Page 11 - ATODAY

WORLD NEWS A11
AP Interview: Argentine leader says outraged by corruption
P. PRENGAMAN
P. HAVEN
Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
(AP) — Argentina’s presi-
dent said Wednesday he
is outraged by corruption
that seeped into all facets
of society during his prede-
cessor’s administration and
believes next week’s visit
by Barack Obama will be
a new chapter that could
lead to billions of dollars in ly antagonistic toward the
investment.
President Mauricio Macri
assumed power in Decem-
ber after campaigning on
promises to crack down on
graft, open up Latin Amer-
ica’s third-largest econo-
my and reverse many of
the populist policies of his
predecessor, Cristina Fer-
nandez. In a wide-ranging
interview with The Associ-
ated Press, the former Bue-
nos Aires mayor and son of
one of the country’s richest
businessmen said he was
particularly perturbed by
rampant corruption at all
levels.
“I feel the same as the
majority of Argentines:
rage, disenchantment
and helplessness,” Macri
said, reflecting on a video
this week that allegedly
showed the son of a busi-
nessman with close ties
to the former president
Gunmen kill colleague of slain Honduran environmentalist
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras
(AP) — Unidentified gun-
men killed a colleague of
environmentalist leader
Berta Caceres, who was
slain almost two weeks ago
in similar circumstances,
Honduran authorities said
Wednesday.
Two men shot Nelson Gar-
cia to death Tuesday af-
ter he returned home from
helping evicted Indians
move their belongings. Po-
Thursday 17 March 2016

counting what appear to
be tightly wrapped stacks
of dollars, euros and Ar-
gentine pesos at an illegal
exchange house. “There
will not be a repeat of this
kind of embarrassing cor-
ruption, these abuses of
power.”
Macri cast the two-day
visit by the U.S. president
as an opportunity to show
the world that Argentina
is cleaning up its act and
hopes to open its doors to
billions in investment. The
last state visit by an Ameri-
can president was by Bill
Clinton in 1997.
Such a trip would have
been unthinkable under
Fernandez, who during her
eight years in office aligned
herself with socialist leaders
in Cuba and Venezuela
while often being outward-
United States. Unlike sev-
eral other Latin American
leaders, Macri sidestepped
questions about the U.S.
election and the contro-
versial candidacy of lead-
ing Republican candidate
Donald Trump. Macri said
he knew both Trump and
Democratic front-runner
Hillary Clinton personally
and would be able to work
with either should they
reach the White House.
Hours before the interview,
Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri listens to a question during an interview with The Associated
Press at the Olivos’ presidential residency in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, March 16, 2016.
Argentina’s president says he is outraged by corruption that seeped into all facets of society dur-
ing his predecessor’s administration and believes that the upcoming visit of U.S. President Barack
Obama will lead to billions in investment.
the lower chamber of Ar- Creditors led by billionaire things that don’t help Ar-
gentina’s Congress ap- hedge fund manager Paul gentina grow.”
proved a negotiated deal Singer refused to accept In the weeks since assum-
on repaying bonds held by bond swaps with lower ing power, Macri’s admin-
a group of creditors in the values. Instead, they took istration has rewritten much
United States, a step to- Argentina to court in New of the country’s social con-
ward ending a long-stand- York and won. While Fer- tract. It lifted export taxes
ing fight that made Argen- nandez branded the group on the agricultural sector,
tina a financial pariah and “vultures” and refused to effectively freeing up one
kept it on the margins of negotiate, Macri made of the world’s breadbas-
international credit mar- reaching an agreement kets, and it lowered import
kets. The legal battle had its one of his top priorities. taxes, devalued the Argen-
origins in Argentina’s finan- “It’s the first step. It’s as tine peso, cut energy and
cial collapse in 2001-2002, important as opening the other subsidies, and fired
when it defaulted on $100 door,” Macri said. “We thousands of public work-
billion in debt. need to stop arguing about ers.

lice had removed the In- Garcia’s death as part of nature have worsened in it is suspending its opera-
dians from land they were “the government’s con- recent days.” tions in Honduras because
squatting on not far from stant harassment” of Indian There are about 400,000 of the killings. The bank fi-
Garcia’s home in the ham- groups. Both activists were Lencas in Honduras and nances about $86 million
let of Rio Chiquito, 120 miles Lenca Indians and be- neighboring El Salvador. worth of projects in Hondu-
(200 kilometers) north of Te- longed to the Indian Coun- Caceres won the 2015 ras.
gucigalpa. cil of People’s Organiza- Goldman Environmental “Given the current situa-
A police statement called tions of Honduras. Prize for her role in fighting tion, with ongoing violence,
the killing an “isolated” act The council said in a state- a dam project on a river FMO decided to suspend
of violence unrelated to ment that “repression, that the Lencas consider all activities in Honduras,
the slaying of Caceres. intimidation and threats sacred. effective immediately,” the
But the organization that against colleagues who The Dutch development bank wrote in a statement.
both Caceres and Garcia are fighting to recover bank, known as FMO, an- “This means that we will not
belonged to described lands to plant and preserve nounced Wednesday that engage in new projects