Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 12 July 2017

Brazil senators delay labor overhaul vote with 6-hour sit-in

Oliveira restarted the ses- The most significant mea-
sion while having to shout sure in the labor changes
to fellow senators, but the would allow agreements
rebels soon gave up the negotiated between em-
sit-in. ployers and workers on a
Before the live video feed range of issues to override
of the Senate session was current labor law. The bill
cut earlier, senators could would also make it easier
be seen tapping on their to hire temporary workers,
phones and chatting with even for extended periods
one another in a darkened of time.
room. Oliveira and his allies are
The spectacle under- trying to put the measure
scored how acrimonious that was approved in the
Brazilian politics have be- lower house to a vote in
come in recent months the Senate without chang-
as Temer’s popularity has es. If approved that way,
plummeted and a corrup- the bill would go directly to
tion charge against him the president for signature.
has emboldened members The opposition is demand-
of the opposition who be- ing an amendment, which
lieve he never should have would send it back to the
become president. Temer Chamber of Deputies for
The President of Brazil’s National Congress Eunicio Oliveira, second row on the left, attempts to took power last year af- another vote.
convince the opposition senators Gleisi Hoffmann, left, and Fatima Bezerra, center, and Vanessa ter his predecessor, Dilma Brazilian media have been
Grazziotin, to vacate the table of the presidency of the Federal Senate, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Rousseff, was impeached predicting the bill will pass
July 11, 2017. Ruling party Senate leaders turned off the lights to leave opposition Senators in the and removed as president. despite opinion polls show-
dark as they aimed to prevent a vote on President Michel Temer’s proposal to loosen labor rules,
trim pension benefits and set a minimum retirement age. Given that Temer was only ing it is unpopular with the
(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) voted in as vice president public. But the dramatic
in the last election, many protest by opposition sena-
By MAURICIO SAVARESE Senate President Eunicio Oliveira responded by or- Brazilians have bristled at tors Tuesday was a blow to
SARAH DiLORENZO Oliveira finally was able to dering the power and mi- his push to pass a series Temer that raised further
Associated Press resume the session from his crophones cut off and of unpopular economic questions about his ability
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Bra- chair in the early hours of he adjourned the session, measures, including a cap to govern.
zilian opposition senators the evening. leading to hours of nego- on government spending, Allies of the president are
staged a six-hour sit-in Tues- Insurgent senators earlier tiations behind the scenes an overhaul of the pension counting on a victory on
day delaying a decisive commandeered the lead- while the insurgents re- system and a loosening of the labor law to give the
vote on labor law changes ers’ table on the rostrum mained in the chamber in work bills through the la- president a boost before
that are a crucial part of and prevented Oliveira a standoff that continued bor law bill that was on the the Chamber of Deputies
President Michel Temer’s and some of his allies from into the night. Senate’s schedule for Tues- votes on whether to sus-
economic agenda. taking their seats. Sitting on a smaller chair, day. pended him from office
and put him on trial for cor-
Puerto Rico amends tax laws to lure more investors ruption. That vote is not yet
scheduled.
If two-thirds of deputies
By DANICA COTO taxes. to the island and export Puerto Rico is trying to es- vote against Temer, lower
Associated Press Another amendment sim- goods or services. It drops cape from a decade-long house Speaker Rodrigo
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) plifies the application a requirement that com- recession and seeking to Maia would take over
— Puerto Rico’s governor process for people seek- panies under the program restructure a portion of its presidential duties while
on Tuesday signed several ing that exemption. Ros- employ a minimum of five $73 billion public debt load. Brazil’s Supreme Court de-
measures meant to lure sello said that would raise people and adds medical The crisis has slowed the cided whether to remove
more investors and attract the number of people in tourism and telemedicine growth of the tax incen- the president or find him
new companies to a U.S. the program from 1,000 to to the list of accepted ser- tive programs, said Robb not guilty.
territory mired in a deep 10,000 in the next four years vices. Rill, founder of a group that The attorney general has
economic crisis. as well as helping nonprof- Officials hope it will create represents people in those accused Temer of accept-
One of the amended laws its that are facing deep more jobs on an island of programs. He said the ing bribes from a meat-
signed by Gov. Ricardo budget cuts. 3.4 million people whose group backs the amend- packing executive in ex-
Rossello requires at least Rossello also signed an unemployment rate has ments: “We want to make change for helping the
$5,000 a year in donations amendment to a program long hovered around 12 sure we encourage the company obtain favorable
to nonprofits to qualify for that gives tax incentives percent, higher than any right people to come to government decisions. He
a break on capital gains to companies that move U.S. state. the island.”q denies wrongdoing. q