U.S. southern border. And activists fear migration will continue as long as they don't feel safe in their home country.

Cabrejo has already seen her daughter leave their country to look for better opportunities. Now, her son behind bars, she pleads for justice as well as safety.

Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Joining us now from London, Mariano de Alba, Senior Advisor with International Crisis Group. Great to have you with us. With Sergey Lavrov due in Venezuela today, tell us about the relationship between Russia and Venezuela, and the threat that that poses to the West.

MARIANO DE ALBA, SENIOR ADVISOR, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: It's been really close relationship since many years ago. The relationship started when Hugo Chavez was president of Venezuela, but it has gained a lot of relevance in the past ten years, I would say, as Venezuela has become very isolated from the West.

So I would say that in economic terms, Venezuela and Russia have a good economic relationship, but nothing major, especially in comparison to the West. But Russia has been really instrumental for Venezuela, as Venezuela has sought to basically circumvent U.S. sanctions, especially those related to the energy sector where Russia is also very prevalent. At the same time, Russia sees the relationship as one of political relevance in the sense that it sees Venezuela as -- having good relationship with Venezuela is a way of making a point to the U.S. of basically, I am also very present to your neighborhood.

And at the same time, Venezuela has become really instrumental in multilateral firms like United Nations, basically supporting all the lines and positions of Russia. So, I think there's a balance here. There was the hope that, with the U.S.-Venezuela agreement last year, Venezuela would basically diminish it its relationship with Moscow. However, that relationship is still very strong and I think that one of the points that Venezuela government will try to make as Lavrov visits Caracas today is basically saying, or pointing out to the West, we have other options if our deal fails.

COREN: And then, you've got to the U.S. relationship with Venezuela in disarray; bring us up to speed on how dire things are.

DE ALBA: The situation is very dire in the sense that, one, any day now, everything could fall down, basically because there was an agreement signed on electoral conditions late last year, but that agreement has not been implemented.

[02:35:00]

DE ALBA: The key date to look forward here is April 18. That's when the U.S. will have to decide whether it renews or not the flexibilization (ph) of sanctions it issued late last year. And as it stands now, it looks increasingly likely that it will not be able to renew that sanctions relief, at least on the same terms that it did in October last year. Basically, because the agreement has not been implemented and what we have seen and what the report was so alluding to was, basically, further repression, no implementation of the electoral guarantees, and the election, the presidential election should take place this year.

COREN: Mariano, how is this dysfunction, I guess, playing to Russia's interests? Because as you say, Moscow is being critical -- a critical ally in the past decade to Venezuela, hoping it circumvent these U.S. sanctions.

DE ALBA: I mean, I think Russia is taking advantage of the situation. However, Russia is not very much interested in investing in Venezuela. I think that Russia is basically using countries like Venezuela, like Cuba to basically point out to the U.S., oh, you are messing in our neighborhood, then we will also do the same in yours. But at the same -- but at the end, what is tragic for Venezuelan and for Venezuelans is that the economic opportunities that Russia can deliver are insufficient, are minimal. So in the end, for Venezuela to grow economically, it will need to maintain -- to try to maintain some sort of relationship with the West. And if it is not -- if that's not possible, then the majority of Venezuelans will suffer as a consequence.

COREN: And we know that millions of people have gone into poverty under Maduro's decade rule. Finally, human rights groups deeply concerned by the repressive policies as the presidential election looms in Venezuela sometime later this year. Are you expecting to see a broader crackdown?

DE ALBA: I think we are already seeing a very strong crackdown, political persecution, arbitrary arrests. I think that it is possible that that situation will maintain, that we will see further cases. The reality is that the Maduro government doesn't foresee the possibility of leaving power. So they work -- they're going to try to make everything that is -- they are going to make everything that is underhand to trying to keep on power. So in that context, the situation is very challenging.

COREN: Mariano de Alba, great to get your analysis and perspective. Thanks so much.

DEALBA: Thank you.

COREN: Police in Spain are investigating the disappearance of an American woman who has been missing for more than two weeks. The 40 year-old Florida woman was reported missing on February 2. Her brother told CNN, she had planned to take a train from Madrid to Barcelona, but never showed up at the train station. The superintendent at her Madrid apartment building says someone painted over the lenses of two security cameras around the time that she went missing. Stay with CNN. We'll be back after the break.

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[02:40:43]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIONEL MESSI, FOOTBALL PLAYER (through translator): As you all know, I always want to play and be involved in every game. I've heard people say that I didn't want to play for political reasons, and many other reasons that for totally untrue

COREN: Football legend Lionel Messi, once again, explaining his absence from a recent football game in Hong Kong. Well, this video posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo, was at the top of search rankings and received mostly positive comments and likes. Early this month, Messi sat out the game between his club, Inter Miami and the Hong Kong team, sparking immense backlash here in Hong Kong and in Mainland China. There certainly were a lot of disappointed football fans and Messi fans here in Hong Kong, I can tell you that.

Well, the British Museum is facing a flood of comments on social, media demanding the return of a statue from Easter Island. Chilean activists are calling for the return of a huge Moai statue that was taken without permission by the British in 1868. The campaign is the latest effort to get this statue back. Easter Island is a territory of Chile known for the famous Moai statues that dot its landscape. Islanders carved the Paleolithic structures in the shape of human heads to commemorate their ancestors.

Well, thank you so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. "World Sport" is coming up next. Then, I will be back in 15 minutes time with more "CNN Newsroom." Please stay with us.

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(WORLD SPORT)

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