Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 6 noveMber 2017

Venezuela frees 2 opponents as Maduro consolidates power

CARACAS, Venezuela Romero said the number of ernment supporters after
(AP) — Venezuela’s gov- jailed activists in Venezuela the opposition boycotted
ernment has released two had barely surpassed 100 elections to choose its del-
prominent opposition ac- when Maduro took office egates.Goicoechea, 32,
tivists it has held for more in 2013, but that number had been a leader of stu-
than a year without trial, skyrocketed to 676 at the dent protest movements
one of them a Spanish citi- height of anti-government before leaving Venezuela
zen, as President Nicolas protests against the consti- in 2013 to study at Colum-
Maduro looks to ease inter- tutional assembly in July. bia University. He returned
national pressure following After the latest releases, home in 2016 to help orga-
months of unrest. around 360 people remain nize a recall referendum
Yon Goicoechea and Del- jailed, he said.“This isn’t a against Maduro, but the
son Guarate were freed negotiation with the oppo- effort was cut short when
late Friday night from a sition about getting some- he was stopped in his car
Caracas jail, but continue thing in return,” said Rome- by the Sebin intelligence
to be bound by restrictions ro. “It’s about the high police and later accused
on their movement and political cost of having on television by socialist
speech, according to law- such an elevated number party leader Diosdado Ca-
yers’ co-op Foro Penal. of political prisoners.”There bello of transporting explo-
“I’m free,” Guarate wrote was no immediate reac- sives.He was given Spanish
in a concise message post- tion from the government. citizenship while detained,
ed on his Twitter account. But authorities have long and former Spanish Prime
Maduro’s government denied they are keeping Ministers Felipe Gonza-
has been releasing about prisoners of conscience lez and Jose Maria Aznar
15 jailed opponents per In this May 15, 2008 photo, Yon Goicoechea speaks before ac- and have accused its op- were involved in his legal
week since consolidating cepting the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty in New ponents of working with defense.Critics held out
its power after the elec- York. Venezuela’s government has released two prominent op- the U.S. to sabotage Ven- his case as an example of
tion of a constitutional as- position activists it has held for more than a year without trial, ezuela’s economy and Venezuela’s slide toward
sembly in July, according one of them a Spanish citizen, as President Nicolas Maduro pave the way for the so- dictatorship after the Sebin
looks to ease international pressure following months of unrest.
to Foro Penal.Opposition Goicoechea and Delson Guarate were freed this weekend from cialist leader’s removal ignored a judge’s order
leaders backed by several a Caracas jail, but continue to be bound by restrictions on their in a coup. In releasing its issued more than a year
foreign governments have movement and speech, according to lawyers’ co-op Foro Pe- opponents, the govern- ago to release him.“For
been demanding for more nal. ment said it wants to cre- me, as for so many other
than a year the release of (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) ate conditions for dialogue Venezuelans, political im-
political prisoners as a pre- nal, said the latest releases now that the protest move- and reconciliation under prisonment has been the
condition for talks with the are a face-saving measure ment blamed for more the authority of the consti- punishment for daring to
government. But Alfredo by Maduro aimed at ap- than 120 deaths has sub- tutional assembly, which is dream of a democratic
Romero, head of Foro Pe- peasing his foreign critics sided. made up entirely of gov- society,” he wrote from jail
in a New York Times op-
Venezuela opposition leader seeks refuge in Chilean embassy ed in September. “We just

want what so many other
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) He entered the ambas- exclusive country club rest and other crimes dur- people around the world
— One of Venezuela’s sador’s residence in Ca- neighborhood of walled-in ing months of anti-govern- take for granted: free elec-
most prominent opposition racas late Saturday with estates, except for a few ment protests. tions, good governance,
leaders has sought refuge his girlfriend, ending more neighbors walking to the By law, the opposition-con- free expression, judicial
in the Chilean ambassa- than 24 hours of suspense golf course. trolled National Assembly is independence, personal
dor’s residence after being in which he went into hid- On Friday, the government- charged with determining security and a modicum of
targeted for arrest by the ing and vehicles belonging stacked high court barred whether a legislator’s con- economic liberty.”
Supreme Court. to the Sebin intelligence Guevara from leaving the stitutional immunity should Guarate, the mayor of a
Chile’s Foreign Ministry police had surrounded his country and requested the be lifted. small town in Aragua state,
said in a statement that it residence. pro-government Constitu- But the court has instead was arrested on the eve of
had welcomed congress- There were no sign of ac- tional Assembly strip his im- referred the case to the a demonstration in Cara-
man Freddy Guevara as tivity Sunday morning out- munity from prosecution. Constitutional Assembly, cas in 2016 on suspicions of
a guest, in line with Chile’s side the ambassador’s The court said Guevara is which has been given virtu- terror financing and con-
humanitarian tradition. residence, located in an suspected of instigating un- ally unlimited powers.q spiracy. q