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WORLD NEWS Saturday 22 July 2017

Venezuela power struggle intensifies in Supreme Court battle

By FABIOLA SANCHEZ have been at odds since
CHRISTINE ARMARIO the opposition gained a
Associated Press majority in 2015 legisla-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) tive elections. The court’s
— Opposition lawmakers constitutional chamber
appointed a slate of new voided eight laws passed
judges Friday to the gov- by the National Assembly
ernment-stacked Supreme between January and Oc-
Court, which wasted no tober 2016, after just one
time in declaring them such ruling in the previous
null as an ongoing power 200 years, legal experts say.
struggle heats up between In late March a Supreme
President Nicolas Maduro Court decision stripping
and his foes.Emboldened the National Assembly of
by a 24-hour national strike its remaining powers un-
that paralyzed much of the leashed the current wave
country the previous day, of political unrest. Though
the opposition-controlled the decision was later re-
National Assembly named versed following a back-
the 33 magistrates to re- lash of domestic and inter-
place the entire Supreme national criticism, protests
Court, which Maduro op- erupted in which at least 97
ponents argue does his Newly-named Supreme Court justices applaud before they are sworn-in at an outdoor ceremony people have been killed in
in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, July 21, 2017. Venezuela’s opposition-led National Assembly has
bidding and continually sworn in new magistrates to the government-dominated Supreme Court during a ceremony held nearly four months. Dem-
violates the constitution. in a public plaza. They appointed the slate of judges in an escalating fight against President Nico- onstrators are demanding
Many of the court’s justices las Maduro’s plan to rewrite the constitution. that presidential elections
were hastily appointed (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) scheduled for 2018 be held
shortly before the ruling committed, and authori- game,” Mendoza said. are no vacancies and any immediately as the country
party lost its majority in con- ties should take unspecified The National Assembly has judges appointed would slides further into triple-digit
gress. “Today our justice actions in response. the power to install mem- be illegally usurping author- inflation, food shortages
system has been hijacked. “It is time for them to re- bers of the Supreme Court, ity. The National Assembly leave families hungry and
It is at the service of the spect the rules of the but Mendoza said there and the Supreme Court corruption runs rampant.q
regime,” congresswoman
Sonia Medina said at cer-
magistrates. “The judges Lawmakers put Chile’s abortion law on hold
emonial swearing-in of the

have removed themselves
from submitting to the rule By EVA VERGARA matic development in one Chile’s conservative sec- productive Rights. A hand-
of law, from the honor of Associated Press of Latin America’s most tors, Thursday’s failure was ful of others have rules so
judicial power, to repress, SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — traditionally conservative due to the abstention of restrictive that they amount
pursue, torture and jail.” Approval of a law legaliz- countries. The lower house a member of Bachelet’s to de facto bans.
The Supreme Court prompt- ing abortion in some cases had already approved party. “This is painful for Currently women who
ly moved to keep them in Chile will have to wait the bill, which was strongly us. Nobody tried to align get abortions in Chile are
from the bench, declaring after its supporters narrowly backed by President Mi- everyone because it was subject to up to five years
the appointments to be in lost a lower house vote on chele Bachelet, leading understood that we were in jail, as are doctors or
violation of the constitu- proposed modifications to many to expect its passage all committed to what we medical personnel who
tion. In an escalating war the bill. into law. But modifications had promised the citizens,” assist with the procedure.
of words, Jose Mendoza, Chile’s Senate voted this made by the Senate were said backer Sen. Alejandro A woman who arrives at a
head of the court’s con- week to allow abortions sent back to the lower Guillier. Chile is one of just hospital with signs that she
stitutional branch, said of- when a mother’s life is in house for approval where four countries that currently has had an abortion is sup-
fenses punishable by both danger, when the fetus is they failed to pass by just prohibit abortion in all cas- posed to be reported to
the civilian and military not viable and in cases of one vote. While abortion es, according to the New the police, or the hospital
penal codes had been rape. It was seen as a dra- has met resistance from York-based Center for Re- faces sanction.q