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A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 25 OctOber 2017

Mexican president met Odebrecht, says he didn’t get funds

nied a report citing Brazilian banking records and pub-
case files that suggested lished statements by a for-
his 2012 election campaign mer Odebrecht official sug-
might have received mon- gested that a top official
ey from the Odebrecht of Pena Nieto’s campaign
company. The office wrote may have received $3.14
in a letter published by the million from an Odebrecht
newspaper Reforma that front company. The official,
“no official of Odebrecht Emilio Lozoya, has denied
or its subsidiaries had any that, saying he had no con-
involvement in the cam- nection with the bank ac-
paign.” count mentioned in the in-
The office said Pena Nieto vestigation. Odebrecht of-
met “with many business- ficials have acknowledged
men, both Mexican and paying bribes to win con-
foreign, with investments in tracts in several countries
Mexico, among them Ode- in Latin America and they
brecht and its subsidiaries.” have acknowledged pay-
The nonprofit group Mexi- ing $10.5 million in bribes to
cans Against Corruption officials of Mexico’s state-
and Impunity had report- owned oil company Pe-
ed Pena Nieto’s met three mex. The controversy grew
times with company offi- when Pena Nieto’s govern-
cials, citing transcripts from ment decided on Friday to
a Brazilian investigation in fire the prosecutor investi-
In this Sept. 7, 2017 photo, Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto wipes sweat from his forehead which an Odebrecht of- gating the case.
at the National Palace in Mexico City. In a letter published Tuesday, Oct. 24, Pena Nieto’s office is ficial said, “We accompa- The Attorney General’s Of-
acknowledging that he met several times with officials of Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction firm nied the current President fice said electoral-crimes
that has admitted paying bribes throughout Latin America, but the office denies any wrongdoing. Enrique Pena Nieto and the prosecutor Santiago Nieto
(AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) PRI campaign full time.” was fired for violating agen-
By MARK STEVENSON Nieto acknowledged in a construction firm that has Pena Nieto’s Institution- cy rules by revealed infor-
Associated Press letter published Tuesday admitted paying bribes al Revolutionary Party is mation about an ongoing
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexi- that he met several times throughout Latin America. known as the PRI. The an- investigation, which is not
can President Enrique Pena with officials of a Brazilian But Pena Nieto’s office de- ti-corruption group said public record in Mexico.q
Venezuela opposition governors take oath before assembly

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) oath and “submit” before ing their offices or be sworn leader” can be a means ing the Electoral Council
— Four of the five oppo- the constitutional assem- in at the cost of caving in of achieving freedom. An- committed fraud through
sition governors recently bly. Opposition leaders and on a firmly held position. Im- zoategui Gov. Antonio Bar- a series of maneuvers de-
elected in Venezuela took dozens of foreign govern- ages released by the gov- reto said that in order to re- signed to give govern-
an oath late Monday be- ments consider the assem- ernment on Twitter showed solve the nation’s crisis they ment-backed candidates
fore leaders of the all-pow- bly unconstitutional. the newly elected gover- were making “the biggest an edge. In Bolivar state,
erful, pro-government con- After initially refusing the nors of Anzoategui, Merida, of sacrifices.” the Democratic Unity
stitutional assembly, revers- oath, the opposition gover- Nueva Esparta and Tachira While some supporters Roundtable has presented
ing an earlier refusal and nors pressed their local leg- state holding up their right emerged online to defend evidence of possible ballot
underlining fractures in the islative councils to swear hands during a ceremony them, both governors were tampering.
opposition. them into office, as the with Delcy Rodriguez, the met with an onslaught of Andres Velasquez, the op-
The small ceremony in Venezuelan constitution assembly’s president and criticism from disappointed position’s candidate for
Caracas came less than dictates. But the constitu- one of Maduro’s fiercest al- Venezuelans. governor in Bolivar, said the
a week after the opposi- tional assembly, which has lies. The elected governor “Traitor!!!!!” one woman four opposition governors
tion governors boycotted ruled with virtually unlimited of Zulia, Juan Pablo Guani- angrily wrote. who took the oath deserve
a swearing-in event at the powers since being elect- pa, refused to participate, According to the Electoral “full repudiation” by Ven-
constitutional assembly’s ed in July, decreed that leaving up in the air what Council, opposition candi- ezuelans. The squabbling
chamber. Throughout the local councils could not will happen in Venezuela’s dates won just five of the 23 over the oath seemed
campaign, opposition can- swear any governor into largest state. On Twitter, governorships up for grabs certain to sow further dis-
didates said they would office before they first took two of the sworn-in oppo- in Oct. 15 elections that the cord among members of
never yield to socialist an oath before the assem- sition governors appeared opposition had been pro- the opposition, who have
President Nicolas Maduro’s bly. The move put the gov- to defend their decision. jected to dominate. struggled to put forward a
demand that any newly ernors in a tight spot: Con- Tachira Gov. Laidy Gomez Opposition leaders are dis- united message since the
elected governor take an tinue to refuse and risk los- said the “humiliation of a puting the results, claim- regional elections. q