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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 5 July 2017

Venezuela high court, top prosecutor in political showdown

date a circus that will stain deputy: a loyalist who was
our history with shame and sanctioned by the Unit-
pain,” she said at a news ed States in 2015 for her
conference as the hear- role prosecuting some of
ing was getting underway. Maduro’s most vocal op-
The case against her for al- ponents.
leged “serious errors” while The decision to name
in office was brought by a Katherine Haringhton to
ruling-party lawmaker and the post effectively made
could lead to her ouster. her the nation’s No. 2 law
National Guard troops enforcement official even
and riot police took up though the constitution
positions outside the court says the semi-autonomous
building in Caracas, where chief prosecutor has the
protests against Maduro’s power to name her own
government have been deputy, with confirmation
raging almost daily for sev- by congress.
eral months. Lawmakers on Monday
On Monday the govern- had re-confirmed Orte-
ment-stacked Supreme ga’s own choice as dep-
Court acted to strip a key uty after he was removed
power from Ortega by by the high court last
acting itself to impose her week.q
Venezuela’s chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz speaks during a press conference in Caracas,
Venezuela, Tuesday, July 4, 2017. Venezuela’s Supreme Court is holding a hearing Tuesday on
whether to strip Ortega Diaz of immunity from prosecution for unspecified irregularities.
(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ prosecutor was coming to Ortega Diaz argued the
JOSHUA GOODMAN a head Tuesday as Luisa outcome of Tuesday’s
Associated Press Ortega Diaz announced hearing was a foregone
CARACAS, Venezuela she was boycotting a Su- conclusion decided by
(AP) — A conflict between preme Court hearing on the government that vio-
President Nicolas Madu- whether to lift her immuni- lates her legal right to de-
ro’s government and his ty from being tried for un- fense and due process.
increasingly defiant chief specified irregularities. “I am not going to vali-

Puerto Rico banning coal ash from landfills

By DANICA COTO pany that would convert one that is barring trucks
Associated Press coal ash into construction carrying coal ash from en-
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) material for exportation. tering a landfill in the south-
— Puerto Rico’s governor The company is expected ern coastal town of Penu-
on Tuesday signed a law to start operating in a year. elas.
that bans coal ash from “The policy of this adminis- A message left with a com-
being deposited in land- tration is to seek commer- pany official was not imme-
fills across the U.S. territory, cial alternatives to create diately returned.
though critics complained jobs and to export the ash Critics say the law does not
the measure does not go generated on the island,” go far enough because it
far enough to protect peo- Rossello said. does not prohibit the use
ple’s health. Applied Energy Systems, a of coal ash for commer-
Gov. Ricardo Rossello said company that uses mineral cial purposes, nor the de-
coal ash can only be used coal to generate power for posit of other types of ash
for commercial purposes if Puerto Rico, had been de- in landfills.
it meets local and federal positing ash in the island’s “This law is one step forward
environmental laws. He southern region. The prac- and two steps back,” biolo-
also announced the cre- tice sparked multiple pro- gist Miguel Canals said in a
ation of a $10 million com- tests, including an ongoing phone interview.q