Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 3 august 2018

Colombia lends hand to Venezuelan refugees; Maduro on trial

By CESAR GARCIA and slowing the flow of mi-
MANUEL RUEDA grants.
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Maduro has refused inter-
Colombian President Juan national help, either deny-
Manuel Santos on Thursday ing a crisis in Venezuela ex-
granted 440,000 refugees ists or saying it would allow
from crisis-stricken Venezu- in imperialist invaders from
ela two years of help, while the United States and its al-
urging leaders in the neigh- lies, such as Colombia.
boring country to stem the While critical of Maduro,
spreading humanitarian Santos said his country is
crisis. willing to help those suffer-
Santos, who leaves office ing. "They are Colombians
Tuesday, gave the refu- returning to the country,"
gees temporary residency Santos said. "They are Ven-
permits, allowing them to ezuelans. They are Colom-
study, work and get medi- bian-Venezuelan families,
cal care that many need and they're returning in pre-
after arriving with untreat- carious conditions."
ed ailments. Meanwhile, self-exiled Ven-
"The whole world is increas- ezuelan judges in Bogota
ingly terrified of what is opened a largely symbolic
happening in Venezuela," trial against Maduro, de-
Santos said, speaking from In this June 25, 2018 file photo, Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos speaks during an spite his absence.
the presidential palace. interview at the presidential palace in Bogota, Colombia. Former Venezuelan chief
Tensions are high between Associated Press prosecutor Luisa Ortega,
Colombia and Venezuela, who is leading the case,
a once-wealthy oil na- struggle to afford scarce uro for the crisis, saying it bia in the last 18 months. accused Maduro of taking
tion in the grips of a five- food and medicine under burdens neighboring coun- Santos urged Maduro to $35 million from the Brazilian
year crisis under President soaring inflation — driving tries like Colombia. He said allow international hu- construction firm Odebre-
Nicolas Maduro's socialist masses across borders. more than 1 million Venezu- manitarian relief for eas- cht for his 2013 presidential
government. Venezuelans Santos condemned Mad- elans have fled into Colom- ing suffering in Venezuela campaign. q

Puerto Rico company fined $3M in raw sewage discharge case

Associated Press lion gallons of raw sewage children officials say were a residential development sewage made its way into
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) into a storm water system. affected. A former project in the northern town of Toa a river that serves some
— A development com- A judge on Thursday also manager previously pled Alta in 2012 and 2013 with- 80,000 people in the U.S.
pany in Puerto Rico has ordered Mora Develop- guilty in the case. The com- out a permit from the U.S. territory. Company officials
been fined $3 million for dis- ment Corporation to make pany was accused of dis- Environmental Protection could not be immediately
charging more than 29 mil- restitution to a family whose charging raw sewage from Agency. Officials said the reached for comment.q

Big Brazil party makes 1st presidential bid in 24 years

By MAURICIO SAVARESE in Brazil's history, with an un- dates lead Meirelles in most
Associated Press affordability rating topping polls, but that didn't stop
SAO PAULO (AP) — The par- 80 percent. Temer from being optimis-
ty of outgoing and unpop- Under Meirelles, Brazil's tic about his party's pick.
ular Brazilian President Mi- economy dipped 3.6 per- "If we managed to do all
chel Temer picked its own cent in 2016, grew only 1 this in two years, imagine
presidential candidate percent last year and is what Meirelles can do in
Thursday for the first time in bound for a similar result four years, maybe eight
24 years. in 2018, despite his early years," Brazil's president
The Brazilian Democratic predictions of a 3 percent said.
Movement announced jump. In 1994, when the Move-
that 72-year-old former Fi- Meirelles was also central ment had its last candidate
nance Minister Henrique bank governor between for president, former Sao
Meirelles would be its can- 2003 and 2010 in the two Paulo Gov. Orestes Quer-
didate for the October terms of former President cia finished fourth, with less
election. In this April 3, 2018 file photo, Brazil's President Michel Temer Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, than 5 percent of the vote.
greets then Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles, during a
The large, centrist party Brazilian Democratic Movement political party ceremony in at a time Brazil's economy The party governs more
has a history of not having Brasilia, Brazil. was booming. than 1,000 cities, seven
its own presidential candi- Associated Press Da Silva leads polls with states and has the most
date so that it can easily more than 30 percent sup- seats in the Senate, with
form coalitions with other Rousseff, who was im- Datafolha institute's June port, but electoral officials 18. It's the second party in
parties, playing kingmaker. peached in 2016. The party poll shows Meirelles with are likely to bar him from Brazil's lower house, with 50
Temer was elected vice has supported all previous minimal support among running due to a corruption deputies.
president under Workers' administrations since the voters and Temer as the conviction. Meirelles has not picked a
Party candidate Dilma 1989 election. most unpopular president At least five other candi- running mate yet.q