Saturday 16 August
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Troops Try To
Thwart Simulated Panama Canal Attack
Colombia, Strikers Talk
with President
Venezuela: Oil
Prospecting Heads West
Peruvians Demonstrate,
Mourn On Earthquake
Anniversary
Brazil's Navy Seizes
Weapons Of Pirates
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Peruvians Demonstrate,
Mourn On Earthquake
Anniversary
LIMA - On the first
anniversary of an
7.9-magnitude earthquake
Friday, Peruvians staged
protests to demand
speedy reconstruction
and held ceremonies in
memory of their loved
ones.
In a decree, Peruvian
President Alan Garcia
designated Friday the
day of national
mourning, and ordered
that the national flag
to lower to half-mast at
the Government Palace
and all official
buildings of Peru.
Thousands of people
participated in a
Catholic mass at the
general cemetery of the
province of Pisco, which
was the hardest hit by
the earthquake, in
memory of the 596 people
killed during the
7.9-magnitude
earthquake.
The mourners marched in
the streets of the
provinces of Chinca,
Pisco, Ica and Calete
for two hours. Except in
Chincha where the police
detained six
participants, the
marches were peaceful,
local media reported.
A total of 596 people
were killed in the quake
in Peru's south coast on
Aug. 15 last year, and
more than 80,000 people
became homeless.
President Alan Garcia
said each of the 30,000
families have received
government aid of 2,045
U.S. dollar to help
build new homes, and
other aid for another
8,000 families is
pending. |
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