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Hundreds die in Latin America Easter binges
AFP
CARACAS
Petroleumworld.com 04 10 07
Nearly 700 people died over Easter, the holiest celebration for the Roman Catholic church which has transformed into week-long holiday drinking and driving binge in Latin America.
Despite Venezuela's late-night ban on alcohol sales during Holy Week and on all sales Thursday through Sunday night, 118 persons were murdered during the 10 days ending Sunday, according to police and press reports.
Most crimes were reported in poor areas of Caracas and its environs, home to four million people.
A total of 151 people were killed in El Salvador while 769 others were injured. Of those, gunshots killed 73, traffic accidents another 33, while 25 drowned and 21 were murdered with knives, the civil defense officials said.
Guatemala lost 148 people, according to the National Holy Week Accident Prevention System, which said the toll topped that of the previous two years.
In Honduras, 106 died, of those 27 in traffic accidents and 14 in drownings.
Apart from one fairly routine rebel bombing and five kidnappings, 53 died in Colombia in 37 traffic accidents during Holy Week, police said, more than double the 22 deaths recorded last year.
The Venezuelan interior ministry ratcheted up security between March 30 to April 8 to enforce a liquor ban and to secure highways with 13 million Venezuelans and three million cars expected to take to the roads.
Traffic deaths, at least, were cut by 20 percent when compared with last year, Civil Defense director Antonio Rivero said, with a toll of 121 deaths.
Drownings accounted for 23 deaths, he said.
AFP 09 1944 GMT 04 07
Copyright© 2007 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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