Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 7 augusT 2018
Lula da Silva's party chooses Plan B in Brazil race

By MAURICIO SAVARESE Silva is allowed to run, leav-
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's ing the running-mate slot to
left-leaning Workers' Party Manuela D' Avila, a young
announced Monday that and telegenic state legis-
former Sao Paulo Mayor lator from the Communist
Fernando Haddad will be- Party of Brazil, which has
come its presidential candi- 10 seats in Congress out of
date if, as expected, jailed 513.
ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula "Lula asked us to make a
da Silva is barred from run- formal request for Manuela
ning in the October elec- to be candidate for vice
tion. president. Her candidacy
The announcement by par- had an important role to
ty chairwoman Gleisi Hoff- build this unity," the Work-
man immediately propels a ers' Party chairwoman said.
candidate who has barely As part of the arrange-
registered in the polls thus ment, D'Avila gave up her
far to one of the leading own presidential bid. The
contenders to become Workers' Party will have the
Brazil's next president. Communist Party as its ju-
Hoffmann said that Had- nior partner, along with a
dad "will travel nationwide Sao Paulo's former mayor Fernando Haddad speaks during the Workers Party national convention small centrist party and an-
carrying Lula's voice," mak- in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018. other fringe party on the far
ing him a surrogate for a Associated Press left.
once wildly popular leader Da Silva remains a tower-
who still garners much sup- proaches. to even make the runoffs amid tanking popularity of ing political figure even
port despite mounting legal A 55-year-old economist, in his attempt at re-elec- the party, while others de- from behind bars. The labor
problems. Polls show da Sil- lawyer and university pro- tion in 2016. In that way, cided to sit out this presi- leader-turned-president
va with a clear lead in this fessor, Haddad was edu- the party is gambling that dential race and instead oversaw a dramatic rise in
year's race even though a cation minister under Work- voters will support a candi- go for congressional, sen- Brazil's economy from 2003-
corruption conviction will ers' Party Presidents da Silva date whose communica- ate or gubernatorial seats. 2010, pulling millions from
almost certainly will block and Dilma Rousseff, then tion often comes across as Even so, political analyst poverty and making the
his candidacy. won election as mayor of academic and uninspiring Alberto Almeida, author of country a prominent player
Da Silva says he is innocent Brazil's largest city in 2012. simply because da Silva "The Vote of the Brazilians," on the world stage.
and is still appealing the Improvements his adminis- picked him. said he expects Haddad's But in the past few years,
conviction, which by law tration made to transpor- While many on the left link with da Silva means with da Silva out of office,
makes him ineligible to run tation infrastructure in Sao may question picking Had- Haddad will at least propel the political mood has
for office. However, Brazil's Paulo along with a drug dad, da Silva didn't have him into the top two in the darkened as the econ-
electoral court makes final reduction program helped many choices. Some more first round of voting on Oct. omy has slumped and a
decisions on candidacies, give him a reputation of a popular members of the 7, qualifying him for the run- far-reaching corruption in-
and the Workers' Party is modernizing and compe- party have been jailed for off three weeks later. vestigation has ensnared
holding out hope of the tent steward. corruption or have cases Hoffman said that Haddad hundreds of politicians and
political equivalent of a But he proved an uncharis- against them. Others lost would drop even out of the businessmen — including
miracle as the election ap- matic politician and failed re-election bids in 2016 vice presidential race if da da Silva.q

Nicaragua NGO closes offices amid unrest, denounces threats

Associated Press believes are responsible. ment.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua The group says government The association's most re-
(AP) — A rights group that security forces and armed, cent report said 55 of the
has documented killings allied civilian groups are killings came in Masaya,
during months of political responsible for most of the southeast of the capi-
unrest in this Central Ameri- 448 deaths it has docu- tal, where protesters had
can nation says it is closing mented since the protests maintained barricades
its offices due to threats began April 19. for weeks in the Monim-
and harassment targeting President Daniel Ortega bo neighborhood until a
its staff. has denied responsibil- deadly crackdown to clear
The Nicaraguan Pro-Hu- ity and accuses those de- the streets. There, like else-
man Rights Association said manding he leave office of where, the group sought to
in a statement late Satur- attempting a coup. mediate between police
day that its facilities have The government has ac- and authorities.
been besieged by "unau- knowledged 195 killed in In this July 26, 2018 file photo, a demonstrator fires a home made "Dr. Leiva has put (his life)
thorized armed groups and the unrest, while the Orga- mortar while others gather to commemorate 100 days of anti- on the line amid bullets and
threatening phone calls." nization of American States government protests, in Managua, Nicaragua. lots of violence. If not for
It also complained of "il- said Thursday that it has Associated Press him, who knows how many
legal practices of judicial counted 317 deaths. more dead there would
persecution and criminal- The rights association has lease of people arrested. to complaints online only. have been in Masaya," said
ization without legal basis" been among the most ac- It said the closures are nec- The group's director, Alvaro Edwin Roman, parish priest
against its personnel. It did tive in calling for an end to essary to protect staff and Leiva, could not immedi- of the San Miguel Church in
not directly identify those it the violence and for the re- for now it will be attending ately be reached for com- the city.q