Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 24 June 2019

Minister: 8 tourism deaths in Dominican Republic not unusual

By DANICA COTO After the reporting on
Associated Press Schaup-Werner, more cov-
SANTO DOMINGO, Domini- erage followed, with rela-
can Republic (AP) — The tives of people who died
deaths of eight American in the Dominican Republic
tourists in the Dominican telling local reporters across
Republic this year are not the U.S. that they were wor-
part of a mysterious wave ried about their loved ones
of fatalities but a medi- being victims of a strange
cally and statistically nor- chain of unexplained
mal phenomenon that has deaths, possibly caused by
been lumped together by adulterated alcohol or mis-
the U.S. media, the island's used pesticides. The report-
tourism minister said Friday. ed cases included at least
Autopsies show the tour- two deaths from 2018.
ists died of natural causes, The Dominican govern-
Tourism Minister Francisco ment has been criticized
Javier García told report- for not being more forth-
ers. He said five of the au- coming about the details
topsies are complete, and of the death investigations.
three are undergoing fur- They "probably have some
ther toxicological analysis indication of what it could
with the help from the FBI be or what it might not be,"
because of the circum- said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an
stances of the deaths. The Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic Francisco Javier Garcia holds a copy of an on- infectious diseases and
line article in a local paper saying the U.S. State Department considers recent reports on tourists'
With some 3.2 million U.S. deaths to be exaggerated, at the Ministry of Tourism office in Santo Domingo, Dominican Repub- critical care doctor at the
tourists visiting the Domini- lic, Friday, June 21, 2019. Johns Hopkins Center for
can Republic last year, Associated Press Health Security. But officials
he said, it's not unusual for have been "very opaque"
eight people to die while mysterious, were those of anti-inflammatory drug, an death of Miranda Schaup- about their findings.
on vacation over any six- a couple who seemingly opioid and blood-pressure Werner, 41, of Allentown, "The longer they keep ev-
month period. Dominican died at the same time in medicine, García said. Pennsylvania, who died erybody in suspense, the
officials say they are con- the same hotel room. The Autopsies found pulmo- May 25 at the Luxury Bahia worst it's going to be for
fident the three deaths still bodies of Edward Nathan- nary edema, an accumu- Principe Bouganville hotel. the Dominican Republic,
under investigation were iel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia lation of fluid in the lungs A family spokesman told re- especially when they're so
also from natural causes. Ann Day, 49, were found frequently caused by heart porters that she collapsed dependent on tourism. Be-
"We want the truth to pre- May 30 in their room at disease. after getting a drink from cause the longer this goes
vail," García said. "There is the Grand Bahia Principe Soon after the couple's the minibar. on unexplained, the longer
nothing to hide here." La Romana hotel. Several death, family members An autopsy found that she people are going to be
The first deaths to make medications were found appeared in U.S. media died of a heart attack, leery of going there," Adal-
headlines, and still the most in the room, including an reports questioning the García said. ja said.q

Bright murals greet visitors to

poor Bolivian neighborhood

adobe and brick walls on about 12,500 feet (3,800 and Social Investment.
a hillside of Bolivia's capital. meters) above sea level The residents-turned-paint-
"When we wake up in the and it's reached by a steep ers are guided by four ur-
morning, we now see col- staircase known ominously ban artists and about 50
ors. We no longer see the as "The 1,000 steps." masons who have also
adobe or brick. I love my The high-altitude exercise made home renovations,
view," said Tomasa Gutiér- leads to a majestic view of including strengthening
rez, who heads the Chaul- the snow-capped Illimani once-crumbling walls.
In this May 31, 2019 photo, urban artist Knorke Leaf walks near
her mural depicting the Morenada dance, in the hillside Chual- luma neighborhood coun- peak that towers over the The project director, ur-
luma neighborhood, in La Paz, Bolivia. cil. She stood in front of a mountain-locked Bolivian ban artist Knorke Leaf, said
Associated Press mural that read "Libertad" capital. Less ambitious visi- the murals seek to "bring
— Spanish for "Liberty" — tors can ride a cable car joy" and attract tourists by
By PAOLA FLORES was carried out by residents and included paintings of that connects La Paz to its showcasing the personal-
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — A of a poor neighborhood "cholitas" indigenous wom- sister city of El Alto. ity of Chaulluma's people,
state-sponsored project in who have sought inspira- en wearing the traditional The $4.5 million mural proj- who are mainly artisans
Bolivia is aiming to use ur- tion from Andean textiles. billowing skirts, embroi- ect called "Mi Qhatu" — and vendors who migrated
ban art to capture some of Images now include indig- dered shawls and bowler "market" in Aymara — in- to the neighborhood from
the rich traditions of indig- enous Aymara women sell- hats. cludes about 160 homes the countryside.
enous culture and turn an ing produce and spices in "We've decided that our and is based on an initia- "They painted my little
area into a tourist attrac- the streets, hummingbirds homes should show who tive in Mexico's Hidalgo home," said Eusebia Huan-
tion. taking flight and multicol- we are, our customs, our state, said Pablo Balanza, ca, who has lived in the
The project involves adorn- ored geometrical shapes culture," she said. the coordinator of the Na- neighborhood for 50 years.
ing homes with murals and on what once were plain Chaulluma is located tional Fund for Productive "They brought joy to me."q