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A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 29 July 2017

Ahead of vote, Caracas preparing for chaotic weekend

a protest ban ahead of a the stage for more deadly
vote to launch a rewrite of clashes.
the constitution. Venezuela has seen near-
Residents of the capital, daily protests since April
Caracas, lined up for hours against government at-
at grocery stores and banks tempts to undermine the
to stockpile food and cash opposition amid wide-
before what many expect- spread shortages of food,
ed would be a chaotic medicines and other essen-
weekend. tials.
Protesters say the election Late Thursday the prosecu-
of a constitutional assem- tor’s office released a list
bly on Sunday will allow of 109 dead from violence
President Nicolas Maduro related to demonstra-
to eliminate checks and tions and street blockades
balances and replace across the country since
Venezuela’s democratic the protests began.
system with an authoritar- It later reported at least
ian, single-party regime. five more deaths via Twit-
Maduro has deployed the ter. They included a police
military and police to clear officer slain in the town of
blockades and protect a Ejido in the western state
vote he says is meant to of Merida, which has been
end a power struggle with the scene of violent clashes
the opposition-controlled in recent days.
A poster that shows some of Venezuela’s opposition leaders holding a sign with a message that National Assembly, which But the prosecutor’s office
reads in Spanish: “that constituent assembly will not pass” is displayed on a wall near Altamira
Square in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, July 28, 2017. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has he blames for the spiraling said one death occurred
provoked international criticism and enraged his political opponents by pushing for a special political, economic and so- in an “irregular situation,”
assembly to rewrite the nation’s constitution. Pictured in the poster are Henrique Capriles, left, cial crisis. leaving unclear whether it
Lilian Tintori, second left, Maria Corina Machado, second right, and National Assembly President The opposition is boycot- was related to the protests.
Julio Borges, right. ting the vote and asking About 13,000 travelers were
(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) backers to block streets trapped in Caracas after
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ — The death toll from near- to at least 113 on Friday starting Friday afternoon Colombian airline Avianca
Associated Press ly four months of anti-gov- as Venezuela’s opposition despite the official protest cancelled service to and
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ernment protests climbed called on backers to defy ban, potentially setting from Venezuela. q

Brazil church rejects abuse claims detailed in AP stories

By PETER PRENGAMAN called the former mem- founded in North Carolina
Associated Press bers’ accusations “many in 1979 by Jane Whaley, a
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — One lies and distorted facts.” former math teacher, and
of Word of Faith Fellowship’s The statement, published in her husband, Sam. It has
two churches in Brazil has the Folha de S. Paulo news- branches in Brazil and Gha-
rejected claims made by paper, said the church had na, along with affiliations
former members that they maintained a strong rela- in other countries. Many
were subjected to physi- tionship with pastors at the former members said they
cal and verbal abuse at Word of Faith Fellowship were beaten during ses-
the hands of ministers and in Spindale, North Caro- sions aimed at expunging
that young congregants lina, for 30 years. “They devils, suffered psychologi-
were sent to the mother are good people, they live cal domination by pastors
church in North Carolina God’s love and in trying and were cut off from fam-
and forced to work without Former members of the Rhema Community Evangelical Ministry to help people they have ily members upon leaving
pay. The allegations were stand in a park in Franco da Rocha, Brazil, in the greater Sao been slandered,” it read. the church. Leaders of the
detailed in investigative Paulo area. Over the course of two decades, the U.S.-based Word The statement also said the Word of Faith Fellowship
of Faith Fellowship mother church took command of theirs and
stories published by The As- another congregation in Brazil, applying a strict interpretation of church in Brazil did “not tol- and both churches in Brazil
sociated Press this week. In the Bible and enforcing it through rigorous controls and physical erate or permit any form did not respond to numer-
a statement released late punishment, The Associated Press has found. of abuse in our ministry.” ous requests for comment
Wednesday, pastors of the (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Word of Faith Fellowship made by the AP before
Ministerio Evangelico Co- munidade Rhema church in Franco da Rocha, Brazil, is an evangelical church publication of the stories.q