Page 11 - ATD12DEC2015

WORLD NEWS A11
Saturday 12 December 2015

Venezuela promotes judge in divisive Leopoldo Lopez case

street protests that turned held stations. power to negate legisla-
bloody in 2014.
The appointment was part Opposition lawmakers tion.
of what promises to be a
string of actions aimed at have promised to use the Opposition lawmakers
consolidating power be-
fore the socialists hand channel to air investiga- have pledged to pass a bill
over the legislature to the
opposition. tions into topics like corrup- granting amnesty to Lopez
Lawmakers also gave work-
ers control of the National tion. and some 70 other activists
Assembly television station
in a bid to keep it out of the It’s unclear whether the considered political prison-
hands of the opposition. In-
coming congressmen have new congress will be able ers as their first order of busi-
been eagerly planning
what to do with the chan- to take it back from the ness.
nel, having been frozen out
of the state television land- newly created worker col- Hardliners are also promis-
scape for years, and mostly
ignored even by privately lective in January. ing to launch a campaign

Next week, the outgo- to recall unpopular Presi-

ing congress is expected dent Nicolas Maduro. That

to name a group of new could free Lopez from pris-

Members of the National Assembly vote during a session in Ca- judges to the Supreme on and pave the way for
racas, Venezuela. Venezuela’s outgoing congress has promot-
ed a judge who drew international criticism by handing down a Court, where they will serve him to run for president.
long prison term to opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.
out 12-year terms unless the Maduro in a speech this
(AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
opposition congress man- week reiterated his claim

ages to impeach them. that Lopez is a murderer,

Unlike the president, Ven- and promised to fight any

HANNAH DREIER Opposition leaders took ezuela’s high court has the amnesty law. q
Associated Press the Thursday appointment
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) as an affront and said the
— Venezuela’s outgoing appointment showed how
congress has promoted a little respect the ruling par-
judge who drew interna- ty has for human rights and
tional criticism by handing international opinion.
down a long prison term Outgoing National Assem-
to opposition leader Leop- bly President Diosdado
oldo Lopez. Cabello responded glee-
Lawmakers from the rul- fully, saying the more the
ing socialist party named “bourgeois” opposition at-
Judge Susana Barreiros as tacks the judge, the more
head public defender days it solidifies her revolutionary
after the opposition won a credentials.
landslide congressional vic- In September, Barreiros
tory that represented the gave Lopez the maximum
first major change to the possible sentence of 14
balance of power in more years in prison for his role in
than a decade. leading anti-government

Honduras:

Autopsy: soccer player shot 18 times

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras multiple gunshot wounds to
(AP) — Prosecutors said Fri- the skull, face and chest.”
day that an autopsy shows The killing occurred at the
Honduran national soccer parking lot of the Uniplaza
team player Arnold Per- mall in La Ceiba, on the
alta suffered 18 gunshot country’s Caribbean coast.
wounds in what they called Police said two men on a
a “vicious attack.” motorcycle sprayed Per-
Peralta was killed Thursday alta with bullets. Another
when he was attacked soccer player who was
at a shopping mall in his with him at the time was
hometown. unharmed.
The statement from the Peralta was on vacation
chief prosecutors’ office following the conclusion
says Peralta “was viciously of the Honduran national
attacked, and he died of league season. q