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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 13 June 2017

Venezuela court rejects call to stop constitution rewrite

By JORGE RUEDA Southwest Transporters
Associated Press Bloc. He demanded that
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) the government take ac-
— Venezuela’s Supreme tion to ensure drivers’ safe-
Court on Monday reject- ty.
ed the chief prosecutor’s Three kilometers (1.9 miles)
motion to stop President away, the Venezuelan Red
Nicolas Maduro’s push to Cross draped a giant white
rewrite the constitution as flag with a red cross above
the restive nation contin- its entrance, an act usually
ued to be rocked by pro- reserved for extraordinary
tests and a transit strike. events such as natural di-
The Supreme Court’s elec- sasters, to identify it as a
toral branch declared neutral safe haven. The last
Luisa Ortega Diaz’s re- time the flag is believed to
quest inadmissible on the have been raised was in
same day anti-govern- April 2013 during the presi-
ment demonstrators were dential election to replace
marching toward the high the late President Hugo
court in protest of its refusal Chavez, which Maduro
to stop Maduro’s special won by a narrow vote.
assembly. The Red Cross raised the
Opposition leaders said flag again as a protective
pro-government armed An anti-government demonstrator, left, argues with a government supporter about the devalua- measure in light of recent
groups known as “colec- tion, showing bank notes of one 100 Bolivars, outside the Supreme Court during a protest to sup- protests in which authori-
tivos” clashed with pro- port the chief prosecutor’s motion to stop President Nicolas Maduro’s push to rewrite the constitu- ties have used tear gas
tion Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, June 12, 2017. The court announced Monday it has declared
testers and journalists near Luisa Ortega Diaz’s request inadmissible because she did not present sufficient legal grounds. near the institution’s hospi-
the Supreme Court and (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) tal, said Jose Ramon Gon-
witnesses’ videos showed zalez, the group’s national
fistfights and people being shortages. two weeks ago. Bus driv- preme Court, union leaders relief director. Though the
shoved to the ground at Venezuelans in Caracas er Santos Quevedo was said transit workers are the institution itself has not
the demonstration site. Na- awoke Monday to find charged with terrorism af- first to wake up in the morn- been attacked, Gonzalez
tional guardsmen in black their city paralyzed by a ter allegedly transporting ing and often exposed to said the flag is meant to
helmets and bulletproof public transportation strike a group of opposition pro- dangerous conditions in help protect both medical
vests stretched across a that union leaders said testers, but local reports a country with one of the aid workers and patients
street with plastic shields, stretched through 90 per- say the government op- highest homicide rates in arriving at the hospital.
blocking protesters from cent of the capital. ponents forced him to give the world. The agency has treated
reaching the court. Transit workers said they them a ride. “Every time we leave our 254 patients in Caracas
The decision came four were protesting unsafe As during previous protests, homes we don’t know if and more than 500 na-
days after Ortega Diaz work conditions and de- the government closed we’ll return alive,” said Pe- tionwide during the recent
made an impassioned manding the release of a several metro stations. dro Jimenez, president of wave of protests, Gonzalez
plea on the Supreme Court colleague detained nearly Speaking outside the Su- a local union called the said. q
steps, grasping Venezu- Guatemala:
ela’s small blue constitu-
tion book in her hands and Prosecutors eye president in kids’ home fire probe
declaring the future of the
nation’s democracy was GUATEMALA CITY (AP) Public Ministry, said the vestigation or prosecution rera said those arrested
at stake. —Guatemalan prosecu- measure originated with unless that protection is Monday included Gloria
Two months of anti-gov- tors will seek to have two opposition lawmakers withdrawn.Prosecutors will Patricia Castro Gutier-
ernment protests have left President Jimmy Morales’ who argue that the presi- present the petition to the rez and Harold Augusto
at least 68 people dead immunity of office lifted dent may share respon- Supreme Court, Veliz said Flores Valenzuela, both of
as demonstrators demand in order to investigate sibility for the blaze since at a news conference on the childhood and ado-
new presidential elections him in connection with a officials detained in the the same day authorities lescence prosecutor’s of-
in the face of triple-digit children’s home fire that case answered to him.Un- arrested five more officials fice. They face charges
inflation that keeps rising, killed 41 girls, authorities der Guatemalan law, as on charges related to the of manslaughter, mis-
soaring crime and crip- said Monday.Mayra Veliz, president Morales enjoys March 8 fire.Prosecutors’ treatment of minors and
pling food and medical general-secretary of the immunity from criminal in- spokeswoman Julia Bar- breach of duty. q