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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 6 January 2021
Venezuela's socialists take control of once-defiant congress

By JORGE RUEDA and optation exacerbated by
JOSHUA GOODMAN the opposition's own mis-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) steps, Arellano said. She
— Nicolás Maduro was set expects a new round of re-
to extend his grip on power pression now that Maduro
Tuesday as the ruling so- has seized congress. On
cialist party prepared to Tuesday, Guaidó blasted
assume the leadership of on Twitter photos of what
Venezuela's congress, the he said were security forces
last institution in the country surrounding his apartment
it didn't already control. building in Caracas. The AP
Maduro's allies swept legis- was unable to confirm the
lative elections last month reports.
boycotted by the opposi- Reflecting that lack of
tion and denounced as a unity, a few lawmakers still
sham by the U.S., the Eu- inside Venezuela -- includ-
ropean Union and several ing Guaidó's former deputy
other foreign governments. as National Assembly vice
While the vote was marred president -- signaled they
by anemically low turnout, would no longer lay claim
it nonetheless seemed to to their seats.
relegate into irrelevancy "We're at the start of what
the U.S.-backed opposition looks like a very dark, new
led by 37-year-old lawmak- phase," said Arellano.
er Juan Guaidó. Jorge Rodriguez, right, lifts his fist after being sworn-in as president of the National Assembly, in With Maduro easily boxing
front of a photo of late President Hugo Chavez, at Congress in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan.
Exactly a year ago, Guaidó, 5, 2021. out the opposition, his big-
in a blue suit and tie, tried Associated Press gest threat may come from
to scale a spiked iron fence within his own coalition.
to get past a group of riot gathered online to extend there are free elections in tary, the traditional arbiter To reward loyal allies and
police blocking him from their mandate stemming Venezuela," Guaidó said of political disputes. paper over tensions be-
attending the parliament's from a landslide victory in on Twitter recently. Gaby Arellano, a law- tween hardline ideologues
inaugural session, which 2015 for another 12 months, While Guaido's bravery maker exiled in Colombia, and moderates within the
according to the consti- operating through an ad- hasn't wavered, the op- said that many in the op- Bolivarian revolution, the
tution must be held every junct committee normally position's political fortunes position underestimated makeup of the legislature
year on Jan. 5. reserved for legislative re- have tanked as Venezue- Maduro, thinking he stood was expanded by 100
A far cry from that elec- cesses. lans own hopes for change no chance in a doomsday seats. He also leaned on
tric display of defiance, Supreme Court justices have collapsed. Recent economic environment high-profile candidates,
Guaidó was expected to loyal to Maduro immedi- opinion polls show support marked by hyperinflation, including First Lady Cilia
meet via Zoom with a co- ately struck down the law for Guaidó having fallen by miles-long lines for gaso- Flores, in an ultimately futile
hort of opposition leaders as invalid. But that hasn't more than half since he first line and pulverized wages attempt to boost turnout,
for their own virtual parlia- stopped the Trump adminis- rose to challenge Maduro measured adding up to a which in the end was 30%
mentary session. tration from doubling down two years ago. few pennies per month. — less than half of what it
Last month, anti-Maduro in its support of Guaidó. Meanwhile, Maduro has But he's managed to out- was in the 2015 election,
lawmakers, several dozen "The national parliament managed to retain a solid maneuver his foes through which gave control of con-
of them from exile, also will not be detained until grip on power and the mili- a mix of repression and co- gress to the opposition.q

Portugal leads drive for EU consensus on migration policy

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — a meeting of EU justice and tries which have taken in
Portugal started consulta- home affairs ministers on large numbers of migrants,
tions Tuesday with other Jan. 28, the statement said. as well as to authorities in
European Union countries But migration from outside central and eastern Euro-
to find common ground for the EU requires the bloc's pean countries where mi-
a new policy on migration, members to stand togeth- grants have often been
which has caused humani- er, and "solidarity cannot made to feel unwelcome.
tarian crises and deep po- be voluntary," the state- Finding consensus for a
litical divisions in the bloc ment said. common EU policy on mi-
over how to respond. "The main goal must be to gration has eluded the
Portugal, which holds the avoid having people who bloc for years. Portugal also
EU's rotating presidency for are searching for a better wants to reach a compre-
the first half of this year, is life in Europe remain for hensive migration agree-
working on a concept of long periods of time in tem- ment with countries along
"flexible, mandatory soli- porary accommodation the Mediterranean Sea's
darity" between countries, ... without any clarification southern rim, from where Yohaness, from Eritrea, prays with other migrants as they arrive
according to a statement about their future," it said. many migrants cross to the at the coast of Italy on board the Spanish NGO Open Arms ves-
sel after being rescued in the Mediterranean sea, about 8 miles
from the office of Portu- Cabrita spoke Tuesday to EU. That should include not south Italy on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021.
guese Home Affairs Minister Greece's minister for migra- only tight border controls, Associated Press
Eduardo Cabrita. tion and asylum. He plans but also rules on legal mi-
Defining what that concept to speak to officials in other gration and development Legal migration can help swers to low birth rates and
entails is Portugal's goal for southern European coun- aid, the statement said. some EU countries find an- aging populations, it said.q