Yesterday, Tuesday, 16 May 2017, members of the National Police confronted legislators, students and members of the Popular Front (Falpo) who were setting up camp outside the Attorney General’s office to await the list of names of those involved in the Odebrecht scandal. Students had been authorized to do so recently by a deputy prosecutor. The Attorney General had announced the names of government officers taking bribes from Odebrecht would be released on or before 19 May 2017.
The group claimed that six members of Falpo have been arrested as they tried to set up the camp. Those detained are Raysa de León, José Silverio, Pablo Esteves, Gabriel Sánchez, Manuel Cuevas and one other only identified as Robin.
Jesús Adón, representing Falpo, complained that the arrests were carried out violently and several of those arrested were beaten by the police. In spite of what he called this repression, Adón warned that the protests would continue as “we have all had had enough of the high levels of corruption and impunity in the government”.
Following the arrests, a committee of deputies came to the scene to try and secure the release of those arrested. However, the commission, headed by Fidel Santana and Fildelio Despradel, were met with tear gas canisters thrown by the police and were prevented from entering the building. Several members of the press were also affected by the tear gas.
Minister of Interior and Police Carlos Amarante argued the camp would affect free transit in the area where the Supreme Court of Justice and National Congress are also located.
The president of the Chamber of Deputies Lucia Medina said she would review the videos to see what actually happened.
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
Listin Diario
7 Dias
Noticias SIN
7 Dias
El Dia
17 May 2017
