- Title: Sacked Venezuelan prosecutor rejects her removal
- Date: 6th August 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (AUGUST 06, 2017) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF MEETING ATTENDED BY VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION FIGURES OPPOSITION FIGURE AND GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MIRANDA, HENRIQUE CAPRILES (LEFT), AND PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, JULIO BORGES (RIGHT) SEATED ON STAGE AT MEETING VARIOUS OF VENEZUELA'S CHIEF PROSECUTOR, LUISA ORTEGA, ARRIVING TO APPLAUSE PEOPLE APPLAUDING MORE OF ORTEGA ARRIVING ORTEGA TAKING PODIUM TO SPEAK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELA'S CHIEF PROSECUTOR, LUISA ORTEGA, SAYING: "Attending to the order given by the executive, they (the National Constituent Assembly) proceeded to illegitimately remove the chief prosecutor, I do not recognize this removal. I am still the chief prosecutor of this country." VARIOUS OF ORTEGA SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELA'S CHIEF PROSECUTOR, LUISA ORTEGA, SAYING: "From the south to the east, in the Los Llanos (region), the whole county is in ruins. (We have) a government that is a not governing. What we Venezuelans want is to resolve these issues and also to have the right to participate, the right to be able to decide these things and for us not to be persecuted for that, do not go after Venezuelans." ORTEGA GREETING PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE
- Embargoed: 20th August 2017 18:50
- Keywords: Venezuela constituent assembly Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Nicolas Maduro Tarek William Saab
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016T0QG5J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuela's dissident chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega on Sunday (August 6) said she does not recognize the new National Constituent Assembly's decision to remove her from her post.
On Saturday (August 5) the pro-government body removed Ortega and ordered her to stand trial, confirming opposition fears that it would use its powers to root out critics of the government.
During a meeting attended by national opposition figures in Caracas, Ortega rejected her removal as illegal and vowed to continue working saying she is, "still the chief prosecutor of this country."
The prosecutor had become President Nicolas Maduro's main challenger from within the ruling socialist movement since the start of sustained opposition street protests.
On Saturday, the newly-seated constituent assembly replaced Ortega with Maduro's human rights ombudsman, Tarek Saab, a government ally who the opposition says has turned a blind eye to state abuses. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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