Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 16 March 2020
Mexico holds big music festival despite coronavirus concerns

By BERENICE BAUTISTA be more cautious. He was
MEXICO CITY (AP) — While also using antibacterial gel.
the coronavirus pandemic He said he trusted the Mexi-
has led authorities around can officials'decision to let
the globe to cancel con- the festival go ahead.
certs and sporting events, "We have to be informed
and even shut down daily and before panicking you
activities in some places, have to read some texts
Mexico City is going ahead and know that it is serious
with Vive Latino — one of but we are still in a pass-
the most important music able stage," Ramirez said of
festivals in the country. the outbreak.
Some acts backed out, but Hugo López-Gatell, deputy
tens of thousands of music director of the Health De-
fans flocked on Saturday to partment, said Friday night
the first day of the festival, that Mexico is still in what
which still expected Guns is considered phase one
N' Roses, Carlos Vives and of a pandemic, with iso-
Zoe to be among its head- lated cases of infections in
liners. Organizers said more people who had traveled
than 70,000 tickets had abroad or in a few cases
been sold for each of the infected others. Authorities
festival's two days. have reported 41 cases
Concerns about the new Thousands cheer the Vive Latino festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 14, 2020. On Friday after- across the country.
COVID-19 illness were evi- noon organizers confirmed that the 21st edition of the festival will go on as planned. Almost everyone recovers
dent, though. At the en- Associated Press from the new virus, which
trance, the usual security often causes only mild
checks for such events had Alan Miranda, who was giene that helps us to limit We decided to take the symptoms, such as fever
a new filter: Each person making his first visit to Vive this kind of transmissions," risk and come," Ayala said, and cough. But for some
entering was checked for Latino and especially want- he said. adding that they brought people, particularly older
fever and a strong smell of ed to see The Warning, said Santiago Ayala was ac- along antibacterial gel and adults and people with pre-
antibacterial gel perme- he felt many people are companied by his wife and tissues and didn't plan to existing health problems, it
ated in the air. overreacting to the poten- his 9-year-old daughter, Re- push into crowds. can cause more serious ill-
But once past that, the tial danger of contagion at gina, who wore a Guns N' Only a few people showed nesses such as pneumonia.
dynamics of the festival large gatherings. Roses T-shirt to her first Vive up wearing masks, such as Karina and Saúl, who did
were not much changed. "Because I consider it is Latino. Daniel Ramirez, who cov- not give their last name,
People walked excitedly more a collective hyste- "In the end we thought that ered his face with a mask were at Vive Latino, but
toward the various stages ria than any other thing. In at any moment we could decorated with a picture they were not convinced
and crowded together for Mexico we have a culture catch it here, in the phar- of a fox. He said he suffers about the wisdom of doing
the performances. of a little bit more of hy- macy in the tortilla line. from asthma and needs to so. q

Guyana leaders accept full recount of presidential election

By BERT WILKINSON recount of each and ev- dants of Africans brought
GEORGETOWN, Guyana ery ballot," said Barbados to Guyana as slaves.
(AP) — The government Prime Minister Mia Mottley, The opposition People's
and opposition have the current Caricom leader Progressive Party, which led
agreed to a complete re- who headed the delega- the nation for 23 years un-
count of votes in a presi- tion. til 2015, is supported mostly
dential election marred The country of fewer than by Guyanese of East Indian
by complaints of possible 1 million people faces the descent brought to Guy-
fraud in Guyana, a relative- prospect that oil revenues ana as indentured servants.
ly poor nation heading into in the next decade could With political tensions run-
a new era of oil wealth. make it one of the wealthi- ning high, some stores and
A team from the 15-nation est in the hemisphere. banks in the capital of
Caribbean Community ar- Guyana recently sold its Georgetown and coastal
rived in the South American first million barrels to mar- areas opened for only half
nation early Sunday to su- People line up to vote during presidential elections in George- kets in Asia and southern a day, sending home their
pervise the recount for the town, Guyana, Monday, March. 2, 2020. U.S. states. It will get four staff early. Some also put
March 2 general election. Associated Press more shipments this year up plywood sheets and
The country's electoral worth about $300 million as metal shutters over win-
commission ruled late Fri- Observer groups including president is sworn in without part of production-sharing dows in case of trouble.
day that President David the Organization of Ameri- a valid recount. arrangements with a con- Police have not reported
Granger had won a sec- can States and the Com- Caricom last week sent a sortium led by ExxonMobil, any street protests since
ond five-year term. But in- monwealth questioned the team of five prime ministers along with Hess Oil of the a teenager was shot and
ternational warnings that ballot counting process and to try to resolve the conflict. US and Nexen of China. killed more than a week
the vote might not be seen the U.S. and other western "The president and the op- Granger, a 74-year-old re- ago in an eastern coastal
as valid led Granger a day nations have hinted at pos- position have both commit- tired army general, leads village while allegedly at-
later to accept a Caricom sible economic sanctions ted to abide by the results a multiparty coalition sup- tacking an officer with a
call for a full recount. and visa revocations if any of a fair and transparent ported mainly by descen- machete.q