Venezuela parliamentary president says firing of dissident prosecutor "unconstitutional"

Record ID: 905355

  • Title: Venezuela parliamentary president says firing of dissident prosecutor "unconstitutional"
  • Date: 5th August 2017
  • Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (AUGUST 05, 2017) (REUTERS) MEDIA GATHERED AROUND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT JULIO BORGES BORGES TALKING TO MEDIA MEDIA NEAR BORGES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, JULIO BORGES, SAYING: "The only body, the only organisation that can fire a chief prosecutor and who can name a new chief prosecutor is the National Assembly. As chief prosecutor (Luisa Ortega Diaz) said, what happened today does not exist, we do not recognise it, it is absolutely illegal, unconstitutional and the country needs to know that it is absolutely null. We need to keep on fighting for the validity of our constitution." GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE ON STREET WITH BORGES MEDIA STANDING NEAR BORGES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, JULIO BORGES, SAYING: "In a strong democracy the only strength that there is is freedom and the strength of the law. That is the strength that allows for elections and democracy. In a sick democracy, like they one we are living in which isn't democracy anymore, strength comes from brute force, of weapons and interest groups. Believe me, this is not a strong government, it is a government that is digging its own grave through its barbarity and arbitrariness." GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE WITH BORGES
  • Embargoed: 19th August 2017 23:51
  • Keywords: opposition National Assembly President Julio Borges President Nicolas Maduro fire chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz Constituent Assembly constitution
  • Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016SVQXQF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The president of Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly on Saturday (August 05) said the sacking of the country's chief prosecutor by the pro-Maduro Constituent Assembly was "unconstitutional", telling media the socialist government was digging its own grave with its brutality.
    Chief Prosecutor Luis Ortega was fired and ordered to stand trial, she had become President Nicolas Maduro's main challenger from within the ruling socialist movement since the opposition started a round of protests in April. But president of the National Assembly Julio Borges told media only the legislative body has the power to fire and install a chief prosecutor.
    Some 120 people have died in months of protests against the socialist government, angry at food shortages, a flailing economy and rampant crime. Critics accuse the government of using heavy-handed tactics on the opposition and compared the government of Maduro to a dictatorship.
    Earlier in the day, South American trade bloc Mercosur indefinitely suspended Venezuela from the body, adding to international pressure on Maduro to dismantle the newly created assembly and restore democracy.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register