Page 12 - aruba-today-20170826

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 26 auguSt 2017

Former rebels, Colombia prosecutor spar over FARC war chest

on Friday, claiming a total generous terms provided to
war chest valued at 963 guerillas under the agree-
billion pesos ($326 million) ment. Government authori-
— a list they said is exhaus- ties signed an expedited
tive and fully complies with decree on Thursday creat-
the accords. FARC leaders ing a commission to verify
said Martinez’s response is the FARC’s list of war spoils.
symptomatic of a broad- “The assets that have not
er attempt to distract the been included in the inven-
public from state corrup- tory and are discovered will
tion and derail the launch lead to an obligatory pen-
of their political party. “All alty,” Minister of Justice En-
of this is an attempt to cre- rique Gil said.
ate a smoke screen,” said In his letter to the nation’s
the FARC leader known by Interior Ministry Tuesday,
the alias Pastor Alape. Martinez noted that the
Colombian President Juan FARC’s reported assets in-
Manuel Santos and the cluded “social services” like
FARC signed an agree- the construction of road-
ment last year to end to ways and performing medi-
the five-decade-long con- cal procedures. The extrac-
flict that caused at least tion of two varicose veins
250,000 deaths, left 60,000 was valued at 1.6 million
people missing and dis- pesos ($550 dollars), while
In this Jan. 6, 2016 file photo, Juliana, a 20-year-old rebel fighter for FARC, rests from a trek in the
northwest Andes of Colombia, in Antioquia state. A battle is brewing between Colombia’s chief placed more than 7 million. an emergency rescue re-
prosecutor and what was recently the nation’s largest rebel group over just how much money and Some 7,000 guerillas have sponse for a patient struck
property it owns as the former guerrillas transition into becoming a political party. handed over their weap- by a cow was estimated to
(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) ons and are beginning to value 1 million pesos ($340
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO a political party. Martinez and other govern- transition into life as civilians dollars).
Associated Press The Revolutionary Armed ment officials are question- as the group finds its voice Some of the guerillas
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) Forces of Colombia sub- ing their accounting, claim- as a political actor. worked as medics perform-
— A battle is brewing be- mitted a list of belongings ing that the nascent politi- As part of the accord, the ing surgeries like amputa-
tween Colombia’s chief that included farms, cattle cal party failed to properly FARC’s assets will be trans- tions to combatants struck
prosecutor and what was and items as miniscule as identify what lands it owns ferred into a fund to pro- by explosives and gunfire.
recently the nation’s largest mops and juice squeezers and calling many of the vide reparations to victims. They operated in many
rebel group over just how as required under a peace claimed assets “irrelevant.” Failing to provide a full rural parts of the country
much money and property agreement earlier this The former guerillas known inventory could result in and sometimes provided
it owns as the former gueril- month. by the acronym FARC stood criminal charges for mon- medical services to nearby
las transition into becoming But chief prosecutor Nestor by their reported assets ey laundering outside the communities.q

More than 200 doomed Puerto Rico dogs saved by airlift to US

By RICARDO ARDUENGO to ease the load. years due to factors such of improvement. Christina said. “I would never con-
Associated Press “The shelters in Puerto Rico as poorly funded shelters Beckles, founder of the done someone abandon-
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico have no choice,” said Kim- and low spaying and neu- Puerto Rico-based Sato ing an animal, but I under-
(AP) — They were a mix of berly Alboum, director of tering rates. It’s common Project, said fewer dogs stand.” While various orga-
breeds and sizes, ranging policy engagement and to see packs of what locals are ending up on Dead nizations have airlifted dogs
from puppies to seniors. shelter outreach for the refer to as “satos” roaming Dog Beach thanks in part out of Puerto Rico in recent
All faced a grim future in Humane Society of the through Puerto Rican com- to a campaign to spay and years, this latest effort is
Puerto Rico animal shelters, United States. “They run munities, and one stretch neuter in Yabucoa. believed to be the larg-
where chronic overcrowd- out of room and, unfortu- of coast near the town of But there have also been est number in a single trip.
ing results in many dogs be- nately, they have to euth- Yabucoa became so infa- setbacks, including a deep Dellymar Bernal Martinez,
ing euthanized. anize for space. It’s heart- mous for abandoned and economic crisis that led president of the Saint Fran-
That changed this week for breaking for the staff and abused pets that it was many islanders to decamp cis of Assis Animal Sanctu-
205 abandoned canines it’s devastating because dubbed Dead Dog Beach. for the mainland and leave ary in Cabo Rojo, cried as
that arrived on the U.S. these animals are all highly Activists in Puerto Rico and their pets behind. “People she hugged a departing
mainland Wednesday in an adoptable.” The island ter- on the mainland have are leaving the island in beige, medium-sized dog
airlift organized by animal ritory has struggled with been working on the prob- droves because they can’t that had been born at the
welfare advocates working dog overpopulation for lem and say there are signs afford to live here,” Beckles shelter three years earlier.q