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WORLD NEWSFriday 24 November 2017
Sound heard in Argentine sub search comes from ‘explosion’
By A. CALATRAVA Relatives of missing submarine crew member Celso Oscar Vallejo, react to the news that a sound “They sent a piece of
LUIS ANDRES HENAO detected during the search for the ARA San Juan submarine is consistent with that of an explosion, crap to sail,” said Itati Le-
Associated Press at the Mar de Plata Naval Base, in Argentina, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017. A Navy spokesman said guizamon, wife of subma-
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina that the relatives of the crew have been informed and that the search will continue until there is rine crew member German
(AP) — An apparent explo- full certainty about the fate of the submarine. He said there was no sign the explosion might be Suarez.
sion occurred near the time linked to any attack on the sub. “They inaugurated a sub-
and place an Argentine marine with a coat of paint
submarine went missing, (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) and a flag in 2014, but with-
the country’s navy report- out any equipment inside.
ed Thursday — an ominous “We don’t know what (400 kilometers) southeast Some fell on their knees or The navy is to blame for its
development that prompt- caused an explosion of of Buenos Aires. clung to a fence crowded 15 years of abandonment.”
ed relatives of the 44 crew these characteristics at this Relatives of the crew who with blue-and-white Argen- The German-built diesel-
members to burst into tears, site on this date.” have gathered at the base tine flags, rosary beads and electric TR-1700 class sub-
and some to say they had The sub was originally to receive psychological messages of support. Most marine was commissioned
lost all hope of rescue. scheduled to arrive Mon- counseling broke into tears declined to speak, while a in 1985 and was most re-
Navy spokesman Enrique day at the Mar del Plata and hugged each other af- few others lashed out in an- cently refit in 2014.
Balbi said the search will Navy Base, about 250 miles ter they received the news. ger at the navy’s response. During the $12 million ret-
continue until there is full rofitting, the vessel was cut
certainty about the fate of in half and had its engines
the ARA San Juan. and batteries replaced.
He said evidence showed Experts say that refits can
“an anomalous event that be difficult because they
was singular, short, violent involve integrating systems
and non-nuclear that was produced by different
consistent with an explo- manufacturers and even
sion.” the smallest mistake dur-
The U.S. Navy and an inter- ing the cutting phase of
national nuclear test-ban the operation can put the
monitoring organization safety of the ship and the
said the “hydro-acoustic crew at risk.
anomaly” was produced The Argentine navy and
just hours after the navy lost outside experts have said
contact with the submarine that even if the ARA San
on Nov. 15. Juan is intact, its crew might
“According to this report, have only enough oxygen
there was an explosion,” to be submerged seven to
Balbi told reporters. 10 days.q
Honduras president seeks 2nd term despite constitutional ban
By FREDDY CUEVAS In this Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017 photo, Honduran President Juan ship that answers to the people, and even if killings
MARK STEVENSON oligarchy is trying to install have tapered off some-
Associated Press Orlando Hernandez and current presidential candidate, speaks itself.” what, street gang violence
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras Some opposition leaders has frightened many peo-
(AP) — Less than a decade during his closing campaign rally, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. formed the leftist Opposi- ple into trying to flee to the
ago, even talk of re-elec- tion Alliance Against Dicta- United States.
tion was enough to get a (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) torship precisely to oppose And corruption remains
Honduran president over- the re-election bid. The Al- a major problem for Hon-
thrown. dez’s own party to back Hernandez’ supporters — liance is running Salvador duras, casting a shadow
Now Honduran President Nasralla, while the tradition- across Hernandez’s admin-
Juan Orlando Hernandez a military coup in 2009 ruled in 2015 that the con- al Liberal Party is running istration.
appears likely to win a sec- Luis Zelaya, a middle-of- A convicted drug traffick-
ond term on Sunday as well against a president it ac- stitution could not prevent the-road candidate. There er testified in a New York
as bolstering the strength of are another six candidates courtroom this year that
his conservative National cused of plotting to violate him from running again — from tiny opposition parties, he met with Hernandez’
Party across the board. but the president remains brother Antonio to get the
“Hernandez is not just try- Honduras’s seemingly iron- outraging opposition lead- the clear front-runner. Central American coun-
ing to win presidential re- His popularity is based try’s government to pay its
election, he’s trying to ex- clad constitutional ban on ers. largely on a drop in vio- debts to a company that
pand his power from top lence in a country whose the trafficker’s cartel used
to bottom, including in the re-election. “This ruling was a betrayal homicide rate was once to launder money.
legislature and at the may- among the world’s worst. Devis Leonel Rivera Mara-
oral level,” said James Bos- The country’s highest court of the country,” said union The country’s National Au- diaga, ex-leader of the
worth, the founder of Hxa- tonomous University says cartel known the Cachi-
gon, a consulting firm that backed the 2009 ouster of leader Carlos H. Reyes. “It the homicide rate has ros, testified that Antonio
does predictive analysis in dropped to 59 per 100,000 Hernandez asked him for a
emerging markets. Manuel Zelaya. But the cur- is humiliating to live in a from a dizzying high of 91.6 bribe in exchange for gov-
Fears of just that sort of in 2011. ernment contracts.
consolidation — but by left- rent court — packed with country where a dictator- Still, Hondurans among The brother has denied that
wing rivals — led Hernan- the hemisphere’s poorest allegation.q
