Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 8 June 2017
Brazil judges clash over evidence in case against Temer El Salvador hopes
for replacement for
plans to take up the ques- temporary status
tion Thursday morning.
Both Rousseff, 69, and SAN SALVADOR, El Salva-
Temer, 76, have denied
wrongdoing. The current dor (AP) — El Salvador’s
foreign minister said this
president has vowed to
continue in office despite week he hopes for a more
permanent situation for the
many calls for him to re-
sign and approval ratings “temporary protected sta-
tus” that currently shields
around 8 percent.
If at least four of the seven about 190,000 Salvador-
an migrants in the United
judges vote to allow the
testimonies, Temer would States.
Hugo Martinez told local
be one step closer to be-
ing pushed out of office, media that “it isn’t a ques-
tion of boxing ourselves
following the path of Rous-
seff, who was impeached into just an extension of
the TPS,” which has been
and removed last year
for illegally managing the extended several times by
the U.S. since 2001.
government’s budget.
If the court rules against “We should erase this
word ‘temporary’ from the
them, Rousseff could lose
her right to hold office for map,” Martinez added,
Brazil’s President Michel Temer attends a ceremony at the Planalto Presidential Palace, in Brasilia, eight years. saying Salvadorans need
Brazil, Wednesday, June 7, 2017. Brazil’s top electoral court is returning to its examination of illegal The trial was expected to “something better and
campaign finance allegations that could force President Michel Temer from office. take at least three days, more stable than the TPS.”
(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) and there is no deadline He said about 260,000

for a final ruling. It is the first Salvadorans got TPS after
By PETER PRENGAMAN At issue is whether the 2014 Judge Herman Benjamin, time in Brazil’s history that a this country’s 2001 earth-
Associated Press campaign of Temer, then who was named by the sitting president has risked quakes, but the number
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — vice president, and former court to examine the case, having the job taken away has declined to about
Judges on Brazil’s top President Dilma Rousseff re- argued that the plea bar- by the electoral court. 190,000. Their status has
electoral court argued on ceived illegal financing. If gains were a crucial part The suit was brought af- been renewed every 18
Wednesday whether to the court finds it did, Temer of the investigation. He also ter the 2014 election by months, and it will be up for
accept new evidence of could be removed from of- said that Odebrecht’s role the right-leaning Brazilian renewal again early next
alleged illegal campaign fice, adding further to the in the investigation and Social Democracy Party, year.
contributions that stem country’s corruption-fueled plea bargains was well whose presidential candi- In May, the U.S. Depart-
from a sweeping probe political turmoil. known, and thus it was im- date, Aecio Neves, lost to ment of Homeland Secu-
of graft in Latin America’s Defense attorneys argue possible to argue it had all the Rousseff-Temer ticket. rity granted just a six-month
largest nation as they con- that evidence in the case come out of nowhere. Ironically, the party has TPS extension for nearly
sider a case that could was submitted long ago, Meanwhile Mendes, who been a key ally of Temer 60,000 Haitians and of-
force President Michel Te- and say the court shouldn’t in the past has sided with since he replaced Rous- ficials suggested Haitians
mer from office. be able to consider new politicians facing legal seff. in the program should get
The ruling on revelations revelations that emerged troubles, said that using If the court decides against their affairs in order so they
from recent plea bargains from plea bargains by 77 Odebrecht plea bargain the Rousseff-Temer ticket, would be ready to return
home.
would be a strong indica- executives at the huge testimony would represent Temer’s mandate would
tion of how the court is construction company the latest overreach in the be annulled and Congress As for Central Americans,
the
said,
department
leaning, and Wednesday’s Odebrecht, one of the so-called “Car Wash” in- would have to pick some-
testy debate showed sharp businesses at the center of vestigation. one to serve out his term Homeland Security Secre-
tary John F. Kelly would re-
divisions between the judg- a sprawling investigation He also said allegations through December 2018.
es who appear to favor into kickbacks and bribes that tens of millions of dol- The embattled president view conditions and con-
sult with appropriate agen-
accepting the damaging at the state-run oil compa- lars were put illegally into has said he would appeal.
revelations and those who ny Petrobras. campaign coffers meant If Temer should be forced cies as the expiration date
approaches next year.
oppose. The latter camp The testimony describes that the electoral system from the presidency by
includes Superior Electoral myriad details of alleged needed to be reformed — the court, or decided to El Salvadorans are worried
about increased jobless-
Tribunal President Gilmar bribes to many politicians subtly arguing against pun- resign, Chamber of Depu-
Mendes, who has called as well as millions of dollars ishing politicians for having ties Speaker Rodrigo Maia ness if all the migrants re-
turn home.
the president whose po- of illegal money that alleg- to operate in a flawed pro- would take over for 30
litical fate he is deciding “a edly went into the coffers of cess. The court adjourned days while Congress votes “Things are bad here and if
this big number of people
friend of decades.” the Rousseff-Temer ticket. in the early afternoon, with
in a new leader.q come back, forget it, we’ll
Venezuela’s defense chief warns guardsmen on force be eating one another,”
said Carmen Melendez,
who lives in the capital,
CARACAS, Venezuela Speaking at a military for their heavy use of tear marks come as opposi- San Salvador.
(AP) — Venezuela’s de- event Tuesday, Vladimir gas and rubber bullets tion leaders are accusing Jose Guerra, an unem-
fense minister is urging the Padrino Lopez said he against demonstrators. national guardsmen of at- ployed construction work-
country’s national guards- didn’t want to see “one Nearly 70 people have tacking protesters. Dem- er, said, “There will be more
men to refrain from using more national guardsman died in the political unrest, onstrators on Monday unemployment here, and
excessive force as they committing an atrocity on which has seen hundreds charged that guardsmen crime could go up.”
confront protesters after the street.” of thousands of Venezue- had robbed protesters “It would be better for
more than two months of The police and national lans take to the streets de- and journalists of posses- them to stay in the United
anti-government demon- guard have drawn inter- manding new elections. sions, including cameras States, there is no work
strations. national condemnation The defense minister’s re- and even shoes.q here,” Guerra said.q