Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 23 March 2019
Recovery of Falklands war helmets helps heal wounds

By ALMUDENA CALATRAVA The Associated Press.
Associated Press Arreseigor said he had
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina picked up the helmet in a
(AP) — Jorge Altieri runs his pile of discarded equip-
hands over old blood stains ment and hid it from a Brit-
on a helmet that saved his ish soldier by keeping it un-
life in 1982 when Argentina der his jacket.
and Britain went to war “I kept it these 37 years, al-
over the Falkland Islands. ways considering it a trophy
Looking at the treasured of war, a sort of consolation
object is still a novelty: The for the loss and the pain of
helmet was recently re- so many fallen friends,” he
turned to Altieri decades said.
after he lost it on the battle- “The story moved me.
field where he was almost Knowing that he died just
killed by shrapnel. hours before the cease-fire.
“I have it next to me now ... it’s sad like all war sto-
and I use it like a teddy ries,” he said. “I just turned
bear,” Altieri said. “I look at 60 and I demand our sov-
it and I get teary-eyed from ereignty over Las Malvinas,
all the memories.” but I also pay homage to
Argentina lost the war for Argentine war veteran Jorge Altieri poses for a portrait with the blood-stained helmet, recently all of those who died — Ar-
the South Atlantic archi- returned to him, that saved his life in 1982 during the Falklands war, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, gentine and British — be-
pelago after its troops em- Tuesday, March 12, 2019. cause I think that’s the way
barked on an ill-fated inva- Associated Press to rebuild.”
sion nearly 37 years ago, tries have experienced a thinking of what it did to announced March 7 that For Altieri, having his helmet
an international humiliation thaw, including a deal that stop the bomb shrapnel he is planning to return the has helped him find similar
that claimed the lives of allowed a multinational blowing my head off,” Al- blood-stained helmet of closure.
649 Argentines and 255 Brit- team of experts to exhume tieri said about his helmet, fallen British soldier Alexan- After the war’s cease-fire,
ish soldiers. and identify the remains although he still lost an der Shaw, who was killed at Altieri’s helmet was taken
Argentina still claims the of dozens of Argentine sol- eye and part of his brain Mount Longdon at age 25. to London by a British para-
islands, which it calls the diers. in a blast during battle for The helmet is expected to trooper who had pulled
Malvinas. Britain says the Today, veterans and rela- Mount Longdon on June be delivered to Shaw’s sis- it from a heap of military
Falklands are a self-govern- tives of those who died also 12, 1982, two days before ter, Susan, in April or May. equipment. After the man
ing entity under its protec- say the recovery of objects fighting stopped. “Susan touched me with passed away, it was kept
tion. taken as war trophies has In a parallel tale of recon- her spirituality. She was 15 by his family until it was put
After decades of tense re- helped heal their scars. ciliation, Argentine veteran when her brother left for up for auction four years
lations, though, both coun- “I can’t stop looking at it, Diego Carlos Arreseigor the war,” Arreseigor told ago.q

Nicaragua opposition eyes imminent deal on prisoner releases

By GABRIELA SELSER hold over the issue of jailed who have already been
Associated Press government opponents, convicted.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua Ortega’s government Solis said the Civic Alliance
(AP) — Nicaragua’s oppo- agreed to release them has demanded that police
sition is hoping for approval all within 90 days, prompt- stop detaining government
Friday of a schedule for ing opposition negotiators opponents, because other-
freeing 640 people con- to return to the table. In wise “the list of prisoners will
sidered political prisoners, the past, authorities have keep growing.”
a leader of the opposition repeatedly characterized “May all of them go free
group Civic Alliance told anti-government demon- and clean, without a crimi-
The Associated Press. strators as “terrorists” and nal record, because all the
Azahalea Solis, one of the “coup-plotters.” arrests were illegal and due
main leaders of the Alli- Speaking Thursday night at process was violated,” Solis
ance and a negotiator in a political event, the presi- said.
talks with the government dent told supporters in an The opposition is also seek-
aimed at resolving a politi- Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega speaks during the apparent allusion to the ing guarantees for the
cal standoff, also said in an inauguration ceremony of a highway overpass in Managua, negotiations that “we do safe return of some 52,000
interview that 162 others Nicaragua, Thursday, March 21, 2019. not all think alike, but de- people who have fled the
released from prison and Associated Press spite our ideological and country, and asking that
placed under house ar- out exception,” Solis said. Security forces and armed, differences, we must unite government opponents be
rest since February would She added that efforts are pro-government civilian around a sacred goal, able to secure jobs, return
be granted more definitive being made for the latest groups killed hundreds in which is peace.” to university and get medi-
freedom under a proposed releases to begin this week- their crack down on dem- Still, she cautioned that it cal care.
deal. end or Monday, and con- onstrators who sought Presi- will be “a slow and com- Solis said the Alliance will
“We hope to have ready firmed that all 802 people dent Daniel Ortega’s exit plex” process because it also demand discussion of
today, Friday, the agree- detained since protests from office last year, ac- entails documenting a long disarming the pro-govern-
ment for the liberation of erupted last April would cording to independent list of individual cases, in- ment paramilitary groups
the political prisoners, in- have unrestricted freedom monitors. cluding prisoners who have that attacked protesters,
cluding the exit schedule and see their charges and This week, as negotiations not been prosecuted, oth- often visibly in coordination
for every one of them with- trials annulled. that began Feb. 27 were on ers facing trial and some with security forces.q