| They suspend rescue in Guatemala for threat of new slides |
Destruction kills 100 day labourers |
 |
| Members of the brigades of rescue pray before part of the victims of the destruction of a hill where a highway was constructed close to the Chicamán town, in Guatemala. |
City of Guatemala
AP
A destruction buried more than 100 Guatemalans in a highway of the north of the country, of whom 37 bodies had been recovered until Wednesday, the 7th, while 15 turned out to be injured men and more of half a hundred they are missing.
" The rescue works were already suspended, but the vultures alerted the settlers on the existence of new bodies", affirmed the chief of the brigades of rescue of the National Coordinating committee for the Reduction of Disasters, Sergio Cabañas.
A hill collapsed on Sunday, the 4th on approximately 100 day labourers and merchants who were walking along a path to the fund of a ravine, to surround the blockade caused in the highway by another happened avalanche two weeks behind.
Although the official number belongs to 37 deceased, "during the days for that we look, find parts of other persons, but the district attorney's office did not want to take into account them" like other victims, he added Huts.
The remains were found by settlers who have defied the official prohibition of going along along the place since the hill keeps on crumbling and it might cause new tragedies.
The authorities think that at least average missing persons continue hundred of persons under tons of rocks and ground.
The victims were day labourers who were going to coffee farms in the north of the country and sellers who were returning to his houses after the market the weekend. They were trying to liberate traveling the highway hindered to come up to his destination, when another part of the hillside became detached on them.
On entire Tuesday, the 6th, the of 25 persons, most of them day labourers, were buried in the town of Chicamán, in the north of the country.
Another ten persons were buried on Monday, the 5th as strangers since his relatives did not go so far as to recognize them and, since there is no morgue in the place, the Health department ordered that to be buried as soon as possible.
Pathetic scenes
The authorities improvised a morgue in the local cemetery. There, on the soil, they piled up the convalescent corpses in order that they could be recognized by relatives.
A catholic priest informed a mass in memory of the deceased that were lying in the cemetery.
Between the dead persons there were two brothers of the locality. "They were my children, it had one 22 years, other 26... I am very sad for my children", there mumbled between sobs the disconsolate mother, Juana Alonso.
Carlos Alonso was used of a materials factory for construction in a nearby municipality. The body of his brother, Diego Elías, was protected by approximately 15 soldiers since it was giving military service in barracks and "it came to spend the Christmases with me", remembered the mother.
His wife and daughter, who were traveling with him, turned out to be hurt. The girl is in a welfare center of the locality with light wounds while the mother is hurt seriously in a hospital of the city of Cobán, to approximately 50 kilometers.
The settlers of Aquil Grande and Aquil Pequeño, approximately 300 families in whole, were moved to the school and the football ground of a bordering village while the emergency happens since the hill threatens to keep on collapsing.
| European observers |
High place to the violence they ask in El Salvador
|
Diego Méndez
San Salvador / AP
The observers' mission of the European Union asked for "respect" between the Salvadoran political parties after violent actions, which include a murder, at least of two weeks of the municipal and legislative elections of January 18.
" In a democratic context place does not exist for the violence. By it any act in this sense must be condemned and reproved", he affirmed a bulletin expressed on Monday, the 5th by the European mission, which the Spanish Luis Yáñez heads.
The mission exhorted "both to the leaderships, and to the bases of the different competing parties to the next elections to the calmness and regarding the political adversaries so that the electoral campaign passes of pacific form and under the laws of democratic the game".
The minority political party Revolutionary Democratic Front (FDR) denounced the murder of one of his activists the weekend in this capital.
Saturday, the 3rd, 17-year-old Ulises Vladimir Pérez, was dead to stabs for strangers when it was giving propaganda in a quarter of the population of St Martin, to approximately 20 kilometers to the east of the Salvadoran capital.
" Some of our partners tried to help it and prevent from murdering the boy", there declared on Monday the general coordinator of the FDR, Julio Hernández.
Other incidents registered at least of two weeks of the elections of January 18 in that approximately 4,2 million Salvadorans, suitable to vote, will choose 262 mayors of 14 departments of the country and 84 deputies to the Legislative Assembly, with his respective substitute ones.
On March 15, the Salvadorans will return to the urns to choose president and vice-president for a period of five years.
The president Tony Saca asked the authorities "to come up to the culprit" of the murder of the activist Ulises Vladimir Pérez.
The respective authorities "they have to take letters in the matter, individualize and to come up to the culprit", it expressed Big sack on Tuesday, the 6th in press conference.
Honduras
Changes in office
The Honduran president Manuel Zelaya announced that on Tuesday, the 6th you should fit to his office that they include the designation of till now Minister of Defence Arístides Mejía as vice-president from February. The new Minister of Defence is Edmundo Orellana, renowned chancellor six months ago, charge that will be redeemed by Patricia Rodas Baca, the current president of the Liberal Party.
Venezuela
They expel ambassador
Venezuela announced that on Tuesday, the 6th that decided to expel the ambassador of Israel, Shlomo Cohen, and the chancellor he affirmed that the diplomat was declared a person oddly pleasant. The decision happens after the strong criticism of the president Hugo Chávez of the military actions who realizes Israel in Palestine from the last December 27.
Peru
The ministers without increase
After supporting intense criticism, the 17 ministers of the office of the president Alan García resigned voluntarily from the increase of salaries granted by the government. His salaries had been approved by those of the conferees: the minister perceives a monthly revenue of 15.600 suns (approximately 5.000 dollars), while a legislator receives 22.800 suns (7.600 dollars).
Bolivia
They clear route
More than 200 agents cleared on Tuesday, the 6th a route that joins Bolivia with Chilean ports that had been blocked by truck drivers and merchants in the frontier position of Tambo Quemado, in rejection to a measurement of the government that prohibits the import of secondhand cars.
Ecuador
They block highways
Tens natives and peasants blocked three vehicular keys to the south of the country to protest against a project of mining law that it protects the government, because they think that he will encourage the large-scale mining and the water sources of the region will turn out to be affected.
Paraguay
There was conspiracy
The president Fernando Lugo will not rectify his denunciation of a conspiratorial meeting in September with the supposed participation of the ex-chief Nicanor Duarte, general retired Lino César Oviedo and the General District attorney of the State Rubén Candia, between others. The Secretary of the Interior, Rafael Filizzola, he said on Tuesday, the 6th that "the President gave concrete informations and it does not have why to be rectified".
Panama
Basic basket
The cost of the basic basket of food supported his upward tendency at the end of the year in Panama. The price of the monthly basket was 272 dollars in November, what represented a 1,9 per cent increase with regard to October, he informed the department of Economy and Finance.
Chile
Millionaire surplus
The trade balance of the country registered in 2008 a surplus for 10.160 million dollars, although it fell down in 57 per cent as regards 2007 for the strong fall in the price of the copper, the principal Chilean product of exportation.
|
