Page 11 - atoday
P. 11
WORLD NEWS A11
Wednesday 21 October
American tourist dies after zip line fall in Puerto Rico
DANICA COTO Police said Marsha worked in Rio Rancho, was organized by Ecoquest “We are in communication
Boekeloo fell 20 feet (6 me- New Mexico, confirmed Adventures & Tours, a San with the woman’s family,”
Associated Press ters) from the line at the her identity but declined to Juan-based tour company he said, and denied police
Hacienda Campo Rico just give her name and com- that specializes in zip lin- reports that the compa-
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico east of the capital of San pany officials did not return ing, rappelling and hiking, ny delaying reporting the
Juan. The death occurred messages for comment. among other things. Owner death. Boekeloo was visit-
(AP) — A 56-year-old cruise Oct. 15, but police released Police said Boekeloo could Ivan Purcell told The Asso- ing Puerto Rico as a cruise
information on it for the first not move her legs and ciated Press that the park ship passenger and was
ship passenger from New time Tuesday. A manag- complained of chest pain will remain closed until an part of a group of 24 peo-
er at the Maurices cloth- after falling. She died at a independent investigation ple that visited the park,
Mexico has died after fall- ing store where the victim hospital hours later.The tour into the death is finalized. Purcell said.q
ing from a zip line in Puerto
Rico, police said Tuesday,
prompting calls for great-
er oversight of adventure
tours in the U.S. territory.
Cuban artist El Sexto is freed after 10 months in prison
ANDREA RODRIGUEZ patriate Cuban artist Tania Danilo Maldonado, better known as El Sexto, greets friend requires state approval
Associated Press Bruguera, who was briefly Alberto Chavez, as his mother Maria Victoria Machado stands for everything from gallery
HAVANA (AP) — The Cu- arrested and had her pass- in the doorway of their home, in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, Oct. and theater space to per-
ban street artist known as port confiscated after she 20, 2015. Maldonado was freed Tuesday after 10 months behind mission to import materials.
El Sexto was freed Tuesday tried to convene a free bars for attempting to release two pigs painted with the names The country’s leaders re-
after spending 10 months speech forum in Cuba’s of Raul and Fidel Castro, the country’s current president and main sacrosanct however,
behind bars for attempt- Plaza of the Revolution former leader. and attempts at political
ing to set free in a public shortly after Dec. 17. Bru- organization or question-
park two pigs painted with guera has since had her (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) ing of the country’s single-
the names of the country’s passport returned and left party system are met with
highest leaders. Cuba. “I was in prison this morning Cuba has been gradually swift and harsh condem-
International human rights But in recent months, Am- and they told me to get my loosening central control nation.
groups called his case a nesty International and things and I obeyed,” Mal- of the economy and al- While never formally
vivid demonstration of how other human rights group donado said. “Afterward lowing slightly more open charged, Maldonado was
Cuba’s harsh limits on free began calling for Maldo- they told that they were fi- discourse in state-run me- accused of the crime of
expression remain in full nado’s release and de- nally going to set me free.” dia and an art world that disrespect toward gov-
force despite its economic scribing his case as a test ernment officials, a viola-
opening and detente with of Cuba’s openness to dis- tion that can bring a 1- to
the United States. sent. His detention showed 3-year sentence under Cu-
Maldonado, 33, was ar- that “there are some topics ban law.
rested a week after the and themes that journal- “We are very happy to
declaration of detente last ists and writers know they learn that in the end he is
year as he drove toward can’t touch,” said Elizardo being freed,” said Robin
Havana’s Central Park in Sanchez, head of Cuba’s Guittard, Caribbean cam-
a rented car with two pigs non-governmental Cuban paigner for Amnesty Inter-
covered with green paint Commission for Human national. “He’s just an art-
and the names Fidel and Rights and National Recon- ist who tried to do an art
Raul in red, in mockery ciliation. show, to use his legitimate
of Cuba’s revolutionary Maldonado told The Asso- right to freedom of expres-
leader Fidel Castro and his ciated Press that he had sion. That should never
brother who has led the been held without charge lead people to be sent to
country since 2008. since Dec. 25 “simply be- prison. That’s a very cold
Until recently, Maldona- cause I made fun of the reminder of what’s the situ-
do’s case had drawn less highest leaders of this revo- ation of freedom of expres-
attention than that of ex- lution.” sion today in Cuba.”q
Brazil pulls out of crucial electoral mission to Venezuela
JORGE RUEDA Venezuela’s refusal to ac- 16 years ago, the opposition President Luiz Inacio Lula toral Council didn’t imme-
Associated Press cept the group’s choice of is heavily favored in nation- da Silva’s defense minister, diately comment when
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Brazilian jurist and politician al polls to win the Decem- had widespread support contacted by The Associ-
— Brazil is pulling out of a Nelson Jobim to lead the ber 6 election and could among the 12-nation Un- ated Press.
South American mission mission. seek to leverage a victory asur. Venezuela’s main opposi-
to observe crucial legisla- The decision by Latin Amer- to cut short Maduro’s term The tribunal also accused tion alliance has decried
tive elections in Venezuela ica’s largest democracy to before it ends in 2019. But Venezuela of dragging its the lack of outside obser-
over what it says a lack of pull its support comes as the government’s domina- feet in approving a propos- vation, refusing last week
guarantees by the socialist pressure is building on Presi- tion of the airwaves, bigger al that would’ve guided to sign a document com-
government and its veto of dent Nicolas Maduro to al- campaign war chest and its external auditing of the mitting political parties to
the choice to head the del- low outside observation of a complicated electoral country’s electronic vot- recognize the results over
egation. what’s shaping up to be a system that gives a bigger ing system and verification Maduro’s failure to invite
Brazil’s highest electoral hard-fought contest that voice to rural areas where that environment for cam- missions from the European
tribunal said Tuesday that already has some on both the opposition has less influ- paigning was fair. Union and Washington-
a months-long attempt to sides talking of fraud by ence are all likely to make “With less than two months based Organization of
organize a mission under their opponents. the balloting close. from the elections, an ade- American States, both of
the auspices of the Union For the first time since the Brazil’s autonomous tribu- quate observation is unfea- which are pushing along
of South American Nations late Hugo Chavez kicked nal said that Jobim, who sible,” it said in a statement. with the U.S. for greater out-
had been frustrated by off Venezuela’s revolution served as former leftist Venezuela’s National Elec- side scrutiny.q
