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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 3 May 2017

Mexico captures Sinaloa cartel leader Damaso Lopez

MARK STEVENSON and that his arrest dimin-
Associated Press ished possibilities of form-
MEXICO CITY (AP) — One ing that alliance. He did
of the Sinaloa cartel lead- not name the other cartel,
ers who launched a strug- but the federal official con-
gle for control of the gang firmed that he was looking
following the re-arrest of to ally with the Jalisco car-
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guz- tel, Mexico’s fastest-grow-
man was captured Tues- ing drug gang.
day, Mexican prosecutors Soldiers in full battle gear
said. guarded the entrance of
The attorney general’s of- an upscale apartment
fice said that soldiers and building on a major bou-
prosecution agents carried levard in Mexico City, not
out a morning raid to cap- far from downtown, where
ture a drug gang leader it Lopez was arrested.
called “Damaso N.” The soldiers and police
A federal official confirmed later escorted a man who
the suspect is Damaso Lo- appeared to be Lopez
pez, known by the nick- out of the building under
name “El Licenciado” — a heavy guard.
title for college graduates. Lopez would not be the
Lopez was long considered first high-level drug suspect
Guzman’s right-hand man Security agents guard a gate to the attorney general’s office for organized crime as a convoy ar- from outlying provinces
and helped him escape rives carrying Damaso Lopez, nicknamed “El Licenciado,” in Mexico City, Tuesday, May 2, 2017. captured in the capital.
from a Mexican prison in Mexican prosecutors said they captured Lopez, one of the Sinaloa cartel leaders who launched While Mexico City officials
a struggle for control of the gang following the re-arrest of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. Lopez
2001. was long considered Guzman’s right-hand man and helped him escape from a Mexican prison say drug cartels do not
Lopez, 51, is believed to in 2001. control territory in Mexico
have been locked in a dis- (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) City, they acknowledge
pute with Guzman’s sons that drug lords have some-
for control of the cartel’s of the main instigators of resorts of Los Cabos have ers and the Jalisco New times lived in the city and
territories. The head of Mex- violence in Sinaloa and the been hit by a string of kill- Generation cartel. moved drug shipments
ico’s federal detectives’ southern part of Baja Cali- ings, apparently related to Garcia Harfuch also said through the capital.
agency, Omar Garcia Har- fornia.” disputes between Lopez Lopez was looking to ally The cartels apparently like
fuch, said Lopez was “one The Baja California twin and other Sinaloa traffick- himself with another cartel, upscale properties. q

More unrest in Venezuela as president seeks new constitution

HANNAH DREIER planned constitutional as- tional congress, saying the ment march ended in rock ed in the assembly. That
Associated Press sembly a ploy to put off re- idea should first be put to throwing and tear gas could distract them from
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) gional elections scheduled a vote of Venezuelans. It Monday, Maduro said a organizing the near-daily
— People blocked streets in for this year and a presi- was a symbolic gesture be- new constitution is needed street protests that have
Caracas with broken con- dential election that was to cause the legislative body to restore peace. kept up for four weeks, po-
crete, twisted metal and be held in 2018. has no power to block a “This will be a citizens’ as- litical analyst Luis Vicente
flaming piles of trash Tues- Polling suggests the social- constitutional assembly. sembly made up of work- Leon said.
day to protest the socialist ists would lose both those The president was vague ers,” he said. “The day has “It’s a way of calling elec-
president’s bid to rewrite elections badly at a time of about how members of the come brothers. Don’t fail tions that uses up energy
the constitution amid a widespread anger over tri- assembly would be cho- me now.” but does not carry risk, be-
rapidly escalating political ple-digit inflation and short- sen. He hinted some would “I am no Mussolini,” he cause it’s not a universal,
crisis. ages of food and other selected by voters, but added. direct and secret vote,”
President Nicolas Maduro goods. many observers expect the If the constitutional process Leon said. “And it has the
signed a decree Monday On Tuesday, the opposi- selection process to favor goes forward, opposition effect of pushing out the
to begin the process of tion-majority congress of- the socialists. leaders will need to focus possibility of elections this
rewriting the charter. Op- ficially rejected Maduro’s Speaking hours after yet on getting at least some year and probably next
position leaders called the move to call a constitu- another big anti-govern- sympathetic figures includ- year as well.”q