Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 15 March 2017

Ex-Brazilian president denies trying to obstruct graft probe

SARAH DiLORENZO The former president oc-
Associated Press casionally appeared emo-
SAO PAULO (AP) — A for- tional, frustrated or even
mer Brazilian president de- angry during his testimony.
nied in court Tuesday that He made several self-ag-
he was part of a plot to im- grandizing claims, includ-
pede the sprawling corrup- ing that his presidency
tion probe at the state oil turned Brazil into a major
company and likened the player on the world stage,
barrage of media atten- that he is considered the
tion on the charges against most important president
him to a “massacre.” in Brazil’s history and that
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Brazilians see him as the
has been accused, along most important world lead-
with several others, of plot- er of the beginning of the
ting to buy off or otherwise 21st century.
prevent a former Petrobras He contrasted these suc-
executive from revealing cesses with the indignity
what he knew about the of seeing headlines every
bribery scheme. Silva testi- day claiming that some
fied he didn’t even know business executive or poli-
former oil company direc- tician was going to level
tor Nestor Cervero and a new accusation against
never had contact with Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva looks during an event with rural workers in Brasilia, him. “For about three years
him. Brazil. Brazil’s former president has denied in court on March 14, that he was part of a plot to ob- now, I have been the vic-
“I have absolutely no rea- struct a massive corruption probe by keeping a former executive-turned-state’s evidence from tim of, I would say, almost
son to have any problem revealing what he knew. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) a massacre,” he said.
with the testimony of Cer- Silva, a union leader turned
vero — no reason at all. panies. The probe has en- was asked if he was famil- of other cases linked to politician, testified that he
I don’t know (him),” Silva snared dozens of high-level iar with the accusations the probe. He has main- was exceptionally careful
said, according to a video politicians and executives. against him and whether tained his innocence in all during his eight years in of-
provided by the court. Cervero was convicted in they were true. He re- of them, saying the allega- fice to avoid even the ap-
State oil giant Petrobras connection with the probe sponded: “The information tions are politically moti- pearance of impropriety,
is at the center of a wide- and is cooperating with is false.” vated. Despite these legal saying he skipped dinners,
ranging investigation into prosecutors. Silva, who was president challenges, Silva is leading birthday parties and wed-
kickbacks and inflated At the beginning of nearly in 2003-2010, is also fac- some polls for next year’s dings, so he wouldn’t find
contracts at state com- an hour of testimony, Silva ing charges in a handful presidential election. himself in a situation where
someone might ask a fa-
Cuba tries to reboot its creaky state news apparatus vor. The Petrobras probe
has grown into the biggest
graft investigation in Brazil’s
MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN to eventually expand to government ministries. Cu- that have become irrel- history and has shocked
Associated Press nearly round-the-clock pro- ban state media are fac- evant to most young Cu- even the most cynical of
HAVANA (AP) — The Cu- gramming. That’s a niche ing increasing competition bans. Brazilians for the scale of
ban government is trying currently occupied only from more widely available But content remains almost corruption it has revealed.
to reboot its Soviet-era style by Telesur, a regional news online sources as internet entirely under the control Prosecutors have relied
news programming with a channel financed by left- access expands. of Communist Party ideo- heavily on signing plea
high-definition current af- ist Latin American govern- “Now we’re going to be logical monitors and a crip- bargains with certain de-
fairs channel staffed by ments. able to reflect the needs pling government cash fendants to make cases
young journalists. Caribe channel produc- of the people in the news,” shortage means the chan- against others.
The Caribe channel is start- ers say their programming said Karina del Valle, a nel has few resources. On Tuesday, Attorney Gen-
ing slowly, with 3½ hours of premiering Tuesday night 24-year-old presenter on a “Our great challenge is eral Rodrigo Janot asked
offerings a night on a new will be less dogmatic and Caribe current-affairs show. really making this a real- the Supreme Court to
channel available to a few more openly critical than Like many of the country’s ity,” said Ovidio Cabrera open 83 corruption inqui-
hundred thousand viewers traditional Cuban state state outlets, Caribe jour- Garcia, director-general ries into sitting politicians
who have bought high-def- television, whose reporting nalists will include many of Cuban television. “We who have the right to have
inition decoder boxes. rarely goes beyond repeat- recent graduates eager to don’t want to create great their cases heard by the
Producers say they hope ing communiques from modernize official media expectations.”q highest court. q