Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 19 May 2017

Brazil’s Temer: ‘I won’t resign’ amid corruption allegations

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — will pull Latin America’s on social media when Te-
Brazilian President Michel largest economy out of mer finally spoke Thursday
Temer on Thursday reject- its worst recession in de- night and said he would
ed calls for his resignation, cades. stay in power.
saying he will fight allega- The pressure built against “Michel Temer is like that
tions that he endorsed the Temer throughout the day, boyfriend who doesn’t
paying of hush money to a with reports that Cabinet know it’s over,” one Twitter
former lawmaker jailed for ministers were considering user said.
corruption. quitting their posts and op- Since its start three years
Even in this country wea- position politicians calling ago, the “Car Wash” in-
ry from the constant drip for his impeachment. vestigation into a kickback
of revelations of a wide- “There are parties leaving scheme at oil giant Petro-
ranging corruption investi- his base, ministers leaving bras has revealed a scale
gation, the incendiary ac- the Cabinet. Even if the re- of corruption that has
cusation set off a firestorm cordings don’t show some- shocked even the most
and Brazil’s highest court Brazil’s President Michel Temer says he will fight allegations that thing that terrible, you cynical Brazilians and put
opened an investigation. he endorsed the paying of hush money to an ex-lawmaker can’t put the toothpaste several top businessmen
Stocks and the currency jailed for corruption, during a national address at the Planalto back in the tube,” said and politicians in jail. In
plunged and rumors cir- presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, May 18, 2017. Claudio Couto, a political recent months, the probe
culated that Temer would his index finger against the Within 90 minutes of the science professor at Fun- has moved closer to the
step down. podium. “I did not buy any- opening, Brazil’s main dacao Getulio Vargas, a president and his circle.
Instead, the embattled body’s silence.” Ibovespa stock index Sao Paulo-based university Late Wednesday, Globo
leader remained defiant “I will not resign,” he said. dropped 10 percent and and think tank. “If Temer reported that JBS meat-
in a national address to The Supreme Federal Tribu- trading was stopped for 30 doesn’t fall, he will lead a packing company execu-
respond to a report by the nal has opened an investi- minutes. Brazil’s currency, walking dead administra- tive Joesley Batista had
newspaper late Wednes- gation into the accusations the real, lost 8 percent of its tion.” recorded Temer endorsing
day that he was recorded and sent Temer the record- value against the U.S. dol- Protests were planned for a bribe to silence Cunha,
endorsing payments to for- ings at his request. Senior lar, according to the Cen- later Thursday. who was previously an ally
mer lower House Speaker politicians can be inves- tral Bank’s closing figure. Five of the top 10 trending of Temer, though the two
Eduardo Cunha. tigated and tried only by Congress cancelled its ses- topics in Brazil on Twitter appear to have had a
“At no time did I authorize Brazil’s highest court. sions, including suspending were related to the scan- falling out. The report said
the paying of anyone,” Te- Following Globo’s report, work on legislation that Te- dal, including the subject that when Temer was told
mer said emphatically, rais- Thursday began in a panic. mer’s administration hopes “Temer will resign.” Many Cunha was being paid to
ing his voice and pounding Brazilians expressed shock keep silent, the president
Mexican anti-crime group defends military responded: “You have to
keep that up, all right?”
Many believe that Cunha,
who was widely viewed
MEXICO CITY (AP) — An dio Formula. “The Mexican military’s role. But many to defend security forces as Brazil’s most power-
anti-crime organization is army is the one that de- Mexicans are desperate blamed for doing their ful politician before being
offering legal defense to a fends the rule of law and about crime and polls jobs. ensnared in several cor-
soldier accused of execut- we’re ready to defend show they’re not worried Robledo represents Ale- ruption cases, could pro-
ing a suspected fuel thief the Mexican army in this about alleged military hu- jandro Marti, who found- vide damaging testimony
— a sign of support for case.” man rights abuses. ed Mexico SOS after the about dozens of others if
the military’s controversial Robledo said Thursday Mexico’s National Human kidnapping- murder of his he reached a plea bargain
role in attacking Mexico’s that he had not spoken Rights Commission deter- 14-year-old son in 2008. with investigators. Cunha
crime wave. to army officials yet about mined that soldiers exe- On Wednesday, Marti first has been imprisoned on a
Lawyer Alejandro Robledo the offer of free legal de- cuted at least 12 suspects made the offer through his 15-year sentence for cor-
said Thursday that Mexico fense, but that he planned after they surrendered on Twitter account. And one ruption.
SOS wants a fair trial for a to reach out to the soldier June 30, 2014, in the town day earlier, he tweeted: A statement from Temer’s
soldier shown in a widely and his superiors. of Tlatlaya in Mexico State. “It is irritating that the crim- office confirmed that the
distributed video appear- Human rights organiza- But many argued the sol- inals, gangs and cartels president did meet with
ing to shoot a suspect tions say the video shows diers were just doing their have all the human rights Batista in March but de-
who’s face-down on the why soldiers shouldn’t jobs. protections” while soldiers, nied soliciting a bribe.
ground. be policing and presents Last year, Isabel Miranda marines and police are on Globo also reported that
“What we want is for the complications for pas- de Wallace, leader of a their own. Sen. Aecio Neves had
soldier to have a just, legal sage of a new interior se- group called Stop Kidnap- No charges have been been recorded asking Ba-
process and not a lynch- curity law under debate ping, proposed the cre- announced over the May tista for $700,000 to pay
ing,” Robledo said on Ra- that would formalize the ation of an ombudsman 3 clash in Puebla state.q for his defense in the “Car
Wash” corruption probe. q