International
Investigation of the San José galleon, the great scientific challenge that Colombia embarks on
Colombia embarked on one of the greatest scientific challenges in its history: the investigation of the Spanish galleon San José, sunk by English privateers off the coast of Cartagena de Indias in the 18th century and found in 2015 at a depth of more than 600 meters.
The authorities began this work with great enthusiasm, for which different institutions were articulated such as the Ministry of Cultures, the Navy and the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (Icanh).
“Associated with archaeology, culture and heritage, it is the first time we have made such a great effort and in this Government, particularly, to believe in the institutions and in the ability we have to do something to show the world. It is a special challenge,” the head of Maritime and River Interests of the Colombian Navy, Rear Admiral Hermann León, told EFE.
That institution put at the service of this purpose the ship ARC Caribe and all its technological capacity to “be able to go down to 600 meters deep” to observe the wreck, a task to which only Colombian specialists will dedicate themselves.
For the investigation, which will be of six phases, the Government of Colombia has also already made a decision that will make its work easier: to declare as ‘Protected Archaeological Area of the Nation’ the area where the galleon is, whose coordinates are secret to prevent treasure hunters from reaching there that can steal what was in the San José.
“This is the first protected archaeological area of Colombia in the underwater space, it is the first in America at this depth. Colombia is doing a research project as it has not been seen before under the universal principles of heritage protection and they must be assured that this is a scientific project to bring the best of that knowledge to Colombians,” the Rear Admiral added.
The San José, built in 1698 in Guipúzcoa (Spain) and belonging to the Spanish Navy, was sunk on June 8, 1708 during an attack by a fleet of English privateers when it was on its way to Cartagena de Indias loaded, according to chronicles of the time, with about 11 million coins of eight shields in gold and silver that it had collected at the Portobelo fair (Panama).
Spain, based on the rules of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), claims the ownership of the galleon for being “a state ship,” with its flag.
The Colombian Government, which declared the San José “asset of submerged cultural interest,” does not rule out collaboration with that country to treat the wrech as a shared heritage.
The director of the Icanh, Alhena Caicedo, explained to EFE that the investigation of the galleon is the result of “an intention to transform what the history of Colombia implies, to transform the assessment of the archaeological heritage and to give the San José galleon a sense of national identity.”
“The idea is to remove that somewhat mythological nuance that has made it a rather controversial treasure, in which people are trying to see if there is gold, if there is silver, if there are precious metals and not if there is an archaeological text that can give us very interesting answers about what the history of Colombia and the Caribbean has been,” Caicedo said.
For that reason, the focus is on protecting the archaeological heritage, on “guaranteeing a cultural value” for Colombia in order to show a more local than European story.
For that purpose, the director of Icanh explained, the research takes into account the voices of different actors, ranging from indigenous people who claim their rights over the spit to academics who are experts in heritage issues.
“We want to guarantee through this high-level scientific research that there are multiple voices, multiple ways of thinking about history and memory, multiple stories, if you want, that allow us to complicate the readings that we sometimes have about the past in order to have a much more interesting future reference,” he added.
International
Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.
Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”
An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.
“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.
“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.
The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”
At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
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