Page 12 - aruba-today-20190504

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 4 May 2019
Anger over corruption widespread ahead of Panama election

By JUAN ZAMORANO Cortizo, a 66-year-old busi-
Associated Press nessman with a degree
PANAMA CITY (AP) — An- in business administration
ger over brazen corruption from Norwich University in
and weariness over the po- Vermont, has had to an-
litical status quo are wide- swer questions about cor-
spread among the Pana- ruption like the other candi-
manian electorate ahead dates as a former Cabinet
of Sunday's vote to pick a minister under President
successor to President Juan Martín Torrijos (2004-2009).
Carlos Varela, on whose It was Torrijos who granted
watch Latin America's the first multimillion-dollar
fastest growing economy contract to Odebrecht,
cooled off significantly. though the company's
In what has been per- business in Panama grew
haps the shortest and least significantly in the subse-
colorful campaign since quent administrations of
Panama's transition to de- Ricardo Martinelli and then
mocracy three decades Varela. Currently there are
ago, most election talk has calls for investigations to re-
focused on government start and extend to the Tor-
malfeasance following the rijos government, but that
massive leak of law firm Supporters of Panamanian presidential candidate Romulo Roux, holding Democratic Change has not diminished Cortizo's
documents in the Panama party banners, attend his closing campaign rally in Panama City, Thursday, May 2, 2019. standing in the polls. He
Papers and a regionwide Associated Press vows that nobody will be
scandal involving bribes untouchable in his govern-
paid by Brazilian construc- shell companies that be- economic performance," for the third time since the ment if he wins the presi-
tion firm Odebrecht. came public through the he continued. "Many Pan- fall of Gen. Manuel Noriega dency. "What Odebrecht
The Odebrecht case "is leak from a Panamanian amanians are fed up with in 1989, after it lost the last has done in Latin America
particularly relevant in Pan- law firm were used to fun- the political class and have two presidential elections. and Panama cannot be
ama in light of the Panama nel bribes from the Brazilian been disappointed by suc- A recent poll by La Prensa forgiven," Cortizo said in a
Papers," said Michael Shift- company. cessive administrations." newspaper gave party recent interview days after
er, president of the Wash- "Corruption becomes an That discontent could trans- standard-bearer Lauren- the campaign's final tele-
ington-based Inter-Ameri- even more important is- late into a return to power tino Cortizo a double-digit vised debate. "Convicted
can Dialogue, alluding to sue in the context of the for the opposition Revolu- edge over his two nearest companies, forget about
the fact that many of the country's recent sluggish tionary Democratic Party rivals. Panama!"q

Shootout rattles nerves near busy Venezuela border bridge

Associated Press robbed and sometimes
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — even shot.
A shootout near a busy bor- Recently, Venezuelan au-
der bridge between Ven- thorities have begun al-
ezuela and Colombia sent lowing schoolchildren
droves of people ducking and medical patients to
for cover Friday as they cross into Colombia on
crossed in search of food the bridge and permitting
and other items, authorities thousands returning with
said. goods each day back in.
The incident took place on Video shared on social me-
an illegal dirt road crossing dia of the incident shows
close to the Simon Bolivar people lugging heavy
International Bridge where bags with supplies and
thousands of Venezuelans even police officers sud-
pour into neighboring Co- denly crouching down and
lombia each day in search crying as the loud sound of
of vital goods. gunfire pierced the air.
Colombia Migration Direc- Venezuela is in the throes
tor Christian Kruger said of a political and econom-
one woman who did not ic crisis forcing millions to
belong to the illegal armed A woman holding her pet crosses illegally into Colombia near the Simon Bolivar International flee. The United Nations es-
groups behind the shooting Bridge in La Parada near Cucuta, Colombia, Wednesday, May 1, 2019, on the border with Ven- timates a total of 3.7 million
was hit by a stray bullet and ezuela. have fled in search of bet-
being treated at a nearby Associated Press ter opportunities abroad,
hospital. over 10 percent of Venezu-
"Contraband groups ap- Venezuelans who cross ruary after the opposition's The dirt pathways known as ela's population.
parently fighting for these each day to migrate or failed bid to deliver hu- "trochas" are controlled by Colombia migration au-
routes had a confronta- obtain food and medicine. manitarian aid. Since then, illegal armed groups, who thorities said Thursday that
tion," he said. Venezuelan authorities many have been forced to charge Venezuelans for over 1.2 million now reside
Colombia has turned into closed the Simon Bolivar seek a route into Colombia passage. Those who cross in the neighboring Andean
a lifeline for thousands of International Bridge in Feb- illegally instead. are frequently harassed, nation.q