Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 31 July 2017

At Press Time:

Venezuelans stay away from polls to protest government vote

prison cell waiting,” Mad-
Continued from front
uro added: “All the crimi-
Opposition leaders had nals will go to prison for
called for a boycott of the the crimes they’ve com-
vote, declaring it rigged mitted.” He said the new
for the ruling party, and by assembly would begin to
late afternoon they were govern within a week, with
declaring the low turnout a its first task in rewriting the
resounding victory. constitution to be “a total
“It’s very clear to us that the transformation” of the of-
government has suffered a fice of Venezuela’s chief
defeat today,” said Julio prosecutor, a former gov-
Borges, president of the ernment loyalist who has
opposition-controlled but become the highest-rank-
largely powerless National ing official to publicly split
Assembly. “This vote brings from the president.
us closer to the govern- “People aren’t in agree-
ment leaving power.” ment with this,” said Dan-
Maduro called the vote for iel Ponza, a 33-year-old
a constitutional assembly drywall contractor, as he
in May after a month of Voters wait to cast their ballots next murals of Venezuelan Independence hero Ezequiel Zamora, watched a few dozen
protests against his govern- left, and the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, at a polling station in Caracas, Venezuela, people outside a polling
ment, which has overseen Sunday, July 30, 2017. President Nicolas lead the vote for an all-powerful constitutional assembly place in El Valle, a tradi-
Venezuela’s descent into that his opponents fear he’ll use to replace Venezuelan democracy with a single-party authoritar- tional stronghold of the rul-
ian system.
a devastating crisis dur- (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) ing Chavista movement in
ing its four years in power. western Caracas. “People
Thanks to plunging oil pric- through trash to feed them- tions, including the oppo- that’s above and beyond are dying of hunger, look-
es and widespread corrup- selves. The winners among sition-controlled congress. every other,” Maduro said ing for food in the trash.
tion and mismanagement, the 5,500 ruling-party can- Maduro made clear in a he wants the assembly to And I think this is just going
Venezuela’s inflation and didates running for 545 televised address Saturday strip opposition lawmakers to make things worse.”
homicide rates are among seats in the constituent that he intends to use the and governors of constitu- Still, for many others, the
the world’s highest, and assembly will be charged assembly not just to rewrite tional immunity from pros- looming likelihood of au-
widespread shortages of with rewriting the coun- the country’s charter but ecution — one of the few thoritarian government
food and medicine have try’s constitution and will to govern without limita- remaining checks on ruling was appealing after
citizens dying of prevent- have powers above and tion. Describing the vote as party power. Declaring the months of street blockades
able illnesses and rooting beyond other state institu- “the election of a power opposition “already has its and street clashes.q
Philippine mayor linked to drugs, 14 others killed in raids

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines legal drugs, in the bloodiest unlicensed firearms when on illegal drugs,” Espenido, want peace in this coun-
(AP) — Police in the south- assault so far in Duterte’s gunmen opened fire on who oversaw the simulta- try,” he said.
ern Philippines said they anti-drug crackdown. the police, sparking clashes neous, post-midnight raids “How can we enforce the
fatally shot 15 people Sun- Officers were to serve war- that killed the mayor and on the mayor’s residence law if ... we’re scared of the
day, including a city mayor rants to Ozamiz Mayor at least 14 other people, and three other houses, drug lords? That cannot
who was among the poli- Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. to Ozamiz police chief Jovie said at a news conference. be, they should be afraid
ticians President Rodrigo search his houses for the Espenido said. “We enforce the law to of people who do good for
Duterte publicly linked to il- suspected presence of “He’s a high-value target protect the people who all.”q