Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 13 July 2018

Controversial shopping mall partly collapses in Mexico City

Associated Press due to structural defects or
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A soil settling. In a statement,
newly opened shopping the mall’s operator said
mall on Mexico City’s south that it notified city authori-
side partly collapsed Thurs- ties when it noticed signs
day after structural prob- the area was collapsing. It
lems apparently led the said it regretted the impact
mall’s operators to evacu- the accident was having
ate the area, and no inju- on traffic on the notori-
ries were reported. ously crowded Periferico
Videos posted on social expressway. At least two
media show a cantile- lanes were closed.
vered, multi-story section The mall was controversial
of the mall collapsing in a in part because it threat-
cloud of dust and twisted ened to clog traffic, and
metal on Thursday. Some of because it was built near a
it fell into lanes of a major rain catchment basin that
freeway, which had been serves to regulate the city’s
closed shortly before the seasonally heavy rainfall.
collapse. The Artz Pedre- The risk posed by substan-
gal mall opened in March, dard building has been a
though parts remain under longstanding issue in Mexi-
construction. It had drawn The Artz Pedregal shopping mall stands partially collapsed on the south side of Mexico City, co City, where many poorly
the ire of neighbors wor- Thursday, July 12, 2018. built or designed buildings
ried about the loss of open Associated Press collapsed in the city’s 1985
space, congestion and pressway, the mall had suf- Ramon Amieva said the perts were investigating and 2017 earthquakes,
other issues. Built on the fered previous subsoil slides. collapse occurred in an whether the collapse of both of which occurred on
edge of the city’s main ex- Mexico City Mayor Jose area of offices, and ex- the cantilevered area was Sept. 19.q

Brazil’s Lula found not guilty of obstruction of justice

Associated Press of trying to buy the silence In that case, da Silva was
SAO PAULO (AP) — Former of a former Petrobras exec- convicted of trading fa-
Brazilian President Luiz Ina- utive who was implicated vors with a construction
cio Lula da Silva was found in the scandal. company also involved the
not guilty of obstruction of But Judge Ricardo Augusto corruption scandal in ex-
justice on Thursday, in one Soares Leite ruled Thursday change for the promise of
of several cases against the that the evidence did not a beachfront apartment.
jailed politician. The deci- present a clear picture of “It is hoped that justice also
sion is not entirely surprising what actually happened. prevails in the triplex case
since the prosecutors’ of- He added that the testimo- to reinstate Lula’s full liber-
fice had, in the end, asked ny of witnesses against da ty,” lawyer Cristiano Zanin
the judge to acquit da Sil- Silva, including some coop- Martins said in a statement.
va, saying it had not found erating with the state, was Both cases are part of the
evidence that the former not sufficiently credible. Car Wash investigation in
president was involved in Da Silva’s lawyers wel- which prosecutors allege
attempts to interfere with comed the decision and politicians granted favors
a massive corruption inves- said that the judge’s rea- and state contracts to
tigation involving state-run soning in Thursday’s ruling companies for bribes and
A supporter of Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
carries a flag with text written in Portuguese that reads “Free oil company Petrobras. could equally be applied campaign contributions.
Lula” during a protest in Brazil, Monday, July 9, 2018. The initial indictment ac- to the case in which da Sil- Da Silva also faces charges
Associated Press cused da Silva and others va was convicted last year. in other pending cases. q