Page 11 - aruba-today-20170429

WORLD NEWS A11
Saturday 29 April 2017

Strike halts much of Brazil to protest labor, pension laws

Brazilians living in Bolivia chant slogans as they rally in support called for the strike, saying avenue in Sao Paulo, where the day in the capital of
of a general strike in Brazil, at the Brazilian embassy in La Paz, that the changes before police told downtown Brasilia.
Bolivia, Friday, April 28, 2017. Public transport largely came to Congress will make work- shopkeepers to close early, Some protesters also set up
a halt across much of Brazil on Friday and protesters blocked ers too vulnerable and strip apparently out of concern barricades and started fires
roads and scuffled with police as part of a general strike to pro- away too many benefits. that protesters might head in the streets, including on
test proposed changes to labor laws and the pension system. In one the largest demon- there. Throughout the day, roads heading to the main
strations Friday, thousands 21 people were arrested airports in Sao Paulo. In Rio,
(AP Photo/Juan Karita) of protesters gathered in in Sao Paulo, according to protesters created confu-
front Rio de Janeiro’s state military police. sion by running through
assembly in the afternoon Earlier in the day, most Santos Dumont Airport,
and were fighting pitched commuter trains and metro and others blocked a ma-
battles with police who lines were stopped in Sao jor road.
tried to remove them. Po- Paulo during the height of Some plane mechanics
lice fired tear gas while pro- morning commute, and all joined the strike, according
testers threw stones and lit buses stayed off the roads. to the National Aeronautic
small fires in the middle of Buses ran partial service Union, but the impact was
streets around the legisla- during the morning in Rio minimal, with only a hand-
tive building in downtown. de Janeiro but later be- ful of flights canceled or
A few hundred more pro- gan returning to normal. delayed at the two cities’
testers massed on a major The metro was closed for airports. q

MAURICIO SAVARESE flooded the streets in an-
YESICA FISCH ger, raising questions about
Associated Press whether President Michel
SAO PAULO (AP) — Public Temer will be able to push
transport largely came to his proposals through Con-
a halt across much of Brazil gress, where they had pre-
on Friday as demonstrators viously looked likely to pass.
blocked roads and clashed Temer’s administration ar-
with police in a general gues that more flexible la-
strike to protest proposed bor rules will revive a mori-
changes to labor laws and bund economy and warns
the pension system. the pension system will go
Millions stayed home on bankrupt without changes.
Friday, and thousands Unions and other groups

Venezuelans march to prison to
demand freedom for activists

FABIOLA SANCHEZ government groups.
Associated Press Marchers wound through
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) side streets on the way
— Hundreds of opponents to the prison, shouting
of President Nicolas Mad- “Maduro out!” and wav-
uro marched to a military ing Venezuelan flags. Light
prison outside Caracas on armored vehicles and na-
Friday to demand the re- tional guardsmen blocked
lease of Leopoldo Lopez access to the Ramo Verde
and other jailed activists military prison where Lo-
they consider political pris- pez is serving a nearly 14-
oners. year sentence for inciting
The march was part of an in- violence during a previous
tensifying campaign by the round of anti-government
opposition to force Madu- unrest in 2014. With access
ro from office. Already 28 blocked, the march ended
people have been killed, 2.5 miles from the prison.
hundreds injured and more Protesters also marched
than 1,300 arrested in al- to prisons in other cities
most four weeks of street where they say 178 people
clashes between protest- are being held on political
ers, security forces and pro- charges.q