Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 18 noveMber 2019

Bolivian interim leader meets UN envoy amid violence fears

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO Áñez, envoy Jean Arnault
JUAN KARITA said the United Nations
Associated Press hopes it can contribute to
SACABA, Bolivia (AP) — A an “accelerated pacifica-
U.N. envoy met with Bo- tion process” leading to
livia’s interim president Sat- new elections following the
urday to find a way out of resignation and exile of Evo
the country’s political crisis Morales.
while the world body ex- Meanwhile, another inter-
pressed concern the situa- national body, the Inter-
tion could “spin out of con- American Commission on
trol” amid a rising death Human Rights, condemned
toll. Áñez’s government for is-
On leaving the meeting suing a decree it says “ex-
with interim leader Jeanine empts from criminal re-

Crowd honors tree as Havana
celebrates 500th anniversary

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ health or financial wellbe-
Associated Press ing. Some left money while
HAVANA (AP) — Hundreds others wore white as dic- A supporter of former President Evo Morales throws a stone to police, in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, Nov.
of people in Cuba’s capital tated by Afro-Cuban San- 15, 2019.
stood in line to kiss, touch teria, the island’s predomi- Associated Press
or walk around a towering nant religion. sponsibility” soldiers who “I am really concerned the death toll to eight. It
silk floss tree Saturday in a Irene Domínguez, a chemi- took part in efforts to break that the situation in Bolivia said that overall 23 people
nod to tradition as they cel- cal engineer, said she had up protests and unrest that could spin out of control had been killed in the vio-
ebrate Havana’s 500th an- faith in the tree and asked have left at least 23 people if the authorities do not lence. Police and soldiers
niversary this weekend. that it watch over her sick dead. handle it sensitively and in broke up fresh blockades
The event comes as Cuba relatives and her wellbeing, The norm was approved accordance with interna- of flaming logs and tractors
deals with an ailing econo- as well as that of the entire before the most violent tional norms,” she said. Saturday on the road link-
my and increasingly tense city. day since the crisis be- Protesters said police fired ing Sacaba to Cochabam-
relations with the U.S., con- “I was very excited, I yelled gan, when at least eight Friday when demonstra- ba, but there were no im-
cerns that were briefly cast and was near tears,” she pro-Morales coca growers tors tried to cross a military mediate reports of deaths.
aside as residents prepared said, adding that she felt a were killed when security checkpoint in Sacaba, a Morales, who was granted
for a gala event Saturday great energy. forces opened fire during a town near Cochabamba. asylum in Mexico after his
night featuring fireworks, President Miguel Díaz-Ca- demonstration. Many of the protesters Nov. 10 resignation, said
music and international nel greeted special guests “It is not a license for the were coca leaf growers on Twitter that a “massa-
dignitaries. around midday in Havana, Armed Forces to kill,” Presi- loyal to Morales, who had cre” had occurred and he
As part of the celebrations, which Spanish conquerors dency Minister Jerjes Jus- been Bolivia’s first indige- described the interim gov-
officials restored monu- founded on Nov. 16, 1519. tiniano told a press confer- nous president before be- ernment led by Áñez as a
ments, painted buildings, “Havana, a city of science, ence. He said the decree ing pressured to step down dictatorship.
unveiled exhibitions and dance, cinema, literature, is based on the Criminal by Bolivia’s military chief On Friday, Áñez said Mo-
held book presentations. sporting events and an Code, which states that “if after weeks of widespread rales would face possible
“Havana grows, lives, sings, example of resistance in one defends oneself in self- protests over a disputed legal charges for election
dances and dreams,” said the face of neoliberalism, defense, there is no pen- election. Witnesses to the fraud if he returned home
Félix Julio Alfonso, a pro- is also the city of dignity, alty.” clash described seeing the from Mexico City. She also
fessor who spoke before the bastion of resistance Earlier Saturday, U.N. hu- bodies of several protest- has said Morales would not
granting the public access against the unjust (U.S.) man rights chief Michelle ers and dozens of people be allowed to participate
to the revered silk floss tree. blockade,” Díaz-Canel Bachelet issued a state- rushed to hospitals, many in a new presidential elec-
Many in the crowd shared said in a meeting behind ment calling the deaths covered in blood. On Satur- tion, which is supposed
their wishes with the tree, closed doors, according to “an extremely dangerous day, Bolivia’s national Om- to be held within three
including requests for official media.q development.” budsman’s Office raised months. q