Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 1 OcTOber 2019
New protest hit Haiti amid demands that president resign

By DÁNICA COTO held a crushed lemon to his
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti nose.
(AP) — Thousands of dem- Among those running was
onstrators set fires Mon- 38-year-old mason Petit
day and chanted calls for Homme Edner, who held a
Haiti's president to resign brown cloth to his face.
as the opposition to Jove- "Is this democracy?!" he
nel Moïse tried to increase cried out. "We have the
pressure for him to leave of- right to protest."
fice. Protesters said several Moïse, who began his
people were hit by gunfire, five-year term in 2017, has
including a local journalist. said he will not step down
Schools, businesses and despite the unrest and in-
government offices were stead called for calm, unity
closed as protesters gath- and dialogue during an
ered chanting, "Down with address televised at 2 a.m.
Jovenel!" Wednesday. It was a rare
"We can't continue to live appearance for the presi-
like this," said 34-year-old dent since the new wave
Lestin Abelo as he poured of protests began about
gasoline on a pile of debris Haitians gather for a nationwide push to block streets and paralyze the country's economy as three weeks ago.
they press for President Jovenel Moise to give up power, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Sept.
that quickly caught fire. 30, 2019. U.N. spokesman Stephane
"We have a government Associated Press Dujarric said the agency is
that's not doing anything "concerned by reports of
for the people." misused billions of dollars ing a friend they said was pened. violence and arson that
Opposition leaders and in proceeds from a Ven- shot in the left leg by po- He said 22-year-old Ed- have been taking place
supporters say they are an- ezuela-subsidized oil plan lice. Jean-Pierre Finfin, 34, mond was injured when over the past few days
gry about public corrup- meant to fund urgent social said he was standing next police in an unmarked car throughout the country."
tion, spiraling inflation and programs. Critics accuse to his friend when the bul- began firing at a distance "We praise the work of the
a dwindling supply of gaso- Moïse of trying to protect let hit. He was still shaken as so they could get away Haitian National Police,
line that has forced many his ally, former President Mi- he recounted being part of from the crowd. which has done its utmost
gas stations in the capital chel Martelly, and of par- a crowd marching toward Police threw tear gas and to provide security to the
to close. Suppliers have ticipating in the corruption Petionville when he said scattered thousands of pro- Haitian people, State insti-
demanded that the cash- himself before becoming police fired. testers at mid-afternoon, tutions and private prop-
strapped government pay president. Local radio journalist Jo- with one canister landing erty," he added, and said
them more than $100 mil- Blood spattered the con- seph Edmond was shot in on a family's roof as several the U.N. is "in discussions
lion owed. crete floor near the Ber- his right hand while cover- people fled the house in with local stakeholders to
Protesters also are de- nard Mevs Hospital as the ing the protest. He was tak- panic. find a peaceful way out of
manding a more in-depth protest grew violent. en to a hospital for treat- Other protesters fled with the crisis and alleviate the
investigation into allega- Under heavy rain, a group ment, said his colleague, handkerchiefs over their suffering of the population
tions that top officials in of men rushed into the Eddy Baptiste, who was faces as they flushed them- who has been bearing the
the previous government emergency room carry- next to him when it hap- selves with water. One man brunt of this crisis."q

Peru president dissolves congress amid anti-corruption push

can nation that he had de- Nonetheless, the decision "This was the plan from the
cided to call new legislative is likely to be widely wel- start," said Milagros Salazar,
elections after lawmakers comed by Peruvians who a spokeswoman for Fuerza
proceeded with holding have been clamoring for Popular, the party of Keiko
a controversial vote to re- new congressional elec- Fujimori, the daughter of
place almost all the mem- tions to replace the majori- former President Alberto
bers of the Constitutional ty party, led by a former first Fujimori who was once a
Tribunal. daughter and presidential commanding force herself
"We are making history that candidate who is now be- in the country's politics but
will be remembered by fu- hind bars. is now jailed. "They think this
ture generations," he said. "Peruvians will not shed is a monarchy, that's what
"And when they do, I hope many tears," said Steven they want to impose."
they understand the mag- Levitsky, a Harvard Univer- Vizcarra became chief of
nitude of this fight that we sity political scientist who state last year after Presi-
are in today against an en- has extensively studied the dent Pedro Pablo Kuczynski
A woman holds up a sign with a message that reads in Spanish; demic evil that has caused nation. resigned following revela-
"Get out Vizcarra, you are incompetent" during a protest outside
Congress, in Lima, Peru, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. much harm to our country." Opposition leaders imme- tions that his private con-
Associated Press The stunning events Peru diately denounced the sulting firm had received
could spell new instabil- move as the work of a "dic- undisclosed payments from
By FRANKLIN BRICEÑO and shut down the opposition- ity as the nation grapples tator" and proceeded with Odebrecht, the Brazilian
CHRISTINE ARMARIO controlled legislature that with the fallout of the Ode- pushing an impeachment construction giant that has
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peruvian he accuses of stonewall- brecht corruption scandal, vote against him, though it admitted to dolling out mil-
President Martín Vizcarra ing attempts to curb wide- plummeting faith in public would carry only symbolic lions of dollars to politicians
dissolved congress Mon- spread corruption. institutions and an inexperi- weight since their positions around Latin America in ex-
day, exercising seldom In a televised address, Viz- enced president struggling in congress are now con- change for lucrative public
used executive powers to carra told the South Ameri- to govern. sidered vacated. works contracts.q