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WORLD NEWS Friday 7 February 2020

In this July 10, 2019 file photo, U.S. journalist Glenn Greenwald
checks his news website at his home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Associated Press
Brazil judge rejects

hacking accusation In this Feb. 15, 2019 file photo, Dennysse Vadell sits between her daughters Veronica, right, and

Cristina holding a digital photograph of father and husband Tomeu who is currently jailed in Ven-
against Greenwald ezuela with five other executives from Houston-based Citgo, in Katy, Texas, Friday.
Associated Press

Associated Press by the Brazilian Supreme Venezuela rounds up U.S. oil
SAO PAULO (AP) — A judge Court protecting freedom
day dismissed accusations Thursday's decision by the executives as Guaidó visits D.C.
of the press.
in Brazil's capital on Thurs-
that journalist Glenn Gre- Brasilia-based judge, Ricar-
enwald was involved in do Leite, invoked that ear- MIAMI (AP) — Six Ameri- Guaidó and called for the es; and Jose Angel Pereira,
hacking phones of officials, lier ruling by Supreme Court can oil executives under release of the American oil the president of Citgo.
following weeks of criticism Justice Gilmar Mendes, house arrest in Venezuela executives. In recent weeks, specula-
that his prosecution would who barred investigations were rounded up by police Maduro condemned tion has swirled that Mad-
infringe on constitutional of Greenwald and The In- hours after President Don- Trump's embrace of uro's government may re-
protections for the press. tercept Brasil in relation to ald Trump met Venezuelan Guaidó while socialist party lease the men in a bid to
Prosecutors last month lev- the alleged hacking. President Nicolás Madu- boss Diosdado Cabello, mend ties with the Trump
eled accusations that Gre- "My feeling is that the de- ro's chief opponent at the who is widely seen as the administration, which has
enwald helped a group cision of Justice Gilmar White House, according second most powerful per- been aggressively pushing
of six people hack into Mendes adopted a wide to family members of the son in Venezuela's govern- for his removal.
phones of hundreds of lo- and extensive sense and it men. ment, vowed to retaliate The men are awaiting tri-
cal authorities, saying his does include the interpre- Alirio Zambrano said early for the meeting. al on corruption charges
actions amounted to crimi- tation of blocking any ac- Thursday that the execu- "Every time they do some- stemming from a never ex-
nal association and illegal tion of investigation by the tives of Houston-based thing, we're going to turn ecuted plan to refinance
interception of communi- state, both in the investiga- Citgo were abruptly taken harder to the left and see some $4 billion in Citgo
cations. tion phase and in the judi- from their homes last night who squeals," Cabello said bonds by offering a 50%
Since last year, Green- cial one," Leite wrote in his by the SEBIN intelligence Wednesday night in his stake in the company as
wald's online media out- decision. police. Zambrano, the weekly TV program. collateral.
let The Intercept Brasil has While rejecting the claims brother of two of the six The six men were hauled Prosecutors accuse the
published a series of ex- regarding Greenwald, detained men, said their away by masked security men of maneuvering to
cerpts from private con- Leite accepted those current whereabouts are agents while at a meet- benefit from the proposed
versations on a messaging against the six alleged unknown. ing in Caracas just before deal.
app involving current Jus- hackers, who will now face "We demand to know they Thanksgiving in 2017. But many believe the men,
tice Minister Sérgio Moro. charges as defendants. are safe but more impor- They had been lured to five of whom are natural-
The attempt by prosecu- The journalist said in a state- tantly their freedom!" Zam- Venezuela in order to at- ized U.S. citizens and the
tors to criminalize Green- ment that he welcomes brano said on social me- tend a meeting at the other a legal resident, are
wald's work had prompted "the fact that this investiga- dia, adding that he was headquarters of Citgo's being held as political bar-
swift backlash from na- tion will not move forward," very worried about the de- parent, state-run oil giant gaining chips as relations
tional and foreign journal- but adds that he believes tainees. PDVSA. between the U.S. and Ven-
ist associations, freedom of "this decision is insufficient The State Department The group flew out on a cor- ezuela have deteriorated.
expression advocates and to guarantee the rights of a and Maduro's government porate jet. They included They cite as evidence of ir-
Brazil's national bar asso- free press." have yet to comment. Tomeu Vadell, vice presi- regularities the decisions by
ciation. "We seek a decisive re- But the move comes two dent of refining; Gustavo Venezuelan Judge Rosvelin
Those groups said pros- jection from the Supreme months after the men were Cardenas, head of strate- Gil to postpone 15 straight
ecutors were abusing their Court of this abusive pros- granted house arrest and gic shareholder relations times a preliminary hearing.
power to persecute Green- ecution on the grounds just hours after Trump wel- as well as government and U.S. Vice President Mike
wald, an attorney-turned- that it is a clear and grave comed opposition leader public affairs; Jorge Toledo, Pence in April called for the
journalist who lives with assault on core press free- Juan Guaidó to the White vice president of supply men's release after meet-
his husband and children doms. Anything less would House in a show of support and marketing; Alirio Zam- ing with family members at
in Rio de Janeiro. Green- leave open the possibility for his flagging, year-old brano, vice president and the White House.
wald's lawyers called the of further erosion of the fun- campaign to oust Maduro. general manager of Cit- "We are going to stand with
allegations "bizarre" and damental freedom of the In Washington on Thurs- go's Corpus Christi refinery; you until they are free and
said they challenged a press against other journal- day, House Speaker Nan- Jose Luis Zambrano, vice until Venezuela is free," he
previous ruling in the case ists," Greenwald said.q cy Pelosi stood alongside president of shared servic- said at the time.q