Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 16 January 2018

Venezuela: Families of missing
sub crew ask Russia
Military takes down fugitive group in shootout to continue search

By A. CALATRAVA
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Associated Press
— Venezuelan special forc- BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
es on Monday captured (AP) — Relatives of some
five members of a band of the 44 crew members
led by a rebellious police aboard an Argentine sub-
officer who has been on marine that went missing
the run since stealing a in the South Atlantic asked
helicopter and launching Russia on Monday to carry
grenades at government on with the search two
buildings in the nation’s months after the vessel dis-
capital last year, officials appeared.
said. An explosion occurred
It wasn’t clear if Oscar Per- near the time and place
ez himself had been killed where the ARA San Juan
or captured in the opera- vanished Nov. 15. Argen-
tion after more than six tina has given up hope of
months on the lam. finding survivors, but the
Two officers were killed and navy has continued hunt-
five seriously injured during ing for the vessel.
a shootout with Perez and Russia is now the last of 18
his comrades, the Ministry foreign country that have
of Interior Relations said in assisted the search in an
a statement. area of some 1,500 square
“The members of this ter- In this July 13, 2017 photo, Oscar Perez speaks to the press at a night vigil to honor the more miles (4,000 square kilome-
than 90 people killed during three months of anti-government protests, in Caracas, Venezuela.
rorist cell who conducted Venezuelan officials say on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 they’ve exchanged fire during an attempt to ters).
armed resistance were tak- capture the fugitive police officer who led a high-profile attack in Caracas last year from a stolen The Argentine navy says
en down and five criminals helicopter. that it is looking for options,
captured and detained,” (AP Photo/Miguel Rodriguez) including hiring private
the statement said. copter attack in Caracas, people. He now has tens trained officer, an action- companies, in case Russia
Earlier Monday, Perez, 36, lobbing grenades at the of thousands of followers movie actor, pilot and dog withdraws.
posted video clips show- Supreme Court and Interior online and has piqued the trainer. Families of the crew gath-
ing blood dripping across Ministry buildings in broad curiosity of Venezuelans In December, Perez posted ered outside the Russian
his face as the sound of daylight. who either hail him as hero, videos showing him and a Embassy in Buenos Aires
gunfire rang in the back- No one was injured in the condemn him as a criminal small armed band taking Monday and made a des-
ground. Perez said officers incidents and Perez man- or question if he might be over a military outpost and perate plea to Russia, ask-
were firing at the group and aged to flee before author- a ruse to support President smashing a portrait of Mad- ing it to continue searching
wanted to kill him instead ities swarmed in. Nicolas Maduro’s assertion uro with his foot. for their loved ones with
of permitting his surrender. In numerous videos posted that the nation is under at- Perez and the assailants ships that carry remotely
“We’re going to turn our- on Instagram, Perez has tack by opposition conspir- berated several detained operated vehicles ca-
selves in!” Perez shouted. claimed that he is fighting ators. guardsmen for doing pable of deep seafloor
Perez leaped into the for Venezuela’s freedom Adding to the intrigue is nothing to help their fel- searches.
spotlight in June when he from a tyrannical govern- Perez’s unusual past, which low citizens suffering from “We’ve come to thank Rus-
staged a dramatic heli- ment that is starving its combined work as a highly hunger.q sia and ask that it doesn’t
withdraw. I have hope and
Chile: faith that they’re still float-
ing there,” said Antonio
Activists: pope must apologize for priest abuse Niz, father of crew member
Luis Niz.
The Russian government
By EVA VERGARA cause of Francis’ decision planned protests of sex of Chile’s Mapuche indig- has not announced an
NICOLE WINFIELD to appoint a bishop with abuse and cover-ups. Fran- enous group and victims of end date for its assistance.
Associated Press close ties to the country’s cis is coming to a country in the 1973-1990 military dic- The German-built TR-1700
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — most notorious abuser. which the majority of peo- tatorship. It remains to be class submarine disap-
Hours before Pope Francis “It’s not just time for the ple continue to declare seen if he will meet with sex peared as it was sailing
was set to arrive in Chile pope to ask for forgive- themselves Roman Catho- abuse survivors. A meeting from the southernmost port
Monday, activists on issues ness or the abuses but also lics, but where the church wasn’t on the agenda, but of Ushuaia to Mar del Plata
related to sex abuse by to take action,” said Juan has lost the influence and such encounters never are. after a patrol.
priests called for sanctions Carlos Cruz, a victim of the moral authority it once en- Chile’s church earned The navy says that the ves-
against both abusers and Rev. Fernando Karadima. joyed thanks to the scan- wide respect during the sel’s captain reported on
anyone who helped cover Cruz added that if it wasn’t dals, secularization and an regime of Gen. Augusto Nov. 15 that water entered
up their actions. possible to jail bad bish- out-of-touch clerical caste. Pinochet because it spoke the snorkel and caused
About 200 people attend- ops, “at the very least they “I used to be a strong be- out against the military’s one of the sub’s batteries
ed the first of several activi- can be removed from their liever and churchgoer,” human rights abuses, but it to short-circuit. The captain
ties aimed at making the positions.” Francis’ visit to said Blanca Carvucho, a began a downward spiral later communicated that it
sex abuse scandal a cen- Chile is expected to be 57-year-old secretary in in 2010 when victims of a had been contained.
tral topic of Francis’ first visit fraught with a high level Santiago. “All the contra- charismatic, politically con- Some hours later, an explo-
to the Andean nation since of opposition. Firebomb- dictions have pushed me nected priest came for- sion was detected near the
becoming pope in 2013. ings of Catholic churches away.” ward with allegations that time and place where the
Sex abuse in Chile is an in recent days have added In Chile, he plans sessions he had kissed and fondled San Juan was last heard
open wound, in part be- to the tensions, as have with migrants, members them.q from. q