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A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 6 July 2019
Maduro shows military might in Independence Day celebration

By SCOTT SMITH a failed military uprising
Associated Press staged April 30 with Guaidó
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) and another popular op-
— Venezuela's President position leader, Leopoldo
Nicolás Maduro oversaw López. Now in the United
a grand military parade to States, Cristopher Figuera
mark the country's indepen- says his mission is to "seek
dence day Friday, reveling help to free my country
in his might as commander from disgrace."
in chief as the embattled In a sign of increasing in-
socialist leader comes un- ternational repudiation of
der mounting criticism for Maduro, the U.N. high com-
using brutal tactics to crush missioner for human rights,
his opponents. Michelle Bachelet, issued
Maduro applauded and a scathing report Thursday
pumped his fist as soldiers accusing Venezuela's se-
marched past, tanks rolled curity forces of nearly 5,300
by and fighter jets streaked killings last year.
overhead at a Caracas Venezuelans interviewed
military base. A unit of cam- by the human rights work-
ouflaged special forces, ers referred to a particu-
guns drawn, shouted their lar security unit, FAES, as a
loyalty as they paraded by "death squad" or "extermi-
the presidential reviewing nation group."
stand. Maduro's government has
"We look to the heavens, Soldiers march during a military parade marking Independence Day in Caracas, Venezuela, Fri- also undermined the rule of
asking for peace," Maduro day July 5, 2019. law and dismantled demo-
said. "All the while our mili- Associated Press cratic institutions, the U.N.
tary exercises play out. We reported. "These measures
plead to God with our mis- ers in January, at the time term is illegitimate because As he spoke, members of are aimed at neutralizing,
siles pointed." drawing throngs of sup- the most popular political Venezuela's militia each repressing and criminalizing
The parade served as a porters for demonstrations figures and parties were held a cardboard box of political opponents and
demonstration of Maduro's against Maduro, who has barred from running. the type used to distribute people critical of the Gov-
continuing support from overseen the oil-rich na- Maduro refuses to step government-subsidized ernment," the report said.
the military amid a political tion's historic collapse. More aside, blaming Venezuela's food. Despite the splashy Deputy Foreign Minister Wil-
standoff with opposition than 4 million Venezuelans woes on an economic war military parade, Maduro liam Castillo blasted the
leader Juan Guaidó, who is have left the country amid against the country led by has had some defectors. report, saying it failed to
trying to oust Maduro and food and medicine short- the Trump administration, Colombian authorities say reflect "the reality in our
has the backing of more ages and crushing inflation. and Guaidó has not been a few hundred soldiers country." He demanded
than 50 nations, including As head of the opposition- able to lure a critical mass have abandoned Maduro the report be corrected
the United States. controlled National As- of soldiers to back him. in recent months. and said the govern-
Guaidó, who led a rival sembly, Guaidó claims In his brief address, Maduro Most notably, Maduro's spy ment would heed "con-
march across town Friday, that Maduro's election in renewed his call for a dia- chief Gen. Manuel Cris- structive" and "balanced"
claimed presidential pow- 2018 to a second, six-year logue with the opposition. topher Figuera fled after recommendations.q

Mexico issues arrest warrants for ex-Pemex boss, relatives

In a statement, prosecutors adding that he believed 2015 sale of a fertilizer plant
said that the warrants for Lozoya was in Mexico. to state-run oil company
Emilio Lozoya and others The attorney general's of- Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pe-
are related to their investi- fice said that Interpol had mex, at an inflated price,
gation into wrongdoing by also been notified of the although the former execu-
the Brazilian construction warrants. It said sufficient tive has denied wrongdo-
behemoth Odebrecht. evidence was presented to ing.
The targets were only iden- a judge to allow advance- In late 2016, Odebrecht and
tified by their first names, ment in "a case that for a Braskem, a petrochemi-
but an official in the at- long time was frozen in a cal subsidiary, reached an
torney general's office reprehensible way." agreement with American,
who was not authorized to Brazil's so-called Car Wash Brazilian and Swiss justice
speak publicly, confirmed investigation into illicit pay- officials to pay $3.5 billion in
that it was Lozoya. ments by Odebrecht to penalties.
Attorney Javier Coello told government officials has As part of that accord,
Milenio TV that the warrant led to multiple arrests and Odebrecht divulged de-
In this Aug. 17, 2017 file photo, Emilio Lozoya, former head of
Mexico's state-owned oil company Pemex, gives a press con- for his client wasn't surpris- prosecutions in Latin Ameri- tails on bribes across sev-
ference in Mexico City. ing, but it was a shock that can countries over the past eral countries. It said it paid
Associated Press Lozoya's wife, mother and five years, but none in Mex- $10.5 million to officials at
sister were also included. ico. Pemex between 2010 and
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN arrest warrants have been "What does Mr. Lozoya's Earlier this year, the attor- 2014.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- issued for the former head wife have to do with this? ney general's office also Lozoya was head of the
ico's attorney general's of- of the state oil company What does his mom have sought an arrest warrant company from 2012 to
fice said Friday that new and several of his relatives. to do with this?" Coello said, for Lozoya in relation to the 2016.q