Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 11 March 2020
Venezuela capital sees dueling political rallies

By SCOTT SMITH In a statement in Geneva,
Associated Press she said her office con-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) tinues to receive allega-
— Venezuelan opposition tions of "cruel, inhuman or
leader Juan Guaidó set degrading treatment" at
off at the head of a march military counterintelligence
Tuesday aimed at retak- prisons.
ing the congress building I "call for all parties to act
that has been held by pro- with the heightened sense
government factions, but of purpose that the coun-
the path ahead appeared try deserves, in order to
to be blocked by security avoid further escalation in
forces and government political confrontation that
supporters. could lead to violence,"
The government of Presi- she said.
dent Nicolás Maduro The country's political and
called on its loyalists also to economic crisis has driven
flood the streets, and also more than 4.5 million Ven-
announced military exer- ezuelans to migrate from
cises to defend the nation's the once-wealthy South
major cities, setting the American nation, escaping
stage for potential clashes. soaring inflation, scarcity of
Guaidó led several hun- A member of the opposition holds up her handcuffed hands as she joins the start of a rally in basic goods and unreliable
dred people through an Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. services, such as lights and
opposition-friendly section Associated Press water.
of Caracas on a course up blasting salsa music. group instead. Attempts official. Michelle Bachelet, Guaidó initially garnered
toward downtown, which Some 60 nations, led by by opposition lawmakers the U.N.'s high commission- wide support with massive
heavily dominated by sup- the United States, recog- led by Guaidó since early er for human rights, said she crowds across the country
porters of Maduro. State nize Guaidó, head of the January to enter their leg- was "concerned' about the after he declared himself
police wearing riot gear congress, as Venezuela's islative building in the cen- arrest of oppositions and interim president last year,
were positioned between legitimate leader because ter of Caracas have been recent attacks on demon- but crowds have thinned in
the opposition march and they view Maduro's 2018 met forcibly by armed ci- strators and journalists who recent months.
their destination. reelection as fraudulent. vilians and security forces covered Guaido's arrival in Tuesday was the first time
Supporters of the social- The government insists that loyal to Maduro. Those at- Caracas following an inter- Guaidó has called for dem-
ist government — dressed Guaidó no longer is head tacks drew condemnation national tour that included onstrations since return-
in red shirts — also gath- of the National Assembly, Tuesday from the United a White House meeting with ing from his international
ered around a stage set recognizing a dissident Nations' top human rights President Donald Trump. tour.q

Mexico president: Anti-femicide protests won’t change policy

By PETER ORSI amid increasing anger over nated, is not known, let it
Associated Press gender-based violence, be presented again and
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Presi- including a grisly murder- updated," he said. "Let (In-
dent Andrés Manuel López mutilation and the kidnap- terior Secretary Olga Sán-
Obrador said Tuesday that killing of a 7-year-old girl, chez Cordero), who coor-
recent protests against ris- both in Mexico City. dinates all these actions in
ing killings of women in According to official fig- defense of women's rights,
Mexico will not change his ures, 3,825 women met vio- make a presentation next
government's long-term, lent deaths in 2019, an av- week, if that works for you."
ground-up approach to erage of more than 10 per The president called wom-
dealing with the problem. day and a rise of 7% over en's movements "very im-
Asked at his daily news the previous year. Homi- portant" and said his gov-
conference whether the cides generally have also ernment supports them. He
outpourings of indignation been rising for several years also alleged that his po-
would have any concrete straight, dating back to be- litical opponents are cyni-
impact on his administra- Women march during International Women's Day in Mexico fore López Obrador took cally taking advantage of
tion or result in a change City, Sunday, March 8, 2020. Protests against gender violence office in December 2018, them to try to hurt his gov-
of focus, the president dou- in Mexico have intensified in recent years amid an increase in though the rate of increase ernment.
bled down on his broader killings of women and girls. slowed last year. The vast López Obrador noted the
policy for tackling all sorts Associated Press majority of all crimes in the extensive reporting on the
of violence and criminality country go unpunished. protests and suggested
in the country. to be no unemployment, after untold thousands of Asked whether the gov- that demonstrations he led
"No, on the contrary, we for disintegration of families women and girls skipped ernment could present a when he was in the opposi-
are going to reinforce the to be avoided, for values to work or school in a protest detailed plan for reducing tion were not similarly cov-
same strategy of address- be strengthened." billed as "a day without violence against women, ered. López Obrador regu-
ing the causes that create He spoke two days after an women" to call attention to López Obrador responded larly pushes back against
the violence," López Obra- estimated 80,000 women those who are killed or dis- that his government has a critical coverage during
dor said, "to seek to live in marched through Mexico appeared. policy on women's rights news conferences and
a better society, to attend City and other cities across Such demonstrations have more broadly. sometimes speaks deroga-
to young people, to attend the country saw smaller grown in recent months, "If it is not complete or is in- torily about media outlets
to the countryside, for there demonstrations, and a day especially in the capital, sufficient or is not dissemi- and specific stories.q