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Gregory Lewin
glewin@bluefieldspulse.com
May 6-2004-The entire country of Nicaragua
paid tribute to the heroes who were brutally murdered Tuesday morning at
the police station in Bluefields by unknown subjects. Police officers Juan
José Fúnez, Ruth González, Roger Ernesto Villachica and Johnny Dometz
were brutally murdered while on watch at the police station. Another
police officer, Ana Estela Valderrama was critically wounded and was
taken to Managua. Doctor's are hopeful she will have a full recovery but
will probably suffer mentally from the brutal act.
Ruth González and Roger Ernesto Villachica were put
to rest yesterday in Bluefields. Thousands of people turned out to say
goodbye to the fallen heroes and expressed their anger towards those who
committed the crimes. Officer Johnny Dometz was taken to Puerto Cabezas
where he was buried while Captain Juan José Fúnez was taken to the
capital city of Managua where he was buried today.
President Enrique Bolanos has declared three days of
mourning in observance of the fallen heroes. He has ordered the military
and special forces to do everything in their power to capture the killers
and bring them to justice. A crime of this magnitude upon a police station
is unheard of in the history of Nicaragua.
In other news: Despite the horrific events of
Tuesday, May 4th, the regional council headed by Rayfield Hodgson went
ahead with the election of authorities for the new Regional Government.
The election was done peacefully without disturbance. Those heading the
regional government took the opportunity to hold election while the people
and the authorities were occupied trying to figure out what had happened
earlier in the morning with the senseless murder of the four police
officers. A massive protest planned for May 4th headed by Mayor Moises
Arana to demand the council members not to re-elect those members alleged
in one way or another of corruption was canceled.
One would imagine that all activities including the
election would have been postponed in observance of the fallen heroes but
it was all the contrary. It was all Business as usual. In the end
not much was changed. Rayfield Hodgson remained President of the regional
government. First VP is a member of the Yatama party Ms. Elida Macre,
Second VP-Tomas Heliodoro, First Secretary- Rendell Hebberth, Second
Secretary- Ingrid Cuthbert, Second Secretary Magdalena Ruiz and. First
Vocal- Benito Morales. Members of the Sandinista party and the four
dissidents of the Arnoldista faction walked out of the
session.
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