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A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 9 May 2019
Top Venezuelan judge blasts US for threats of more sanctions

Associated Press in the face of a govern-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ment crackdown following
— The head of Venezuela's last week's failed uprising.
top court on Wednesday Pence said the immediate
rejected a U.S. threat to ap- lifting of financial sanctions
ply sanctions to all its judg- for Gen. Manuel Figuera,
es, accusing the Trump ad- who was Venezuela's spy
ministration of trying to ma- chief, is intended to en-
nipulate the crisis-wracked courage others in the mili-
nation's justice system and tary to abandon their sup-
foment a coup. port for Maduro.
Maikel Moreno, president The move was a display of
of the Supreme Tribunal of "good faith" designed to
Justice, pushed back on elicit "concrete and mean-
comments by Vice Presi- ingful actions to restore
dent Mike Pence, who said democratic order" by doz-
the U.S. would extend sanc- ens of other sanctioned
tions to all members of the Venezuelan insiders, the
Venezuelan court if they Treasury Department said
continue to be a "political in a statement.
tool" of President Nicolás Venezuela's Supreme Court Justice Mikel Moreno, center, speaks sitting next to Judge Juan Men- Figuera was the sole regime
Maduro. doza, during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, May 8, 2019. insider to defy Maduro dur-
"This unlawful, despicable Associated Press ing the uprising, although
and intolerable action vio- the White House contends
lates the norms and prin- leader Juan Guaidó, who ezuelans have left their extend sanctions to all several others, including
ciples of international law is backed by the United homeland in recent years members of Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir
that govern relations be- States and more than 50 amid skyrocketing inflation Supreme Court if they con- Padrino, had had been
tween civilized nations," other nations. and shortages of food and tinue to prop up Maduro. in talks for weeks with the
said Moreno, a political ally Guaidó took to the streets medicine, and Pence and The U.S. already has sanc- opposition to oust Maduro
of the Maduro, speaking in of at least two communi- other Trump administration tions on about 150 officials but backed away from the
a nationally broadcast TV ties on Wednesday to keep officials have warned that and businesses in the coun- plan at the last minute.
appearance. Moreno al- up momentum among 2 million more are expect- try. As the U.S. looked to lure
ready faces U.S. sanctions. Venezuelans, meeting sup- ed to flee by the end of The U.S. lifted sanctions on the Venezuelan military,
The oil-rich nation is locked porters in his hometown of the year if the nation's crisis a top Venezuelan general Maduro and his allies start-
in a political struggle be- La Guaira and surrounding continues. who broke ranks with Mad- ed going after opponents
tween socialist President communities. In his speech a day earlier, uro, trying to help the op- who supported the upris-
Maduro and opposition More than 3 million Ven- Pence said the U.S. would position regain momentum ing. q

Human rights commission condemns Brazilian governor

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The from helicopters is illegal,
head of the human rights and can only be justified in
commission of Rio de Ja- very specific cases, such as
neiro's legislative assembly when victims are held hos-
has blamed state Gov. Wil- tages.
son Witzel for a surge in po- Witzel defended his security
lice killings, which totaled a strategy Wednesday at an
record 434 victims in the first event attended by far-right
three months of the year. President Jair Bolsonaro, a
Legislator Renata Souza political ally.
said in a letter to the U.N. To confront "the absolute
rapporteur on extrajudi- degradation and unac-
cial killings that Witzel had ceptable violence" in the
made statements "legitimiz- state, there is no other op-
ing" police violence in the tion but to use "the maxi-
state's slums and suburbs. mum toughness in the fight
Souza criticized Witzel's against organized crime,"
campaign promise to use Witzel said.
helicopters as a platform Souza's letter to the U.N.
for sharpshooters, who also cited recent cases
could target anyone carry- in which the police and
ing a weapon. armed forces are accused
"Rio's biggest problem is of human rights abuses,
that there is no public secu- In this March 12, 2019 file photo, Rio de Janeiro state Gov. Wilson Witzel attends a press confer- such as the killing of a musi-
rity policy," Souza said in a ence regarding the arrest of two suspects in the killing of councilwoman Marielle Franco, at Civil cian whose car was shot 80
separate statement. "What Police headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. times as he was driving to a
we have, is a governor who Associated Press baby shower with his fam-
thinks he is a vigilante, and ily. Authorities are investi-
says that the only security shoot in the head." of himself flying in a heli- areas below. gating the case and say
protocol applicable in his The letter came a few days copter with police officers Souza and other critics say the soldiers confused the
government is to aim and after Witzel posted a video aiming rifles at residential the shooting of suspects car with that of criminals.q