Cuban authorities announce benefits for victims of Saratoga hotel tragedy
HAVANA, Cuba (CMC) — The National Institute of Social Security (INASS) is carrying out a centralised process of granting pensions, in a quick way, for all the affected workers and relatives of the victims of the accident at the Saratoga hotel without distinction of pension rights.
According to the general director of the INASS Virginia Marlen Garcia Reyes, the process will have the exceptionality of the law for the granting of extraordinary pensions, taking into account that not all the relatives of the deceased are eligible for pensions on a regular basis.
“We intend to protect all the affected families without distinction due to the transcendence and painful repercussion of the accident,” she said.
“A survey is being carried out in order to determine the calculation of the definitive pension based on the salary of each worker,” said Garcia Reyes, who added that the affected areas will also be visited in order to interview the family members.
“If all the information is gathered quickly, it is expected that those affected and their families will receive the definitive pension by June,” she continued.
While this procedure is being carried out, specialists from the municipal branches of INASS will protect the affected workers through the payment of a provisional pension, which consists of 100 per cent of the affected workers’ salaries.
The INASS management is working along with the Gaviota group to reconstruct the labour file of the injured workers, as well as taking measures aimed at guaranteeing the relocation of the affected workers and their families in search of employment.
According to the INASS, in case of destruction of the deceased’s employment file, an exceptional procedure will be carried out in order to immediately protect the family members.
the governor regarding her decision to reserve assent of the Cannabis Licensing Bill 2022, pursuant Section 35[2] of Constitution, and to notify the secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, of such decision.
“We await the position of the secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs regarding this matter.”
The governor said the Cannabis Licensing Act 2022 appeared to her to be “inconsistent” with what she understood to be obligations held by the UK and Bermuda under UN conventions, but she appeared to be sympathetic to the aims of the legislation.
She stated: “I therefore have no choice but to reserve assent of the Bill under Section 35 (2) of Constitution and to notify the secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs.
“I hope that Bermudian officials will work together with UK officials to find a way forward — one that does not result in life-changing criminal records for users of small amounts of cannabis, and unlocks commercial opportunities while maintaining Bermuda’s excellent reputation for upholding the rule of law.”
Reserving assent stops short of refusing assent, and the governor added: “The UK has supported, and is currently assisting, some of the Crown dependencies and other overseas territories to develop a way which is compliant with the relevant conventions.”
The Opposition One Bermuda Alliance has said the PLP drive for liberalisation of cannabis laws was a “smokescreen” for a push towards independence.
After being rejected by the Senate last year, the Bill returned to parliament in February and passed the House of Assembly by 18 votes to six.
Twelve PLP MPS failed to vote, although some of them were overseas at the time.
Then, the legislation tied in the Senate 5-5 but the Upper House no longer had the power to block it.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (CMC) — The United States Coast Guard says the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Joseph Napier and Caribbean Corridor Strike Force agents have offloaded 626 pounds of cocaine seized in the Caribbean Sea, with an estimated wholesale value of about US$5.6 million, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The US Coast Guard said the offload of the contraband resulted from a go-fast vessel interdiction on April 28 in the Mona Passage near the Dominican Republic.
The interdiction is the result of multi-agency efforts involving the Caribbean Border Interagency Group and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force.
The coast guard said that on the morning of April 28, the crew of a Coast Guard HC-27J Spartan aircraft detected a suspect vessel north of Mona Island, Puerto Rico.
“Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan diverted the cutter Joseph Napier that arrived on scene with the suspect vessel,” the US Coast Guard said. “Upon detecting the presence of the Coast Guard cutter, the occupants of the suspect vessel were observed jettisoning multiple bales of suspected contraband into the water and attempting to flee the area toward Dominican Republic territorial waters.
“Once in Dominican Republic waters, the crew of a Dominican Republic Navy vessel interdicted the suspect vessel and apprehended three Dominican Republic nationals who were aboard,” it added.
The US Coast Guard said the crew of the Joseph Napier
recovered 11 bales of the jettisoned suspected contraband, which tested positive for cocaine.
“Safeguarding the nation’s southernmost maritime border is among our top priorities,” said Captain Gregory H Magee, coast guard Sector San Juan commander. “You can expect to see many more of these interdictions from the coast guard, federal and local law enforcement, and from our Dominican Republic Navy partners as we work together to stop drug smuggling go-fast vessels at sea and prevent them from making landfall in Puerto Rico.”
The US Coast Guard said special agents supporting the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force are leading the investigation into this case.