Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 21 June 2017

Venezuela chief prosecutor to face charges as crisis deepens

al Assembly and attempt ment. A long-time loyal-
to rewrite the constitution. ist, she has denounced
In the past few weeks, as Maduro’s plans to elect in
Ortega Diaz has pursued July delegates for a consti-
a number of legal actions tutional assembly as an af-
seeking to block Maduro’s front to the legacy of Hugo
power grab, government Chavez, who crafted the
supporters have mounted nation’s current constitu-
a campaign to discredit tion.
her actions, alternately ac- A former leftist student ac-
cusing her of being crazy or tivist, she was named chief
a spokeswoman for “right- prosecutor in 2007 and re-
wing terrorists.” appointed to another six-
The opposition, for whom year term in 2014. Under
Ortega Diaz was until re- the current constitution
cently a favorite punching which Maduro now wants
bag, was quick to con- to scrap, she can only be
demn the ruling. At a press removed by the National
conference, the Demo- Assembly.
cratic Unity alliance vowed A defiant Ortega Diaz on
to redouble its campaign Monday vowed to contin-
of street protests seeking ue her fight and touched
Maduro’s removal that on what many believe is
Venezuela’s Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz speaks to the press from her office in Caracas, have left at least 70 people her strongest chip against
Venezuela. The country’s Supreme Court said Tuesday, June 20, that it will allow judicial proceed- dead and hundreds injured the government: investiga-
ings against the dissident chief prosecutor. or arrested. tions into corruption by top
(AP Photo/Fernando Llano) “All Venezuelans need to officials.
stand up to rescue our na- “We have to begin de-
By JOSHUA GOODMAN government of President legedly committing “grave tion’s democracy,” Nation- manding that they start
Associated Press Nicolas Maduro over his ef- errors” in her role as the na- al Assembly President Julio providing the bills of where
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) forts to concentrate power. tion’s top law enforcement Borges said in a press con- all this money is coming
— Venezuela’s Supreme The government-stacked official. ference surrounded by top from that that they spend
Court cleared the way court in a statement Tues- Opponents of Maduro say opposition leaders. on stages and for the
for the prosecution of the day it had approved a re- Ortega Diaz is being tar- Ortega Diaz, whose agen- marches,” Ortega Diaz
country’s chief prosecu- quest from a socialist party geted for her decision to cy is semi-autonomous, said. “Maybe what they
tor, who became a surprise lawmaker to lift prosecutor break with the government has emerged as one of spend on stages would be
hero to the opposition af- Luisa Ortega Diaz’s protec- over its plans to gut the op- the most critical voices of better used buying medi-
ter breaking ranks with the tion from prosecution for al- position-controlled Nation- Maduro within the govern- cine and food.”q
2 Dutch journalist remain captive in Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) ing in El Tarra Monday when bring them to safety,” Car- “One of the journalists blog post.
— Two Dutch journalists be- they captured by members los Lauria, Americas direc- needs medicine that we He described filming in Co-
lieved kidnapped by leftist of the National Liberation tor of the Committee to are getting,” he said, while lombia’s vast tropical flat-
rebels in a volatile region Army, according to the Co- Protect Journalists said. not disclosing how he had lands known as Los Llanos
of northeastern Colombia lombian military. “All sides in the Colom- obtained the information. and breaking out with what
remained captive Tuesday Leaders of the ELN who bian conflict must respect Dutch Foreign Ministry appeared to be a rash af-
as authorities vowed to se- have been negotiating a the internationally recog- spokeswoman Daphne ter going for a swim.
cure their safe return. peace accord with the nized status of journalists Kerremans said “the case He said he went to a doc-
The Colombian military government since ear- as civilians.”A humanitar- has our highest priority.” tor and was diagnosed
identified the journalists lier this year said on Twitter ian commission was trav- The Spoorloos show said in with having an allergic re-
as cameraman Eugen- they were looking into the eling Tuesday to the town a message on Facebook action to a tick bite.
io Ernest Marie, 68, and report and hoped to “help of nearly 11,000 near the Tuesday that its staff would By the end of filming, he
Derk Johannes, 52, host clarify” the situation. border with Venezuela not be making any com- said the bumps had dried
of a Dutch television show Meanwhile, officials and where the journalists were ments in order to ensure up.“My skin is as soft as a
called Spoorloos (Without a advocates called for their last seen. Richar Claro, a the journalists’ safety. peach again, but as I write
Trace). The show attempts immediate release. local official who is part of Four days before going it over, I get itching again,”
to help people find their “Colombian authorities the commission, told W Ra- missing, Johannes shared he wrote.
long lost blood relatives. should do their utmost to dio that the journalists were his impressions about re- “Maybe I’m allergic to my
The journalists were report- locate the journalists and “fine for the moment.” porting in Colombia in a own memories.” q