Page 6 - aruba-today-20201211

A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 11 december 2020
Inferno in large squat for migrants kills 3 in Spain

By JOSEPH WILSON and said.
ARITZ PARRA The building had been oc-
Associated Press cupied for at least eight
BADALONA, Spain (AP) — years, said Xavier García
Mamadou Dieye was talk- Albiol, the Badalona may-
ing to his family back in or, adding that the city hall
Senegal when he heard had started work to empty
shouts of distress downstairs. the building after drug sales
Smoke quickly followed the and petty thefts increased
screams, and in the ensu- in the area during the past
ing panic Dieye watched two years, provoking prob-
in horror as several fellow lems with other neighbors.
squatters plummeted from García Albiol was absolved
three stories high to escape of charges of using racist
the fire billowing below. language against Roma-
"I saw that a man who hit nian immigrants to his city
the ground wasn't moving, several years ago.
and I said, 'He's dead,'" Di- Dieye, 43, said that unlike
eye told The Associated most of his housemates,
Press on Thursday hours af- he has his Spanish resi-
ter a fire had engulfed the dency and work permits
abandoned industrial com- after spending 20 years in
plex where he and over 100 Firefighters load the body of a dead person into a crane after a fire on a building in Badalona, the European country. He
other African migrants lived Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. had been forced to give
in precarious conditions. Associated Press up a room he was renting
Authorities for northeast in Barcelona and come to
Spain said that firefight- "fortuitous or intentional." the night. else who might be trapped the squat in the neighbor-
ers had confirmed three Most of the injured were Catalonia's acting regional in unstable parts of the ing town of Badalona after
deaths while continuing being treated for trauma president, Pere Aragonès, complex. losing his job as a cook, he
their search in a building after they jumped from the said that around 60 people The regional chief said that said. Many restaurant pro-
whose roof partially col- building, emergency co- have been accounted for many occupants were be- fessionals have been thrust
lapsed when a fire raged ordinator Francisco Tebar so far, but that the group of lieved to be in Spain with- out of work due to the CO-
through it Wednesday told Spanish state broad- buildings could had been out a legal residence per- VID-19 confinement mea-
night. Around 20 people caster TVE. Around 30 occupied by more than mit and had left the scene sures and the resulting eco-
had to be treated by med- people were pulled from 100 squatters. without being attending nomic downturn.
ics, including three people windows before the roof Work was underway to fully to my medical or support While he said he just got out
in critical condition at local collapsed at various points. extinguish the flames and staff. past the flames by taking
hospitals. Televised images showed a stabilize the structure to "This has been a tragedy the stairs instead of leaping
Catalonia's regional interior group of people huddling safely access it, Aragonés above the economic mis- through the windows, he
minister, Miquel Sàmper, together on the roof as told TVE. Several drones ery in which many of the said that a woman he was
said that authorities would flames illuminated the thick and sniffer dogs were be- people already found trying to help succumbed
investigate if the fire was smoke surrounding them in ing used to look for anyone themselves," Aragonès to the smoke.q

Official: Maduro allies win 91% of seats in Venezuela vote

had won 253 of 277 seats in control of the only branch tions or in person on wheth-
the National Assembly. of government not previ- er they want Maduro's rule
Maduro's allies won 69% ously held by his allies. end so fresh presidential
of the votes, which gave The term of the outgoing and legislative elections
them the overwhelming congress ends Jan. 5, but can be held.
share of seats based on dis- the opposition lawmakers Maduro maintains power
tribution system. vow to maintain their roles, with military backing and
In a distant second place, arguing the election that support from allies includ-
with 11 seats, was Demo- replaced them was fraudu- ing Iran, Russia, China and
cratic Action, a longstand- lent. Turkey. He celebrated Sun-
ing opposition party whose The U.S. and European day's election as a victory
leadership was taken over Union also have declared saying it will help him end
by Maduro allies earlier this Sunday's results invalid and violence and international
year under a ruling by the say they will continue to interference he blames on
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press
conference at Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, Ven- pro-government Supreme recognize Guaidó as the his adversaries.
ezuela, Tuesday, Dec 8, 2020. Court. country's legitimate, if inter- Venezuela's deepening
Associated Press The takeover of Demo- im president, because they political and economic cri-
cratic Action and other say Maduro's reelection sis has sparked the region's
By SCOTT SMITH cotted by his adversaries as parties was among the also was unconstitutional. largest flood of migration,
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) fraudulent. reasons that the opposition Guaidó's opposition is hold- with at least 5 million peo-
— Election officials say Venezuela's National Elec- coalition led by outgoing ing its own referendum cul- ple in recent years fleeing
political allies of President tions Council, which is loyal congressional leader Juan minating on Saturday. hyperinflation, unreliable
Nicolás Maduro have won to Maduro, said that as of Guaidó refused to run in It asks Venezuelans at electrical service and short-
91% of seats in congressio- Thursday, Maduro's United Sunday's election. home and abroad to vote ages of basics like natural
nal balloting that was boy- Socialist Party of Venezuela The result leaves Maduro in through cellphone applica- gas and gasoline.q