Page 29 - bon-dia-aruba-20211108

A29
world news Dialuna 8 november 2021

German rescue boat with 800 migrants reaches Sicilian port

(AP) — A German hu- rica, Egypt or Morocco, said ship, Ocean Viking, with 306
manitarian ship with Giovanna di Benedetto, an migrants aboard, many of
more than 800 rescued mi- official from Save the Chil- them feeling ill in rough seas,
grants, including 15 very dren in Italy. was still awaiting assignment
young children, steamed of a port near Lampedusa, a
into a Sicilian port on Shouts of joy from those tiny Italian island south of
Sunday after being grant- aboard Sea-Eye 4 could be Sicily, said the humanitarian
ed permission by Italian heard on Trapani’s dock as the organization SOS Mediterra-
authorities following days vessel drew near, SkyTG24 nee, which operates the ship.
of waiting in the Mediter- TV reported.
ranean Sea. Earlier Sunday, in waters
About half of the migrants off Lampedusa, an Italian
The charity group Sea-Eye were rescued from a sink- Coast Guard boat pulled up
said the vessel Sea-Eye 4 was ing wooden boat on Nov. 4, alongside Ocean Viking to
assigned to the port of Tra- while the other passengers evacuate two brothers, both
pani, in western Sicily, on had been plucked to safety minors, whose health con-
Saturday evening. Most of from the sea in separate op- ditions had worsened, SOS ness and high blood pressure,
the adults were to be trans- erations. Mediterranee tweeted. Four along with injuries consistent The number of migrants
ferred to other ships for pre- others were evacuated on with torture. crossing the dangerous
ventative quarantine against Sea-Eye officials lament- Saturday. central Mediterranean has
COVID-19, while some 160 ed that Malta, a European U.N. refugee agencies have surged this year to more than
minors, including babies and Union island nation in On Saturday, Sea-Eye 4 re- long denounced the prac- 54,000. Still, the numbers are
other children younger than the central Mediterranean, ceived a delivery of food tice of torture in detention dramatically below those of
4, were to be taken to shelters hadn’t responded to the and blankets while it waited camps in Libya, where the 2014-2017, when 120,000-
on land. wooden boat’s distress signal to learn where the migrants migrants live, often for weeks 180,000 people reached Italy
in its own search area. could land. Doctors aboard or months, until human traf- each year, often in rickety
Many of the passengers came Sea-Eye 4 had treated 25 peo- fickers arrange their passage smugglers’ boats.
from countries in West Af- Meanwhile, another charity ple for hypothermia, sea sick- aboard flimsy boats.

Nicaragua’s Ortega seeks re-election in questioned vote

(AP) — Nicaraguan sario Murillo, his “co-presi- found her local voting center outlets. Ortega’s inner circle, but
President Daniel Ortega dent.” at a school in Managua virtu- Ortega responded only by
sought a fourth consecu- ally empty. “In past years it He said the peaceful vote arresting more of his oppo-
tive term in elections Sun- In June, police arrested seven was really full,” she said. “Be- sends a message to the world nents.
day against a field of little- potential presidential chal- fore you had to (wait) in a big powers that “Nicaraguans are
known candidates while lengers on charges that es- line to come here and now, dignified patriots and we are On Friday, a senior U.S. State
those who could have giv- sentially amount to treason. empty.” not going to bend to their Department official, who
en him a real challenge sat They remained in detention threats, sanctions and non- spoke with reporters on the
in jail. on election day. Some two Around midday, Ortega recognition of the elections.” condition of anonymity, said
dozen other opposition lead- spoke live on television af- the U.S. government was
More than 13,000 polling ers were also swept up ahead ter voting — he held up his Presidential candidate Guill- willing to consider additional
places opened Sunday morn- of the elections. inked finger. ermo Osorno of the small targeted sanctions, but had
ing even as the opposition Christian Path party voted tried to avoid measures that
denounced more arrests of The other contenders on He blasted the United States early Sunday. He promised would more broadly impact
its leaders in activists around Sunday’s ballot were little for interference in Nicara- that if he defeated Ortega he the Nicaraguan people.
the county in the hours lead- known politicians from mi- gua, noted there had been would “change the electoral
ing up to the vote and Ortega nor parties seen as friendly alleged fraud in the last U.S. system” and allow election “It is very hard when you
railed against alleged interfer- with Ortega’s Sandinista election, reminded that those observers. have a government that has
ence from the United States. Front. who stormed the U.S. Capi- very minimal goals that in-
tol were called terrorists and Meanwhile in Costa Rica, clude remaining in power at
The opposition called on On Saturday, the Blue and remain jailed. He repeated hundreds of Nicaraguans any cost and disregarding the
Nicaraguans to stay home in White National Union, an his claim that the U.S. gov- living in exile there protest- will of their own citizens or
protest of an electoral process opposition alliance, issued ernment supported huge ed against Ortega’s govern- the needs of the citizens to
that has been roundly criti- an alert after at least eight of protests in Nicaragua in April ment, calling Sunday’s vote retain that power,” the offi-
cized as not credible by for- its leaders were “abducted by 2018, which he has called an an “electoral circus” and de- cial said.
eign powers. the regime in illegal raids” attempted coup. manding the release of politi-
Saturday afternoon and eve- cal prisoners. The Organization of Ameri-
The election will determine ning. “They have as much right as can States has condemned
who holds the presidency we do to open trials against “We are protesting against the Nicaragua’s holding of po-
for the next five years, as The Civic Alliance, another terrorists,” Ortega said. fraud and asking for justice litical prisoners and unwill-
well as 90 of the 92 seats in opposition coalition, report- for those killed,” said Kevin ingness to hold free and
the congress and Nicaragua’s ed “harassment, surveillance, “The immense majority of Monzón, a young influencer fair elections, but Ortega’s
representation in the Central intimidation, assault, attacks, Nicaraguans are voting for who fled to Costa Rica in late government has only railed
American Parliament. More illegal and arbitrary deten- peace and not for war or ter- September after receiving against foreign interference.
than 4.4 million Nicaraguan tions” of some of its leaders rorism,” he said. threats.
age 16 and above were eligi- around Nicaragua. The regional body will hold
ble to vote. One of the first to vote Sun- With little doubt as to the its annual general assembly
The heads of the police and day was Foreign Minister presidential election result, in Guatemala later this week.
Ortega’s Sandinista Front and army said the vote was occur- Denis Moncada at a second- focus is already turning to Guatemala, Honduras and
its allies control the congress ring without incident. ary school in the capital. “The what the international re- Mexico were among sev-
and all government institu- majority of Nicaraguans are sponse will be as Ortega seeks en countries that abstained
tions. Ortega first served as Voting through the morn- going to elect today Com- to tighten his grip on power. from a vote on a resolution
president from 1985 to 1990, ing appeared to be calm and mander Daniel (Ortega), last month in the OAS con-
before returning to power in without long lines. comrade Rosario (Murillo) The United States and Eu- demning the repression in
2007. He recently declared and the deputies,” Moncada ropean Union have imposed Nicaragua.
his wife, Vice President Ro- Voter Mayela Rodríguez said to pro-government news sanctions against those in