Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 16 May 2019
Colombia peace tribunal: Ex-rebel shouldn’t be extradited

By CHRISTINE ARMARIO fers terms that are far too
Associated Press generous to ex-rebels after
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — a half-century of conflict
The special tribunal inves- between leftist guerrillas,
tigating war crimes during the state and paramilitary
Colombia’s decades-long groups that left at least
civil conflict ruled Wednes- 250,000 dead, 60,000 miss-
day that a top rebel peace ing and millions displaced.
negotiator should not be Critics like former President
extradited to the United Alvaro Uribe quickly blast-
States on a drug warrant. ed the decision as another
The nation’s chief prosecu- indication that the tribunal
tor, Nestor Martinez, imme- is too closely aligned with
diately resigned in protest, former rebels.
calling the Special Peace “At the pace we’re going,
Tribunal’s ruling a slap in Colombia will end up ask-
the face for Colombia’s ing for forgiveness for FARC
democracy and the many narco-terrorists for not hav-
victims of the armed con- ing surrendered power
flict. to them sooner,” Uribe
“The evidence is conclu- quipped on Twitter.
sive, indisputable,” he said In explaining the decision,
in a terse statement. “This In this Dec. 6, 2016 file photo, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, rebel commander the tribunal’s magistrates
destroys international judi- and peace negotiator Seuxis Hernandez, alias Jesus Santrich, flashes a victory hand signal at the said that the U.S. State De-
cial cooperation.” end of a press conference in Bogota, Colombia. partment did not provide
Seuxis Hernandez, best the evidence requested
known by his alias Jesus peace accord between During that meeting and In an interview from the La and that intercepted au-
Santrich, is a blind rebel the government and the subsequent negotiations, Picota jail with local radio dios held up as proof did
ideologue who was jailed country’s biggest rebel he and his co-conspirators station Caracol, he said the not clearly indicate Sant-
in April 2018 on accusa- group, the Revolutionary allegedly discussed plans tribunal’s ruling marked the rich was culpable.
tions that he conspired with Armed Forces of Colom- for a 10-ton shipment to final blow to a “dirty setup” “It’s not possible to evalu-
three others to move sev- bia, known as FARC. Rebels the U.S., boasting they had orchestrated by the U.S. ate the conduct attributed
eral tons of cocaine valued who lay down their weap- access to cocaine labora- Department of State and to Hernandez, nor to de-
at $15 million into the U.S. ons and confess to crimes tories and U.S.-registered Colombia’s chief prosecu- termine the precise date
He has been behind bars are spared jail time and planes to move the cargo, tor.Supporters of the ac- committed,” the judges
in Colombia as the tribunal extradition but aren’t pro- the notice says. cord praised the decision said.
weighed the question of his tected for crimes commit- Santrich has repeatedly as an important show of the The tribunal ruled that try-
extradition. ted after the signing. professed his innocence, tribunal’s independence. ing Santrich in Colombia
At issue is whether the al- An Interpol notice for Sant- saying he was the victim But the ruling will be anoth- instead of the U.S. is the
leged crimes took place rich’s arrest claims he met of a scheme to put him er test for Colombia’s frag- best way to “consolidate
before or after the sign- with cocaine buyers at his behind bars for a crime he ile peace process. Skeptics a peace that is stable and
ing of the December 2016 residence on Nov. 2, 2017. didn’t commit. contend the accord of- durable.”q

Crowds protest cuts in federal funding for Brazil schools

By DIANE JEANTET of one of Brazil’s largest discuss education.” Since
Associated Press teacher unions in higher the early stages of his presi-
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — education, said the second dential campaign, Bolson-
Tens of thousands joined in semester at universities, aro has repeatedly vowed
demonstrations across Bra- which in Brazil run August- to improve Brazil’s under-
zil on Wednesday to protest September, will be com- performing education sys-
big cuts in federal funding promised due to the lack tem, mostly by ousting what
for public education, the of financing. Brandao said he considers a deeply en-
first nationwide rallies orga- that if the decision is not re- grained “Marxist ideology”
nized against far-right Presi- versed, universities may not and by increasing security
dent Jair Bolsonaro since be able to open. in violent schools. After as-
he took office Jan. 1. Brandao said the new gov- suming the presidency,
Avenues and public ernment should be follow- Once in the presidential
squares in Sao Paulo, Brasil- ing the previous adminis- office, Bolsonaro spoke of
ia, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador tration’s 10-year education plans to revise school text-
and Recife were jammed Students take part in a nation-wide education strike, in Brasilia, roadmap that was imple- books to excise references
as students and teachers Brazil, Wednesday, May 15, 2019. mented in 2014. to feminism, homosexuality
marched against the de- Associated Press “We (in Brazil) approved a and violence against wom-
cision to pare $1.85 billion onstrators “useful idiots” about the government national education plan, en. On Wednesday, Bol-
from funds for the public who have “nothing in their freezing 30% of the discre- with clear objectives to sonaro said he wished he
education network, from heads” and are being ma- tionary budgets at all fed- meet. It’s a project that didn’t have to implement
elementary schools to uni- nipulated by “a sly minor- eral universities, money that has been approved and the cuts but that he was le-
versities. Speaking during ity” in federal universities. goes to pay such things as that is still in vigor,” he told gally obligated to do so as
a visit to Dallas, Texas, Bol- Education experts, profes- utility bills, security, cleaning The Associated Press. “The they are part of a wider ef-
sonaro dismissed the pro- sors and students say they and maintenance work. government is ignoring this fort to slash all government
tests, calling student dem- are particularly worried Nilton Brandao, president plan. They don’t want to spending .q