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WORLD NEWS Friday 13 May 2022
Cuba hotel explosion badly damaged major Baptist church

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ built nearby for a few de-
Associated Press cades yet.
HAVANA (AP) — Alejan- The Baptists bought the
dro Clemente González property in 1889 and
was talking with an elec- gradually established the
trician while preparing for church, a printing house,
weekend services at Cu- a school, a seminary and
ba's most important Baptist the headquarters that now
church when an enormous serves about 70,000 Baptists
explosion shook the build- in western Cuba.
ing and shattered the 19th Overall, the church esti-
century dome towering far mates there about about
above the pews. 200,000 Baptists across the
Concrete plunged from whole island.
walls, wood and glass "For each believer, each
showered down from the Christian, each Baptist
windows as an apparent who comes, this is their
gas explosion next door home," said the Rev. Da-
killed at least 44 people in vid González, 31, who has
and around the devastat- lived for the past two years
ed Hotel Saratoga in Old in an apartment beside the
Havana on May 6. church that is now partially
"I didn't know what was Rev. Barbaro Abel Marrero Castellanos, president of the Baptist Convention of Western Cuba, collapsed.
happening," the church poses for a photo inside the Calvary Baptist Church damaged by an explosion that devastated Government authorities so
administrator said with a the Hotel Saratoga which is located next door, in Old Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. far have focused emergen-
trembling voice as he re- Associated Press cy efforts on trying to find
visited the sanctuary with the living and the dead
Associated Press journalists came down, we all met, but a seminary and the de- services. in and around the devas-
on Wednesday. "I called on we counted one another," nomination's headquarters The famous, elegant build- tated hotel — on Thursday
the Lord, 'What is this, Lord? and managed to escape. for western Cuba. ing now known as the they reported another
Help us!'" All 18 people who had Sunlight glows through Teatro Marti was just a few death — but they did meet
He said the two men heard been inside were physically cracks in the outer walls, years old when, in 1887, with church officials about
the cries of a receptionist unharmed, if shaken. windows are shattered, Baptists began holding ser- the status of the church.
as debris tumbled down "Since then I have slept their frames torn from the vices across the street on "They transmitted to us a
around them, obstructing badly. I jump at every walls. Halls and rooms of a corner in Old Havana desire to help as much as
their path. sound," González said. the broken hotel are vis- that had once held a cir- passible," said the Rev. Bár-
"I remembered that there Parts of the upper floors ible through a gap. A thick cus. Cuba was still a Span- baro Abel Marrero Castel-
was an exit at the back, have collapsed at the layer of gray dust covers ish colony and its Capitol lanos, president of the Bap-
and then the brothers who building that houses not the dark wood pews where building — modeled on the tist Convention of Western
were on the third floor only Calvary Baptist Church hundreds meet for worship U.S. Capitol — wouldn't be Cuba. q

Guatemala judge threatened after decision on civil war crime

By SONIA PÉREZ D. Guatemala's civil war re- least 20 calls from a num-
Associated Press covered in 1999 known as ber in the United States.
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A the "Military Diary." Inside, When he finally answered,
Guatemala judge who last military officials logged a voice on the other end
week ordered nine former forced disappearances, said "if you hang up, you're
police and military officers extrajudicial killings and the going to remember me."
to stand trial for alleged torture of 183 people. Gálvez said he suspected
crimes during that country's The men on trial were high- the leader of the far-right
civil war, said Wednesday ranking military and police Foundation Against Terror-
that death threats against officers arrested last year ism, FCT, Ricardo Rafael
him had increased since and implicated in the cases Méndez Ruíz, could be be-
announcing his decision. described in the document hind some of the threats.
"They send me messages, by nature of the command Méndez Ruíz was sanc-
they call me on the phone, positions they held when tioned by the U.S. State
there's vehicles following; the crimes occurred be- Department last year as Judge Miguel Angel Galvez poses for a photo during a recess
all of that is happening," tween 1983 and 1986. an undemocratic actor for from a court hearing, in Guatemala City, Wednesday, May 11,
Magistrate Miguel Ángel In addition to the nine ex- allegedly obstructing pros- 2022.
Gálvez said. police and military officers ecutions against former Associated Press
Gálvez is no stranger to Gálvez ordered to stand military officers by harass-
high-profile cases. He once trial, he called for prosecu- ing and intimidating inves- see him locked up or ex- Meanwhile, Gálvez fears
ordered former dictator tors to find Toribio Acevedo tigators. iled," he wrote. the government is trying to
Efraín Ríos Montt to be tried. Ramírez, a former head of Méndez Ruíz had written On Wednesday, Méndez build a case against him,
"Before they had threat- military intelligence. Pana- on social media that "It is said he had filed a com- as has been the case with
ened me, but now they manian authorities arrested Miguel Ángel Gálvez's turn, plaint against the judge. other judges and prosecu-
even come to hearings to Acevedo Ramírez Tuesday the FCT will take care of it." Gálvez said the Supreme tors who have worked on
photograph me," he said. in Panama City's airport. He said Gálvez would pay Court should investigate sensitive corruption cases,
Last week's case stemmed Gálvez said that during for serious crimes he com- the threats, but it had so far which are also sometimes
from a document from a hearing he received at mitted. "We are going to not commented. part of his docket.q