News 19
Update on Venezuela’s Ongoing Struggles Alan Matthew technology editor
It’s been been a little over two months
since Juan Guaidó, leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly and opposition party, declared himself interim president of the Republic of Venezuela, triggering political turmoil in the country. Due to the nature of the situation, new and significant events seem to be taking place every day. Venezuela, which has been led by Nicolás Maduro since 2013, now stands at a crossroads. With its officials and people disconnected, the South American country’s future will be defined by the days to come— and the recent events that have led up to this point. Possibly one of the most worrying developments took place a little over a month ago, during the second week of February. Nicolás Maduro, who is still in command of Venezuela’s military and government, rejected humanitarian aid bound for his country. Reports have come out that Maduro, while rebuffing aid, has also begun to spread propaganda against Juan Guaidó and the United States, which he claims is attempting to subvert Venezuela and its independence (Washington Post). Unsurprisingly, Maduro has been met with severe criticism. “Maduro’s fear mongering isn’t feeding the starving Venezuelan people,” denounced sophomore Arvin Saji. It certainly doesn’t combat the hyperinflation and discord that’s still widespread throughout the nation, and it certainly does nothing for the growing civil unrest. This has not been lost on U.S. politicians, either. Many, in ever increasing tones of angry, point out that the physical blockade that Maduro has set up at many of the country’s entry points is counterintuitive, especially considering the tenuous position that the dictator currently holds. In fact, as Maduro continues to deny access for humanitarian aid while many of his loyalists reap the benefits of his rule, the United States has issued sanctions against “six high-ranking members of the Venezuelan security forces and revoked the visas of other officials” (AP). As senior Ludrichard Edouard put it, “Even the international community is stepping in because of the situation... [they’re] noticing what’s happening, but if something doesn’t get better soon, Venezuela’s
people will still keep suffering.” And it’s this new, evolving global attention that’s adding another layer entirely onto the current situation. The latest piece on this complicated geopolitical chessboard to get involved is Russia. Even as Maduro spawns controversy almost daily —in late February, he closed Venezuela’s Brazilian border to stand in the way of aid yet again— countries such as Russia, China, Cuba, Turkey and many others still stand behind him, inevitably convoluting diplomatic attempts to reach a solution as more foreign interests are factored into the equation (The Guardian). Worryingly, it seems that, at times, the citizens of Venezuela have the least say in their future. As junior Joseph Nazario expressed, “The current [Venezuelan] administration has found almost any way to exploit and corrupt their country in favor of select few... [while] ignoring the cries of its peoples and creeping towards the vision of a dictatorship that the people do not support.” Yet despite this, the Venezuelan people’s firm stance against Maduro and his regime has gone a long way in awakening their voices, which has slowly paved the way for them to affect real change. As Juan Guaidó continues to fight for a truly democratically elected president in power, he has also encouraged the Venezuelan people to protest in the streets and make themselves heard. And they’ve done so in truly astonishing numbers. “There is much to be done to fix all [of Venezuela’s problems], and their new leader (Juan Guaidó) has to take lots of political action in quick junctions of time in order to alleviate the pain and damage,” states freshman Jeevanesh Sathiaseelan. And, for better or for worse, the people of Venezuela are responding this new, renewed effort to save their country. Despite everything, it actually seems that Venezuela’s will has only gotten stronger in recent days. As dire as the situation is in many parts of the country, hope has not been lost. During the first week of March, Guaidó toured South America and sat down with the leaders of some of Venezuela’s most influential, powerful, and sympathetic neighbors (Al Jazeera). In spite of their intricacy,
CHARTER HIGH ACADEMIC TIMES
Mass Shooting In New Zealand Caroline Kadir News Editor
A
s of Friday, March 15th, 2019, 49 people have been confirmed dead with reports still coming. The shootings took place at two mosques in central Christchurch, New Zealand. This act of violence came as a surprise to everyone, especially because the shootings took place around Friday prayers. While this is still an ongoing investigation, our hearts are heavy for those lost in this horrible act of violence.
Graphic By: Taylor Causey the politics of the situation may not actually be as unconquerable as they appear. Without a doubt, Venezuela is currently in one of the most dangerous places that’s it ever been, at least in recent memory. The outcome of the coming days will define a generation. More importantly for Venezuela, even as the situation becomes more and more complicated, the possibility of freedom from an oppressive and corrupt dictatorship has never been more real.
Graphic By: Henry Severe
The Corrupt College Admissions Scandal Kiersten Warren & Maxine Martinez Community Outreach & Business Manager
The elite and the rich. Celebrities and star
coaches. It is not unknown how much power these people have, but in light of the recent college cheating scandal another duo has been put together; money and fraud. On Tuesday March 11, 2019, a scheme, going by the name “Operation Varsity Blues,” was made apparent, and over 50 people were charged with forging paperwork and other illegal activity in order to get some of the most fortunate students into some of the best colleges. Amongst those being charged, are famous actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, along with many other famous and/or influential people. In the largest college cheating scam ever, over 50 parents and 400 families were involved, and it all revolved around one person: William Rick Singer, the alleged mastermind of the operation. Singer’s reeled people into his criminal affairs by hiding it as a “charity that benefit disadvantaged youth.” However, instead of using the money for charity like he claimed, he used the “donations” to bribe college exam proctors, school coaches, and officials. The scheme brought millions of dollars into the hands of university employees, and athletic programs across the country, not to mention taking away spots of deserving applicants. Sophomore Natalie Quiroz says, “When I saw this on the news I was really shocked, and after I really read up on what happened it took me a while to believe it. It’s crazy, and it is really shameful on everyone involved, especially the parents and William Singer.” Over 50 people face charges, including SAT and ACT admin-
istrators, proctors, coaches, and a college administrator. (CNN) William Singer plead guilty on Tuesday, March 11, to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., and obstruction of justice. Most of the universities involved (Yale, Wake Forest, UCLA, University of South California, the University of Texas, and
get in to college, but these teens just got in because they had money.” The scheme often began when Singer mentioned the plot under his charity name: Key Worldwide Foundation. Once a family agreed to the scheme, William Singer told the parents to get extended time for the SAT/ACT by saying their child had a learning disability, thus allowing the child to take it in 2 other
Graphic By: Justin Pierce
Georgetown) issued statements, calling themselves victims, and also announcing that they were also starting investigations. The individuals who participated in the plot will also be released. Freshman Andrea Planas said, “It just shows that there is definitely a gap in higher education. It’s pretty disappointing because in school you’re told to work hard and you’ll
locations where he had connections: The Houston Test Center and West Hollywood Test Center. In order to get the disability approved required documentation, which Singer assisted with too, by going to a psychologist already involved in the scandal. However, there are two sides to this coin. Senior Sofia Ramirez expressed, “A lot of these par-
ents are keeping it from their children, and are the ones being affected the most. It’s deceiving and dirty, because they’re essentially paying money to help them get ahead of students who’ve worked hard to get to that point.” Many of the children whose parents were part of the plot, had no idea. Those who got accepted into college under false pretenses are facing the same shock as the rest of the nation. The scheme does not end with test scores. Oftentimes, the parents would also bribe coaches too. Once the money was paid, these college coaches and directors classified the children as recruits, even if they didn’t play that sport at all, or there was no intent on participating in the sport. Junior Brianna Alvarez says, “The parents put a lot of effort into making sure their children would get into top colleges, and it’s sad how they didn’t have faith in their teenagers’ abilities to do its own their own.” The parents even helped Singer orchestrate this by creating fake athletic profiles and giving staged photos of their child in athletic activities, even though some pictures weren’t even their child, but siblings or friends. In some instances, the parents signed fake or embellished resumes of their child’s accomplishments. “Operation Varsity Blues” will go down as one of the most infamous schemes in the 21st century. The plot brings up many questions and worries in the American population, but hopefully the scale and magnitude of the issue will serve as a reminder to PPCHS students that are planning to attend to college, to do so with honesty and hard work.