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WORLD NEWS Thursday 3 augusT 2017

Vote tampering claims jolt Venezuela on eve of new assembly

By FABIOLA SANCHEZ He did not, however, spec- therefore, with the deep- Council had inflated the say with certitude that
CHRISTINE ARMARIO ify whether his company’s est regret that we have to turnout count. Julio Borges, these people ... were those
Associated Press figures showed 1 million report that the turnout fig- the president of the oppo- who won or if they were
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) fewer, or 1 million more, ures on Sunday, 30 July, for sition-controlled National the product of a scheme,”
— Revelations on Wednes- Borges said.
day that turnout figures Despite the fraud allega-
were apparently manipu- tions, preparations pro-
lated in a crucial vote for ceeded to quickly install
an all-powerful constitu- the new assembly on Thurs-
ent assembly in Venezuela day.
cast an even longer shad- Around the nation, the 545
ow over the controversial newly elected delegates,
body hours before it was to many dressed in the ruling
convene. socialist party’s signature
The official count of voters red, were honored in cer-
in Sunday’s election was emonies and given certi-
off by at least 1 million, fications acknowledging
according to the head of their new powers.
the voting technology firm Many paid homage to
Smartmatic — a finding President Nicolas Maduro
certain to sow further dis- in accepting their posts.
cord over a body that has “Long live Nicolas!” del-
been granted vast author- egates and supporters
ity to rewrite Venezuela’s chanted at one such gath-
constitution and override ering in the northern city of
every branch of govern- Vargas.
ment. Tibisay Lucena, the head
Results recorded by Smart- Anti-government lawmakers shout “Fraud,” during a session of Venezuela’s National Assembly, of the National Electoral
matic’s systems and those in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. The National assembly’s claim of a fraudu- Council, dismissed Smart-
reported by Venezuela’s lent election was bolstered when the CEO of the voting technology company Smartmatic said matic’s voter tampering
Wednesday that results of Venezuela’s election for the all-powerful constituent assembly were off
National Electoral Council by at least 1 million votes. claim, calling it an “opin-
show “without any doubt” (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) ion” of a company that
that the official turnout fig- played only a secondary
ure of more than 8 million voters participated in the the constituent assembly in Assembly, said lawmakers role in the election and
voters was tampered with, election. Venezuela were tampered were asking the nation’s had no access to com-
company CEO Antonio “Even in moments of deep with.” chief prosecutor to inves- plete data.
Mugica told reports in Lon- political conflict and divi- The revelation drew an im- tigate election commis- “A company located out-
don. sion we have been satis- mediate reaction from op- sion members for potential side the country does not
The international software fied with the voting pro- position leaders who have crimes. guarantee the transpar-
company has provided cess and the count has contended since Sunday’s “They are going to install ency and credibility of the
voting technology in Ven- been completely accu- results were announced a fraudulent constitutional Venezuelan electoral sys-
ezuela since 2004. rate,” Mugica said. “It is, that the National Electoral assembly and no one can tem,” she said. q

High-profile lawyers targeted in Mexico spyware scandal

By MARIA VERZA Karla Micheel Salas and sages designed to infect tigating high-level corrup- governments only for use
FRANK BAJAK David Pena were targeted them with the same spy- tion, opposition politicians against criminals and ter-
Associated Press in 2015, weeks after they ware that Citizen Lab previ- and activists, and interna- rorists.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- questioned prosecutors’ ously determined was sent tional experts critical of the University of Toronto-based
ico’s surveillance scandal handling of the killings of to 19 Mexican individuals government’s probe into Citizen Lab said those con-
widened Wednesday to activist Nadia Vera, jour- or groups, the cyber-sleuths the 2014 disappearance ditions were clearly violat-
encompass a pair of promi- nalist Ruben Espinosa and said in a research note. of 43 students from a rural ed in Mexico, though it says
nent human rights attor- three other women in a One said she believed her teachers college. it has no conclusive proof
neys probing a multiple ho- Mexico City apartment in phone was infected by it. NSO Group says it sells Peg- of government involve-
micide case whose victims July that year. The victims Other Mexican targets of asus, which lets attackers ment.
include a photojournalist were tortured and shot to the sophisticated Pegasus siphon away the contents President Enrique Pena
and an activist. death. spyware, made by Israel- of cellphones and clan- Nieto has dismissed any
The internet watchdog The lawyers’ cellphones based NSO Group, have destinely convert them into suggestion that his govern-
Citizen Lab said lawyers were targeted by mes- included journalists inves- eavesdropping devices, to ment is responsible. q