|
SOUTH
AMERICA |
Chile's
New President Praises Heroes In Earthquake
SANTIAGO - Newly inaugurated Chilean
President Sebastian Piñera praised Thursday
some ordinary citizens as heroes in the
Feb.-27 earthquake that seriously damaged
the country.
In his first speech as the Chilean
president, Piñera especially mentioned the
names of two children.
Martina Maturana, 12, living on one of the
Juan Fernandez Islands, struck the warning
bell after hearing the sound of tsunami
following a strong earthquake, thus wakening
hundreds of sleeping residents to save their
lives.
Vicente Ramirez, the first baby born during
the quake, was called by President Piñera
"the audacity to be born" in the
8.8-magnitude earthquake that killed about
500 people and made one million others
homeless.
"Every generation has its challenge and we
have the most beautiful challenge of
deciding what kind of nation our children
will live in," Piñera said when referring to
the efforts made by the government and its
people to rebuild the country after the
quake.
The Chilean president also called on
citizens to "unite as one" to make greater
reconstruction efforts. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
