Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 27 november 2019
First protester dies in Colombia unrest as marches press on

By MANUEL RUEDA policy and "growth with eq-
Associated Press uity."
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) Duque met with recently
— Students, women's activ- elected governors and
ists and indigenous people mayors Sunday night and
marched through the cen- held talks with business
ter of Colombia's capital leaders and some unions
Monday in a fifth day of Monday.
protests against the gov- He also invited the National
ernment as the country re- Strike Committee, a steer-
corded the first death of a ing group that jumpstart-
demonstrator. ed the protests to talks on
Dilan Cruz, an 18-year-old Tuesday. But its leaders said
high school student, died Duque had only offered to
two days after being hit in spend one hour with the
the head by a projectile group, and they refused to
reportedly fired by riot po- attend.
lice during a protest. His "In one hour we cannot ex-
case has resonated in Co- pose our grievances" said
lombian society, touching Diogenes Orjuela, presi-
off a debate about exces- dent of the Central Workers
sive use of force and mak- Anti-government demonstrators rally in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2019. Union. "Under those condi-
ing him a symbol for many Associated Press tions we cannot start talks."
young protesters. Members of the steering
"It hurts," said Melissa Ce- "profoundly saddened" lowed by dozens of smaller Some Colombian protest- committee said they want
ballos. She said Cruz was a by Cruz's death and had demonstrations as well as ers say they have been in- a greater say over any
friend who died "for asking shared his solidarity with the looting that resulted in the spired by the events else- overhaul of the pension sys-
for changes, for wanting for family. Duque has prom- deaths of three people and where in the region. tem and labor laws as well
things to improve for Co- ised a swift investigation of prompted authorities to im- "The people have awoken" as a tax reform plan that
lombians." the incident in which Cruz pose a curfew in Bogota for said Julio Pardo, a social the government recently
As news of his death was injured. the first time since 1977. sciences teacher who at- presented to the congress.
spread, protesters began Colombia has been rattled The unrest comes after tended Monday's march in They have also called for
gathering to bang pots by protests since Thursday, mass anti-government Bogota. "We will no longer more funding for public
and pans while chanting when an estimated 250,000 demonstrations erupted in allow our leaders to humili- universities and are de-
"The state killed him!" on people took to the streets Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile. ate us." manding a ban on frack-
the Bogota street where he amid a strike organized by Those outbursts caused In response to the growing ing, a method for drilling
was wounded. unions, student groups and leaders in Ecuador and unrest, Colombia's presi- oil which Duque has said
President Ivan Duque ex- indigenous organizations. Chile to propose changes dent launched a "national he is open to. It's not clear,
pressed his condolenc- The protest was the larg- in economic policies and dialogue" Sunday to ad- though, how much success
es on Twitter, saying in a est Colombia had seen in forced Bolivia's president to dress such issues as rural the movement will have in
statement that he was years, and it has been fol- resign. violence, environmental pressing its demands.q

Cuba accuses U.S. of violating

Vienna Conventions

ternational codes of con- companies like Panameri- who also worked in a simi-
duct for diplomats and the cana to do business even lar position at Corporacion
agreement to reopen em- outside the United States Panamericana negotiated
bassies in Washington and due to third parties' fears a deal to buy gasoline from
Havana in 2015. of repercussions for dealing a European company, the
"Illegal actions by #US em- with a sanctioned entity. Treasury statement said.
bassy in #Cuba are interfer- The Treasury Department The announcement comes
ence in the internal affairs said that after the U.S. sanc- amid rising tensions be-
In this Oct. 1, 2019 file photo, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Ro- of the country and are in- tioned the state-owned tween the U.S. and Cuba
driguez talks during an interview with The Associated Press, in tended to attack our con- oil importer Cubametales, over Washington's steadily
New York. stitutional order," Rodríguez Cuba moved employees increasing pressure on the
Associated Press tweeted. "They violate and contracts over to Pan- communist government.
the Vienna Convention, americana, which was not The U.S. has prohibited
Associated Press States announced a new the agreement for the re- yet sanctioned. cruise travel to Cuba, U.S.
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba's sanction on Cuba meant establishment of relations In one example that oc- flights to cities outside Ha-
foreign minister on Tuesday to cut off the island's supply and Cuban and US laws." curred over the summer, vana and support for Ven-
accused the United States of petroleum from Venezu- The U.S. Treasury said it was Cuba shifted its dealings ezuela oil shipments to the
of violating the Vienna ela. designating the Cuban with a North African oil pro- island. The Trump admin-
Convention and the deal In two tweets, Foreign Min- company Corporacion Pa- vider from Cubametales istration says it hopes to
re-establishing diplomatic ister Bruno Rodríguez said namericana S.A. as a viola- to Corporacion Panameri- cripple the Cuban gov-
relations between the two unspecified "illegal actions" tor of American sanctions cana, the Treasury Depart- ernment's ability to sup-
countries. by the U.S. Embassy in Ha- on Venezuela. Such desig- ment said. port Venezuelan President
Soon after, the United vana violated both the in- nations make it difficult for A Cubametales official Nicolás Maduro.q