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The Star Online: World Updates

Cuba to free 2,900 in sweeping amnesty
Cuba to release 2,900 prisoners
Fuel pipeline blast kills 11 in Colombia

Posted: 23 Dec 2011 07:32 PM PST

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba will release 2,900 prisoners in the coming days for humanitarian reasons in a sweeping amnesty ahead of a visit next spring by Pope Benedict XVI, the Cuban government said on Friday.

Those to be pardoned do not include American Alan Gross, serving 15 years in prison for setting up Internet equipment on the island under a secretive U.S. program in a case that stalled progress in U.S.-Cuba relations, a government spokesman said.

The ruling Council of State granted the amnesty in a decision that President Raul Castro, in a separate speech to the National Assembly, said had "taken into account" the upcoming papal visit and requests by, among others, top Roman Catholic Church officials in Cuba and family members of the prisoners.

President Raul Castro said the ruling Council of State that granted the amnesty had "taken into account" the upcoming papal visit and requests by, among others, top Roman Catholic Church officials in Cuba and family members of the prisoners.

The action showed the "generosity and strength" of the Cuban revolution, he said in a speech to the National Assembly.

Those to be released included some who had been convicted for crimes against "the security of the state," but the government spokesman said they were not jailed for political reasons.

Cuba freed more than a 100 political prisoners in a deal brokered by the Catholic Church in 2010. Cuban dissidents have said there are still at least 60 people behind bars for political reasons.

Elizardo Sanchez, head of the independent Cuban Commission on Human Rights, downplayed the importance of the prisoner release. "It's a shallow measure by the government, a gesture to improve its international image," he said.

The freed prisoners will include persons more than 60 years of age, prisoners who are ill, women and some young prisoners who had no previous criminal history, the government said.

Castro said 86 of the prisoners are foreigners from 25 countries who committed crimes in Cuba, but they would be released only if their countries agreed to repatriate them.

The U.S. State Department declined to comment on the amnesty and its failure to include Gross, but has repeatedly said in the past that he was only providing Internet access for Jewish groups in Cuba and should be released immediately.

Gross was working as a subcontractor in a U.S.-funded program promoting political change in Cuba. The Cuban government considered it subversive. His arrest halted a brief warming in U.S.-Cuba relations that have been hostile since Fidel Castro embraced Soviet Communism after his 1959 revolution.

Pope Benedict said recently he would visit Cuba before Easter, which falls on April 8. It would be the second papal visit to Cuba since Pope John Paul II's historic trip in 1998.

After that visit, in which the pontiff criticized the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, the Cuban government freed about 300 prisoners, including 101 political prisoners. The others were in jail for common crimes.

Minor prisoner releases have taken place over the years, usually as a goodwill gesture accompanying the visit of a dignitary such as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter or other foreign representatives.

Cuba freed 3,600 political prisoners after then Cuban leader Fidel Castro met with exiles in 1978 during Carter's presidency.

Many Cubans had expected President Castro to announce a liberalization of immigration rules that would make it easier for them to travel abroad, but he said only that it was being worked on and changes would be made gradually.

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Cuba to release 2,900 prisoners

Posted: 23 Dec 2011 06:10 PM PST

The government said the ruling Council of State had granted the amnesty in a decision that President Raul Castro, in a separate speech to the National Assembly, said had "taken into account" the upcoming papal visit and requests by, among others, top Roman Catholic Church officials in Cuba and family members of the prisoners.

The action showed the "generosity and strength" of the Cuban revolution, he said.

Those to be released included some who had been convicted for crimes against "the security of the state," but the government spokesman said they were not jailed for political reasons.

Cuba released more than a 100 political prisoners in a deal brokered by the Catholic Church in 2010. Cuban dissidents have said there are still at least 60 people behind bars for political reasons.

Elizardo Sanchez, head of the independent Cuban Commission on Human Rights, downplayed the importance of the prisoner release and criticized the government for not saying anything about "depenalizing the exercise of human rights."

Those to be released include prisoners more than 60 years of age, prisoners who are ill, women and some young prisoners who had no previous criminal history, the government said.

Castro said 86 of the prisoners are foreigners from 25 countries.

Pope Benedict said recently he would visit Cuba and Mexico before Easter, which falls on April 8. It would be the second papal visit to the Communist-run island since Pope John Paul II's historic visit in 1998.

Cuba freed 3,600 political prisoners after then Cuban leader Fidel Castro met with exiles in 1978 during Carter's presidency.

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Fuel pipeline blast kills 11 in Colombia

Posted: 23 Dec 2011 05:56 PM PST

DOSQUEBRADAS, Colombia (Reuters) - A huge explosion at a gasoline and diesel pipeline in Colombia killed 11 people, injured nearly 100, and destroyed dozens of homes on Friday, in an accident described by President Juan Manuel Santos as a "great tragedy."

The explosion at a pipeline controlled by Colombia's state-owned Ecopetrol was caused by a landslide following heavy rains, the company said, retracting an earlier statement that fuel thieves were probably to blame.

"This really is a great tragedy ... For the time being there are 11 people dead, 78 injured, of which about nine or ten are in critical condition," Santos said during a visit to the village of Dosquebradas in the western region of Risaralda.

Many children were among the injured, he added, speaking amid blackened houses while firefighters searched for survivors among the debris.

Ecopetrol said there were several explosions and a fire. "As a result of severe winter weather in the country there was a landslide, which put pressure on the pipeline and it broke ... leading to a spill of fuel in the river," the company said.

In its statement late on Friday, Ecopetrol said the number of injured had increased to 99 people.

The pipeline is about 140 miles (230 kms) long and links Salgar, in the centre of the country, to western regions. Ecopetrol said the supply of fuel should not suffer because there are two other pipelines pumping fuel to western provinces.

Locals told Reuters that they were awakened by a strong gasoline odour in the wee hours of Friday and could not breathe properly, which prompted many to go outdoors.

"We were gasping for air, and were able to come out, but there were other people who could not leave before the flames and the explosions started," said Hugo Nelson Sanchez, 36, whose house was destroyed.

Colombia has endured months of heavy rains, triggered by the La Nina weather phenomena, in which dozens of people were killed and bridges, roads and other key infrastructure were destroyed, causing billions of dollars in damage.

(Additional reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing By Eduardo Garcia; Editing by Gary Hill)

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Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Jumaat, 23 Disember 2011

The Star Online: World Updates

The Star Online: World Updates

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