Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 21 december 2019
Venezuela's Christmas lights glow after a dark year

By SCOTT SMITH fight hasn't taken a Christ-
Associated Press mas holiday. Maduro's
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Culture Minister Ernesto Vil-
— After a tumultuous year legas shot back at critics
in Venezuela with unprec- of the light decorations on
edented blackouts, the Twitter, saying everybody
country's government has raved in 2006, when then-
put up brilliant displays popular opposition Gov.
of Christmas lights, trying Henrique Capriles decorat-
to spread a little holiday ed the same stretch of riv-
cheer. er. "The unruly right is quick
Cars filled with families have to criticize our Christmas
choked a Caracas avenue lights on El Guaire in 2019,"
as Christmas approaches Villegas tweeted. "But it
to see one of the displays seemed pleasant enough
President Nicolas Maduro's when @hcapriles lit up Las
government has strung Mercedes in 2006."
over the Guaire River. Critics of Maduro blame
Not everybody was im- decades of corrupt social-
pressed. Barreling through ist rule for failing to maintain
traffic, one driver shouted the nation's power grid and
sarcastically from his car other crumbling infrastruc-
window: "And people say A man speaks with his girlfriend as they tour the Christmas lights strung over El Guaire River in ture.
there's a crisis in Venezu- Caracas, Venezuela, late Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019. For his part, Maduro has
ela!" The lights glow as peo- Associated Press accused the "imperialist"
ple still have painful memo- United States of launching
ries from March, when the you see so many people in block over the Guaire Riv- cal and economic crisis. cyberattacks on the na-
nation went dark for four need," she said. "But at the er, notoriously polluted with In most Caracas neighbor- tion's power grid as part of
days in the nation's worst- same time, people are en- Caracas sewage. hoods families shun the a coup attempt to install
ever power failure. Millions joying themselves." Packed cars cruised past streets at night for fear of opposition leader Juan
outside the capital still go Maduro's socialist govern- with their windows rolled crime, and drivers keep Guaidó as president and
without lights — or any ment has staged more down, while children their windows rolled up exploit the nation's vast oil
electricity — a good part of than 20 light displays across poked their heads through while carefully navigating reserves.
each day. the capital of Caracas sunroofs for a better look. around open manholes Office worker Williams
Guadalupe Fares, 36, took and several others in cities Families on foot strolled hidden in darkness. Chang, 34, walked with his
her two young children with throughout the country. a walkway, stopping to Most homes don't have reli- family along a wide boule-
her to gaze up at the mil- The most stunning Christ- squeeze in for selfies. able water and drivers wait vard decorated with giant,
lions of lights. She said she mas display is in Las Mer- Residents say they don't re- for hours, sometimes days, illuminated candy canes,
wanted to feel a normal cedes district, famous for call such extravagant light in most of the country to stars and trees wrapped
life, at least for a few mo- upscale restaurants and displays previously, espe- gas up — despite Venezu- with strings of lights. Un-
ments, but acknowledged pulsing nightlife. Strings of cially in the last few years ela having the world's larg- til the lights went in, it was
mixed feelings.. lights — reportedly 5 million as the once-wealthy oil na- est reserves of oil. a place people avoid at
"It's kind of bizarre because of them — stretch for a city tion has spiraled into politi- Venezuela's bitter political night.q

'Homosexual face': Brazil's Bolsonaro lashes out at press

By DIANE JEANTET has been a thorn in the supporters standing near-
Associated Press side of President Bolson- by.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Bra- aro, who was elected on Asked whether he had
zil's President Jair Bolsonaro an anti-crime platform to proof that a suspicious de-
lashed out at journalists on purge the political class of posit into his wife's bank ac-
Friday, singling out one as corruption. He has routinely count was merely repay-
looking like a homosexual, attacked the credibility of ment of a debt, he instruct-
amid news reports of a cor- mainstream media, partic- ed the journalist, "Ask your
ruption investigation linked ularly targeting the goliath mother if she gave your
to his son. Globo, for unfair coverage. dad a receipt," prompting
A visibly upset Bolsonaro At a routine morning meet- a cheer from his support-
accused the press of bias ing with journalists in the ers. He then asked whether
against him and his son, capital, the president com- the reporter had a receipt
Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro. Pros- plained that media have for his shoes. "No, you don't
ecutors in Rio de Janeiro accused him of being have it!" he concluded.
are investigating allega- a racist and committing Bolsonaro also complained
tions the younger Bolsonaro crimes against the environ- that details of a sealed in-
hired employees with no ment. Then he told one re- vestigation have consis-
duties while he was a state In this Oct. 1, 2019 file photo, President Jair Bolsonaro attends porter, "Your face looks an tently leaked to the press.
a ceremony to launch an agro program at the Planalto
legislator. Another investi- presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil. awful lot like a homosexu- "Is the process under seal
gation is probing whether Associated Press al's, but that's no reason to or not? Answer! Answer,
those "phantom" workers accuse you of being a ho- damn it!," he said, then ac-
kicked back part of their shop he co-owns. aro has delivered a lengthy mosexual." cused Rio's prosecutors' of-
salaries to then be laun- In a video posted to Fa- denial of all wrongdoing. The comment was met with fice of having a "direct line"
dered through a chocolate ceook, the younger Bolson- The drone of accusations laughs from his aides and to Globo's news channel.q