05/05/2021 10:05
Clarín.com
World
Updated 05/05/2021 10:05
While Venezuela is still immersed in a deep crisis, President Nicolás Maduro exhibited his "gifts" with a samurai sword that
Steven Seagal
, actor and specialist in martial arts,
gave him
, who traveled to Caracas as special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry .
They also played the guitar.
The meeting, which was broadcast on state television, took place in the presidential palace in Miraflores.
The famous actor and seventh dan in the Japanese martial art of aikido arrived there, who
gave a samurai sword
to Maduro.
The president took it up and joked by performing several simple combat-style movements with the katana before the watchful eye of the American producer who came
without wearing a mask
to prevent the coronavirus.
Without a mask to prevent the coronavirus, Seagal handed the katana to Maduro.
Photo: EFE
According to local media, the sword that the Hollywood figure gave to Maduro was the same one he used in one of his film recordings.
"Maximum Alert" (1992) 'and "Corruption Network" (2001) cemented the American's career as an action movie actor.
But there was more.
Maduro, for his part,
gave him a guitar
and they shared a brief musical moment with the instrument.
Seagal looked at her with a big smile and started to touch her.
"In the meeting with the American actor Steven Seagal we had the honor of enjoying his musical side, through the guitar. A gift that we gave with the love of the Venezuelan people. Thank you for your visit!", Wrote the Venezuelan president in Twitter
In the meeting with the American actor Steven Seagal, we had the honor of enjoying his musical side, through the guitar.
A gift that we give with the love of the Venezuelan people.
Thank you for your visit!
pic.twitter.com/kHeIIOK9xy
- Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) May 5, 2021
Seagal, 69, has had Russian nationality since 2006 and is a staunch defender of President Vladimir Putin.
On this occasion, he visited Venezuela as a special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
A descendant of Russian Jewish immigrant paternal grandparents, the actor was appointed in 2018 as a representative of the Kremlin and seeks to facilitate relations between Washington and Moscow in humanitarian matters, cultural and artistic exchanges.
Maduro wielded the katana and joked performing various combat-style movements.
Photo: AFP Photo: EFE
Crisis in Venezuela
Maduro announced on Saturday, on Labor Day, an increase in
the minimum wage
of almost 300%, which however is not enough for a kilo of meat, in the midst of galloping hyperinflation.
"An increase in the minimum wage to 7 million bolivars comes into effect,"
equivalent to 2.5 dollars
, informed the Minister of Labor, Eduardo Piñate, before a concentration of followers of Chavismo in an act on the occasion of May 1.
The salary, which increased 288.8% compared to the current 1.8 million, is complemented with a food bonus of "3 million bolivars, to reach a" minimum income of 10 million bolivars.
The amount is insufficient to thereby recover the purchasing power of Venezuelans, who are suffering
the worst crisis in the modern history
of their country.
Venezuela registers an
economic collapse
accentuated by hyperinflation, which registers an interannual rate of 3,867%, according to the Finance Observatory, but which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects at 5,500%, at the end of 2021.
The government of Nicolás Maduro, hit by international sanctions, led by the United States, which ignores him and promotes his departure, had stopped announcing salary increases with great fanfare as in the era of his predecessor Hugo Chávez.
In fact, the latest increase was not even officially published.
JPE
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Venezuela: Nicolás Maduro increased the minimum wage 300% but is not even enough to buy a kilo of meat
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