Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 21 august 2017

Venezuela congress defies push to take over its powers

Embassy in Caracas, was tives to use the bathroom
among a group of foreign and said lawmakers would
diplomats from countries in- only be removed by force.
cluding Mexico, Spain and “They will have to kick us out
the United Kingdom who with bullets,” said Guevara,
attended Saturday’s spe- who tore up a copy of the
cial session to express soli- edict while presiding over
darity with the increasingly the special session. “But
cornered lawmakers. we will continue to defend
Venezuela’s ongoing po- this space the Venezuelan
litical standoff took an- people gave us as long
other dramatic turn Friday as we have the will and
after the pro-government the means to do so.” Gov-
constitutional assembly ernment opponents had
approved a decree tak- warned that the all-power-
ing over congress’ powers ful constitutional assembly
to pass legislation of vital would move to squash dis-
importance to the crisis- sent following an election
wracked nation. for its members last month
Lawmakers and several for- that was boycotted by the
eign governments decried opposition and criticized by
the move as an attempt to many foreign governments
dissolve congress, although as an illegitimate power
Members of the diplomatic corp, left , listen as lawmakers applaud during a session of Venezuela’s Maduro’s supporters insist grab. In recent days Ven-
National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. Venezuela’s pro-government lawmakers can continue to ezuelans have watched
constitutional assembly took over the powers of the opposition-led congress Friday, dramatically meet and have appealed as a steady parade of top
escalating a standoff between President Nicolas Maduro and his political foes. for an agreement so the officials, including Maduro,
(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) two bodies can coexist. kneeled before the assem-
By JOSHUA GOODMAN met Saturday in defiance Nicolas Maduro to usurp Freddy Guevara, congress’ bly charged with rewriting
Associated Press of what opposition lead- the legislature’s powers. vice president, compared the 1999 constitution and
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ers consider an autocratic Brian Naranjo, the deputy the offer to that of a kid- recognized it as the coun-
— Venezuela’s congress push by allies of President chief of mission at the U.S. napper allowing his cap- try’s supreme authority.q

Getting water to Peru’s desert capital continues to be a struggle

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Getting water consumption in Lima and 200 in Santiago, Chile.
fresh water to Peru’s desert ranks among the highest in Authorities believe the high
capital is no easy task. the Andes region. consumption stems partly
Lima relies on a vast net- “There is no culture of con- from unawareness of the
work of concrete tunnels servation,” said Yolanda lengths officials must go
to transport water originat- Andia, a chemical engi- to to ensure an abundant
ing in lakes in the Andes neer with state water com- supply of clean water.
mountains to the bone-dry pany Sedapal. With a population of 9.1
coastal city some 125 miles “It’s pitiful.” million, Lima is the world’s
(200 kilometers) away. In the richest parts of Lima, second-largest city locat-
By the time it arrives, it is so residents use 447 liters a ed in desert terrain — sec-
contaminated it must pass day, nearly five times what ond only to Cairo.
through four treatment is recommended by the “Our work is hard,” Andia
plants that filter out poten- World Health Organization. said.
tially dangerous microor- Overall, average daily us- “And even though in Lima
ganisms. age is 250 liters for the city. it almost never rains, peo-
Despite the complexities In this Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017 photo, a worker walks inside That compares with 168 in ple don’t know we get
SEDAPAL, the state water supply company, in Lima, Peru. Water
involved in keeping the is collected from lagoons, dams, rivers and underground wells, Colombia’s capital, Bogo- water from the lakes of the
taps flowing, authorities say and brought to Peru’s desert capital. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) ta; 220 in Quito, Ecuador; Andes.”q