Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 12 december 2017

Venezuela president’s threat to ban opposition draws rebuff

back down and does not U.S. State Department
give up on its principles.” spokeswoman Heather
Three of the four biggest Nauert condemned Mad-
opposition parties refused uro’s threat in a tweet as
to take part in Sunday’s “yet another extreme mea-
contests, protesting what sure to close the demo-
they called an electoral cratic space” in Venezuela
system rigged by a “dicta- and consolidate power in
tor.” an “authoritarian dictator-
The tense exchange stems ship.”
from Sunday’s voting, “We stand with the Venezu-
which marked the last na- elan people as they seek to
tionwide elections before restore their democracy,”
next year’s presidential she said.
race, in which Maduro is Julio Borges, president of
expected to seek another the opposition-controlled
term despite his steep un- National Assembly, took his
popularity. case Monday to the Vati-
At a rally held Sunday in can, meeting with Cardi-
the colonial center of Ca- nal Pietro Parolin, who is
racas, Maduro announced the Vatican’s Secretary of
that pro-government can- State and the former papal
didates swept the mayoral nuncio in Caracas.
offices as hundreds of sup- Borges said on Twitter that
porters shouted “Go Home, the two men talked about
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro gives a press conference at Miraflores presidential palace
in Caracas, Venezuela. As the ruling party captured a majority of mayoral seats across Venezuela Donald Trump!” opening a humanitarian
in early December, Maduro said that opposition parties would be banned from future elections as Communications minis- channel in the country and
punishment for boycotting the Sunday races. ter Jorge Rodriguez said about ongoing negotia-
(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Monday that government tions with Maduro’s govern-
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ ing threats a day earlier by boycotting the races. candidates won 308 of 335 ment.
SCOTT SMITH socialist President Nicolas But Juan Mejia, a leader of mayor seats. He also said that Vatican
Associated Press Maduro. opposition party Voluntad “The imperialists have tried officials, including Pope
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) As the ruling socialists cap- Popular, called the vote an to set fire to Venezuela to Francis, are closely watch-
— Opposition parties in tured a majority of mayoral “electoral farce,” saying take our riches,” Maduro ing developments in Ven-
Venezuela won’t be bul- seats across Venezuela on that his party would not be told the crowd. “We’ve ezuela. “We agree that
lied out of participating in Sunday, Maduro said that eliminated by a presiden- defeated the American im- humanitarian cooperation
future elections, a lead- opposition parties would tial decree. perialists with our votes, our and a free vote are the
ing anti-government politi- be banned from future “This party does not kneel,” ideas, truths, reason and priorities at this moment,”
cian said Monday, reject- elections as punishment for he said. “This party does not popular will.” Borges said.q

UN visits Puerto Rico to assess help for hurricane victims

By DANICA COTO hit areas in the capital of storm hit on Sept. 20, kill- very distressing after three line before the hurricane
Associated Press San Juan, marking the first ing dozens of people and months,” he said. hit. Alston said he was im-
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) time such an envoy has vis- destroying tens of thou- He walked past homes with pressed how local nonprofit
— A United Nations expert ited the U.S. territory in re- sands of homes. Ten of the no roofs and a woman still organizations have helped
on extreme poverty and cent history. Alston told The island’s 78 municipalities washing sheets by hand Puerto Ricans recover from
human rights met Monday Associated Press that there are still without power, and three months after Hur- the storm, adding that one
with hurricane victims in is a disproportionate num- thousands of businesses re- ricane Maria hit, raising of the challenges is how
Puerto Rico as complaints ber of Puerto Ricans living main closed. “I’ve visited hopes that his visit could the government can har-
grow about the U.S. gov- in poverty and that he’s try- areas that are still com- help speed up the long re- ness their power.
ernment’s response to a ing to assess, among other pletely without power. I’ve covery process. Roughly 45 “There is more resiliency
Category 4 storm. things, the effectiveness of seen areas that have lots of percent of Puerto Rico’s 3.4 and potential self-sufficien-
U.N. envoy Philip Alston measures taken by the fed- damage that hasn’t been million people were already cy here than has been ac-
toured one of the hardest eral government after the removed, and that must be living below the poverty knowledged,” he said. q