Page 6 - MIN VOS FEB 3,2015
P. 6
WORLD NEWS A11
Tuesday 3 February 2015
Venezuela authorities probe drug store chain amid shortages
FABIOLA SANCHEZ conspiring with opponents A customer walks past a Farmatodo pharmacy in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Feb. 2, 2015.
Associated Press to wage an “economic Venezuela’s largest drugstore chain says it’s under investigation by price-control authorities and
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) war” against his socialist the intelligence service, presumably on suspicion of aggravating the country’s chronic shortages.
— Two executives for Ven- government.
ezuela’s largest drugstore He said the arrested retail (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
chain were being held executives are behind long
Monday as part of an in- lines and panic buying of of Farmatodo would have “We’re talking about end- economy, former presiden-
vestigation by price-con- essential goods that have
trol authorities into illegal plagued Venezuela in re- dire consequences for the ing what little is left” of tial candidate Henrique
practices contributing to cent weeks.
the country’s chronic short- Farmatodo said in a state- economy. private enterprise in the Capriles said on Twitter.
ages. ment that its actions are
A manager for the Farm- transparent and that its
atodo company said the 167 stores nationwide have
two executives taken into been inspected numerous
custody over the weekend times in recent months by
have not been informed the government.
by intelligence agents car- Economists and critics
rying out the interrogation blame rigid price and cur-
what they are accused rency controls, saying the
of. The manager insisted rules make it impossible
on anonymity to discuss for businesses to import
the matter, because of a and produce at a profit
lack of authorization to talk and also encourage large-
about the case publicly. scale smuggling of govern-
Without naming Farm- ment-subsidized goods to
atodo, President Nicolas nearby countries.
Maduro on Sunday blasted Several critics warned that
the owners of a major retail any government takeover
chain that he accused of
Mexico faces questions about missing from UN committee
C. SHERMAN and more to do with the killed them, burned the re- identity of only one of the The Mexican delegation
Associated Press temporary situation that mains and disposed of the students, leaving the vic- told the U.N. committee
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- some parts of the country ashes in a river. DNA evi- tims’ families skeptical of that the investigation is
ico has made a priority of find themselves in, specifi- dence has confirmed the the government’s account. continues.
passing laws against forced cally the state of Guerre-
disappearances and per- ro,” Mexican Ambassador
fecting a database to Jorge Lomonaco said in an
track missing people, the interview after the meet-
country’s permanent rep- ing.
resentative to the U.N. in Still, he said passage of a
Geneva said Monday. law put forward in late No-
Mexico’s delegation faced vember that lays out the
the first of two days of charges and penalties for
questions from the U.N. forced disappearances
Committee on Enforced would be a “fundamental
Disappearances, which is tool.”
monitoring implementation According to the latest offi-
of the 2006 International cial figures, there are 23,271
Convention for the Protec- people missing or not locat-
tion of all Persons from En- ed in Mexico, of which 621
forced Disappearance. are being sought by the
The meeting came at a federal Attorney General’s
difficult time for Mexico, Office’s Search Unit. The
with the September disap- numbers were provided by
pearance of 43 college the office’s general pros-
students at the hands of ecutor for human rights, Eli-
local police having cap- ana Garcia, on Jan. 19 to
tured the world’s attention. a forum in the Chamber of
Family members of some of Deputies.
the missing students were According to Mexico’s at-
present as committee torney general, the stu-
members asked Mexican dents from a rural teacher
officials about the case’s college in Ayotzinapa were
investigation. detained by police in the
“The causes of this (the stu- city of Iguala and then
dent disappearances) I be- handed over to the Guer-
lieve have little to do with reros Unidos gang, which
the institutional framework
Tuesday 3 February 2015
Venezuela authorities probe drug store chain amid shortages
FABIOLA SANCHEZ conspiring with opponents A customer walks past a Farmatodo pharmacy in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Feb. 2, 2015.
Associated Press to wage an “economic Venezuela’s largest drugstore chain says it’s under investigation by price-control authorities and
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) war” against his socialist the intelligence service, presumably on suspicion of aggravating the country’s chronic shortages.
— Two executives for Ven- government.
ezuela’s largest drugstore He said the arrested retail (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
chain were being held executives are behind long
Monday as part of an in- lines and panic buying of of Farmatodo would have “We’re talking about end- economy, former presiden-
vestigation by price-con- essential goods that have
trol authorities into illegal plagued Venezuela in re- dire consequences for the ing what little is left” of tial candidate Henrique
practices contributing to cent weeks.
the country’s chronic short- Farmatodo said in a state- economy. private enterprise in the Capriles said on Twitter.
ages. ment that its actions are
A manager for the Farm- transparent and that its
atodo company said the 167 stores nationwide have
two executives taken into been inspected numerous
custody over the weekend times in recent months by
have not been informed the government.
by intelligence agents car- Economists and critics
rying out the interrogation blame rigid price and cur-
what they are accused rency controls, saying the
of. The manager insisted rules make it impossible
on anonymity to discuss for businesses to import
the matter, because of a and produce at a profit
lack of authorization to talk and also encourage large-
about the case publicly. scale smuggling of govern-
Without naming Farm- ment-subsidized goods to
atodo, President Nicolas nearby countries.
Maduro on Sunday blasted Several critics warned that
the owners of a major retail any government takeover
chain that he accused of
Mexico faces questions about missing from UN committee
C. SHERMAN and more to do with the killed them, burned the re- identity of only one of the The Mexican delegation
Associated Press temporary situation that mains and disposed of the students, leaving the vic- told the U.N. committee
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- some parts of the country ashes in a river. DNA evi- tims’ families skeptical of that the investigation is
ico has made a priority of find themselves in, specifi- dence has confirmed the the government’s account. continues.
passing laws against forced cally the state of Guerre-
disappearances and per- ro,” Mexican Ambassador
fecting a database to Jorge Lomonaco said in an
track missing people, the interview after the meet-
country’s permanent rep- ing.
resentative to the U.N. in Still, he said passage of a
Geneva said Monday. law put forward in late No-
Mexico’s delegation faced vember that lays out the
the first of two days of charges and penalties for
questions from the U.N. forced disappearances
Committee on Enforced would be a “fundamental
Disappearances, which is tool.”
monitoring implementation According to the latest offi-
of the 2006 International cial figures, there are 23,271
Convention for the Protec- people missing or not locat-
tion of all Persons from En- ed in Mexico, of which 621
forced Disappearance. are being sought by the
The meeting came at a federal Attorney General’s
difficult time for Mexico, Office’s Search Unit. The
with the September disap- numbers were provided by
pearance of 43 college the office’s general pros-
students at the hands of ecutor for human rights, Eli-
local police having cap- ana Garcia, on Jan. 19 to
tured the world’s attention. a forum in the Chamber of
Family members of some of Deputies.
the missing students were According to Mexico’s at-
present as committee torney general, the stu-
members asked Mexican dents from a rural teacher
officials about the case’s college in Ayotzinapa were
investigation. detained by police in the
“The causes of this (the stu- city of Iguala and then
dent disappearances) I be- handed over to the Guer-
lieve have little to do with reros Unidos gang, which
the institutional framework
