Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 27 OctOber 2017
Argentina lawmaker turns himself after losing immunity

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina tained. to being held under pre- than $7 billion for liquefied Maximiliano Rusconi.
(AP) — An Argentine law- Local television stations ventive arrest on corruption gas. He’s also being probed De Vido was one of the
maker who was a top offi- broadcast images of bor- charges. De Vido was later for possible embezzlement most powerful members
cial in former President Cris- der police entering the transferred to a federal in another case involving of the Cabinet of Fernan-
tina Fernandez’s govern- home of Julio de Vido to ar- prison in the outskirts of the the coal mine Rio Turbio. dez during her 2007-2015
ment has turned himself in rest him, but he apparently Argentine capital. He denies any wrongdoing. administration as well as
to authorities after the low- wasn’t in at the time and The former planning min- De Vido’s attorney called the 2003-2007 government
er house of Congress voted later turned himself in to a ister is being investigated his client’s detention a “vio- of Fernandez’s husband
Wednesday to remove his Buenos Aires federal court. on suspicion of having the lation of the rule of law.” and predecessor, Nestor
immunity from being de- The 176-0 vote opened him government overpay more “This is a disaster,” said Kirchner.q

Brazil’s Temer turns to reforms, but can he deliver?

By SARAH DiLORENZO as the reason for their vote.
Associated Press But now, the opposite
SAO PAULO (AP) — Over- might be true, said Helio
coming an effort to try him Gurovitz, a columnist with
on corruption charges, Bra- media giant Globo.
zilian President Michel Te- The “problem is that Te-
mer tried Thursday to move mer’s continuation also of-
past the scandals that have fers risks to the economy,”
dogged him, but it was un- he wrote Thursday. “The
clear if he has the support principal of these is the
to push his market-friendly threat to the reform agen-
reform agenda. da, especially on social
A congressional vote late security. Temer emerged
Wednesday temporarily from yesterday’s vote with
spared Temer from trial, but a parliamentary base ever
it was only the latest in a se- more weakened.”
ries of threats to his political The 77-year-old Temer’s gift
survival. He emerged vic- for horse-trading was on
torious from a court chal- display in recent weeks as
lenge earlier this year to the he shored up support by
vote that elected him vice doling out local projects,
president, he resisted calls plum positions and favor-
for his resignation when able decrees in a bid to
bribery allegations came to Brazil’s President Michel Temer flashes two thumbs up as he leaves the Military Hospital, where he avoid being put on trial
light, and he has now beat- was hospitalized with an urinary obstruction, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017. Temer for charges of obstruction
survived a key vote Wednesday night on whether he should be tried on corruption charges,
en two attempts to remove mustering support in Brazil’s lower house of Congress despite abysmal approval ratings and of justice and leading a
him from office and put him widespread rejection among his countrymen. criminal organization. In the
on trial on graft charges. Te- (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) end, Temer got more than
mer has called the charges economic growth, early While cheered by many watering down of the rules the votes he needed, but
against him absurd and po- signs of job creation and investors, those proposed that combat labor abuses. fewer than the last time
litically motivated. falling inflation. His chief of reforms are deeply unpop- Temer’s promise was al- Congress voted to spare
With all obvious threats to staff also promised that a ular — as is Temer himself. ways that he would use him from suspension and
his removal behind him, social security reform would His approval rating is as low his legendary deal-making trial. “That leaves Temer
Temer and his advisers ap- be passed this year. as 3 percent, making him skills to modernize Brazil’s having accomplished very
peared eager to get back But with so much political the most unpopular leader economy and drag Latin little at extraordinarily high
to governing. capital spent on merely in the world, according to America’s largest nation cost,” said Matthew M.
“It’s time to focus on what surviving, analysts are ques- a recent Eurasia group sur- out of the deepest reces- Taylor, a professor at the
interests our people. The tioning whether there’s any vey, and not just because sion it had experienced in School of International Ser-
bridge that we are build- left over to cut spending of scandals. Temer’s deci- decades. Many lawmak- vice at American University.
ing to the future is solid, firm on pensions or loosen la- sion last week to offer steep ers who supported Temer “The broader reformist im-
and resistant,” Temer said bor laws to revive Brazil’s discounts on fines for envi- in Wednesday’s vote cited petus has been blemished
in a video posted on social economy, Latin America’s ronmental infractions cre- the need to sustain the na- by association with Temer
media. He touted incipient largest. ated an outcry, as did a scent economic recovery and his horse-trading.” q

Ex-colonel to oversee troubled Puerto Rico power company

By DANICA COTO concerns over a $300 mil- up reconstruction efforts storm. “I am fully commit- mot will be paid and who
Associated Press lion contract awarded to and overseeing coordina- ted to bringing the resourc- will pay his salary as Puerto
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) a small Montana company tion with the board, Puerto es necessary to restore Rico enters its 11th year of
— A former military officer to help repair the damage Rico’s government and the electricity to the people of recession and struggles
was appointed this week from Hurricane Maria. federal government. The Puerto Rico as quickly as to restructure a portion of
to oversee reconstruction A federal control board announcement comes as possible, and to re-activate its $73 billion public debt
of Puerto Rico’s flattened that oversees Puerto Rico’s 75 percent of the U.S. terri- the economy and bring load. A spokesman for the
electrical grid and opera- finances said retired Air tory remains without power normalcy to the island,” Za- federal control board did
tions of the island’s trou- Force Col. Noel Zamot will more than a month after it mot said in a statement. not return a message for
bled power company amid be responsible for speeding was hit by the Category 4 It is unclear how much Za- comment.q