Page 22 - MIN JUS 17 FEB,2016
P. 22
A12
WORLD NEWSTuesday 16 February 2016
Colombia looking to revive legacy of guerrilla-priest
J. GARCIA memory in the hopes that ern Colombia. The rebel Cuba with Colombia’s larg- port of workers compa-
J. GOODMAN Torres’ journey from scion priest was believed to have est rebel group, the Revo- rable to those of mid-cen-
Associated Press of an elite Bogota fam- been secretly buried there lutionary Armed Forces of tury firebrand Jorge Eliecer
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) ily to outspoken advocate by battlefield opponents Colombia. Gaitain, whose 1948 assas-
— Camilo Torres was more for the poor can lead to who feared his final resting Educated at the best sination triggered Colom-
talented with the Eucharist an eventual reintegration place would become a pil- schools in Bogota and Bel- bia’s descent into decades
than he was with a rifle. In of thousands of leftist reb- grimage site. gium, Torres turned his back of political violence.
his first firefight after joining els who may disarm under Santos’ move was in re- on his elite upbringing to The search for Torres’ re-
Colombia’s National Lib- a government-brokered sponse to a call by the embrace Catholic libera- mains recalls the 1997 dis-
eration Army in the 1960s, peace deal. Torres’ remains Marxist-inspired rebel group tion theology in vogue fol- covery in Bolivia of the
the Roman Catholic priest have never been found. But known as the ELN for a lowing the 1959 triumph of remains of Cuban revo-
turned leftist rebel was shot last month, President Juan Christian burial for Torres. Its Fidel Castro’s revolution in lutionary Ernesto “Che”
and killed. Manuel Santos ordered the leaders have said the ges- Cuba. Before joining the Guevara, who was killed
On Monday’s 50th anniver- removal and DNA testing of ture could lead the group ELN in 1965, he traveled 30 years earlier trying to
sary of his death, some Co- unmarked remains from a to join the three-year-old across Colombia filling pla- spread revolution to South
lombians are reviving the military cemetery in north- peace talks taking place in zas with speeches in sup- America.q
Pope slams exploitation of Mexican Indians: ‘We need you’
NICOLE WINFIELD ered under clear blue skies
SONIA PEREZ D. at a sports complex in the
Associated Press mountain city of San Cris-
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CA- tobal de las Casas.
SAS, Mexico (AP) — Pope The soft sounds of marim-
Francis denounced the bas accompanied the
centuries-old exploita- Mass, which was celebrat-
tion and social exclusion ed in front of a replica of
of Mexico’s Indians on the brilliant yellow and red
Monday, saying the world facade of the San Cristob-
should instead learn from al cathedral, where Francis
their culture and appre- was visiting later in the day.
ciation of nature. Francis Crowds chanted “Long
celebrated Mexico’s In- live the pope of the poor!”
dians during a visit to the and “Welcome, pope of
southern state of Chiapas, the struggle!” as he arrived.
a center of indigenous Some 500,000 faithful were
culture. He presided over expected to see the pope
a Mass in three native lan- in the city, including about
guages approved for use 100,000 who gathered on
recently by the Vatican the dirt field for the Mass.
in a service that also fea- Francis issued a sweep-
tured a traditional dance ing apology last year for
of prayer and other indig- Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he leaves after celebrating Mass in San Cristobal de las Ca- the Catholic Church’s co-
sas, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. Francis is celebrating Mexico’s Indians on Monday with a visit
enous elements. to Chiapas state, a center of indigenous culture, where he will preside over a Mass in three native lonial-era crimes against
languages thanks to a new Vatican decree approving their use in liturgy. The visit is also aimed at
In his homily, history’s first boosting the faith in the least Catholic state in Mexico. America’s indigenous. He
Latin American pope (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) revisited the issue again
melded two of his core Monday, denouncing
concerns: appreciation for how, “in a systematic and
indigenous cultures and organized way,” indige-
the need to care for the its human causes affects before one of the great- much to teach us,” he told nous have been misunder-
us all and demands our re- est environmental crises in the crowd of several thou-
environment. “The envi- sponse,” Francis said. “We world history.” sand indigenous, some in stood and excluded from
can no longer remain silent “In this regard, you have traditional dress, who gath-
ronmental challenge that society over the course of
we are experiencing and history.q
Vast luxuries found in Mexico prison after deadly riot
PORFIRIO IBARRA with mini fridges, air condi- said. It added that police es had occurred or who al- killed 49 last week.
Associated Press tioners, digital cable and destroyed hundreds of al- lowed them. Nuevo Leon Special rapporteur for tor-
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) aquariums. There were 280 tars to the Death Saint — Gov. Jaime Rodriguez said ture Juan Mendez said in
— Vast luxuries such as sau- food and grocery stands some of them life-size. The last week that 60 hammers, statement that the govern-
nas, a bar, food stands and where inmates could buy folk figure is revered by drug 86 knives and 120 shivs ment must guarantee that
appliances were discov- goods. traffickers and some peo- were used in the melee. the victims’ families know
ered by authorities entering The riot broke out Thursday ple among the downtrod- The prison’s director, su- what happened during the
a prison in northern Mexico between two rival factions den. “We knew about all of perintendent and a guard Thursday riot at the Topo
to investigate a riot that of the Zetas drug cartel. the irregularities that exist- have been arrested on Chico prison in the northern
killed 49 inmates. Heavy machinery was ed, arbitrary acts, abuses, murder charges. city of Monterrey.
Nuevo Leon state authori- brought in to haul away taxes,” Gen. Cuauhtemoc On Monday, a United Na- The investigation should
ties said in a statement tons of contraband furni- Antunez, the state’s secu- tions official called on Mex- identify those responsible
late Sunday that the cells ture and other goods that rity secretary, said in the ico’s government to con- and include reparations for
inside Monterrey’s Topo authorities had piled in the statement. Authorities did duct an exhaustive investi- the victims’ relatives, Men-
Chico prison were outfitted prison yard, the statement not say how long the abus- gation of a prison riot that dez said.q
