International
Prosthetics craftsmen hope to ‘repair humans’ in ailing Venezuela

AFP
“I used to repair car tires. Now I repair humans,” boasts Jose Bastidas, an amputee who left his auto repair job to make artificial limbs in Venezuela, where the health system has all but collapsed.
“Getting someone to walk is priceless,” the 41-year-old told AFP at the Zona Bionica workshop in Caracas.
Bastidas joined the company as a trainee prosthetics manufacturer seven years ago after losing his right leg in a road accident.
“I don’t earn much,” he said, “but it is thrilling to see people stand up.”
There are no statistics on the number of amputees in Venezuela, a country of 30 million people, where three out of four live in extreme poverty, according to a recent study.
The latest data, from 2008, showed that 130,000 people in Venezuela had a physical disability that affects mobility, including amputees.
Zona Bionica says the majority of its clients lost a limb due to a medical problem, such as diabetes, or traffic accidents.
Besides the physical and emotional shock, survivors also have to contend with the cost.
Except for a lucky few beneficiaries of philanthropy, most have to pay all or most of the $1,800 price for the cheapest prosthesis, which needs to be replaced every two years.
The average salary in Venezuela, battered by recession and hyperinflation, is about $50 per month.
– ‘We lost a body part, not our lives’ –
Heidy Garcia, 30, works in the back office of Zona Bionica, which also runs sponsorship campaigns for amputees in need.
Garcia lost her right leg due to a blood circulation problem four years ago, and proudly displays a personalized turquoise replacement limb under short pants.
“It is very hard at first,” said Garcia, referring to phantom pain, cramps and having to get used to attaching the prosthesis, which she managed to acquire through a crowd-funding campaign.
“But you have to keep going and to accept. The mind is very strong.”
Garcia said the fact that most of Zona Bionica’s workers are amputees brings comfort to new patients.
“I encourage them. They get depressed, they have low morale, but we remind them that we lost a body part, not our lives,” Bastidas said.
Cristhian Sequera Quintana, who had both legs amputated after a motorcycle accident in 2015, said that at first, “I did not really want to live.”
“I needed help to bathe, to answer the call of nature,” the 34-year-old told AFP.
But with the prosthesis, “things changed,” said Quintana.
“Now I want to work and live. I want to continue fighting for myself, my son and my family.”
International
Arsenal stun Real Madrid at the Bernabéu to reach Champions League semifinals

Arsenal enjoyed a “historic night” on Wednesday after defeating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, knocking them out of the Champions League quarterfinals, midfielder Declan Rice said.
“It’s such a special night for this club, a historic night for this club,” said Rice, who scored twice in the first leg in London, speaking to TNT Sports.
The English international was named Man of the Match in both legs — the 3-0 win in London and the second leg in Madrid.
“It’s amazing. I knew we were on an upward trajectory and we’ve done incredibly well in this competition. We deserve it and we have full confidence in our coach. Reaching the semifinals is unbelievable,” Rice added.
International
DeSantis’ immigration crackdown sparks alarm in Venezuelan Communities in Doral

Florida, the U.S. state with the third-largest immigrant population, has become the most aggressive in targeting undocumented immigrants, largely due to pressure from Governor Ron DeSantis. This shift has led Latino-majority cities like Orlando and Doral to authorize their police forces to assist in immigration enforcement.
In Doral — part of the greater Miami area where 70.7% of residents are immigrants and 48% are of Venezuelan origin — the City Council is expected to approve a measure this Wednesday allowing local police to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite opposition from neighborhood groups and human rights activists.
“It’s yet another betrayal,” said Susana Ríos, a 57-year-old Venezuelan woman currently under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), whose extension was denied by the White House and is now being challenged in court.
Meanwhile, José González, a 21-year-old immigrant, said he feels “abandoned.” He can’t stop thinking about the images of Venezuelans deported to El Salvador without due process. “We’re all in danger,” he warned.
International
Bogotá residents line up for yellow fever vaccine amid national alert

David Suárez went to a public health center in Bogotá on Wednesday to get vaccinated against yellow fever. It wasn’t originally in his plans, but he responded to a call made just hours earlier by President Gustavo Petro, who announced he will declare a health and economic emergency due to a new outbreak of the disease that has already left more than 30 people dead, mostly in the central-western region of the country.
“I got vaccinated for two reasons: first, for my own health because I’m traveling, and second, for a social reason — simply to follow the president’s guidance and be aware that this is a problem for all of us,” said Suárez, a 39-year-old teacher, to The Associated Press.
Like Suárez, dozens of people were waiting in line for the vaccine at Bogotá’s main intercity bus terminal, a key transportation hub especially crowded during travel seasons like Holy Week.
The teacher is traveling with his family to the department of Huila, which has activated a contingency plan due to its proximity to Tolima — the epicenter of the yellow fever outbreak — where a state of public calamity has been declared.
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