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Spain sacks ‘negligent’ Boston consul

The Spanish Consul General in Boston has been sacked over his decision to close the consulate just hours after twin bomb explosions during the city's marathon because it was 'closing time'.

Spain sacks 'negligent' Boston consul
People grieve in the wake of a bombing during the Boston marathon that killed at least three people Photo: John Mottern/AFP

The Spanish Consul General in Boston Pablo Sánchez-Terán told Marca TV that he had decided to shut up shop at the consulate just two hours after the deadly attack on the city's marathon — because it was closing time.

“We had to close the consulate because it was time,” the Huffington Post reported Sánchez-Terán as saying to Marca TV.

The consul has now been sacked by Spain's Foreign Ministry for “failing to perform his duties”, reported 20minutos on Tuesday. 

Ninety-one Spaniards participated in the Boston marathon in which three people were killed and many others were injured.

Sánchez-Terán, who said he had heard the bomb blasts from his office, later confirmed that no Spaniards had been injured in the attack.

But the Consul General's initial comments on Marca TV caused outrage on Twitter.

The consulate official said that Spaniards with families in Boston should ring the city's hospitals because the embassy was now closed.

User @anaoftherock was quoted by the Huffington Post as tweeting: “New concept. You work less than the Boston consul.”

Meanwhile, the account holder of @bilbo_84 tweeted: “Pablo Sánchez Terán reflects the Spanish political class: lazy, shameless and insensitive.”

The consul also stirred up heated feelings with his comment that none of the people injured in the Boston blast “had a Spanish surname”.

In response, @vinylraven said: “The Spanish consul in Boston has been ringing hospitals and asking, 'Is there a Fernandez there? No. OK. Then there are no injured Spaniards.'”

This is not the first time Sánchez-Terán has made headlines for the wrong reasons.

In 2004, during Columbus Day celebrations in Colombia, the then consular official for the Argentinian city of Cordoba lambasted various South American civilizations.

During his speech, he said the Incas, Aztecs and Apaches and others has been “idealized by historians and anthropologists”.

Sánchez-Terán, however, preferred to describe those civilizations as “imperialist and bloody”.

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MARATHON

Berlin marathon cancelled for 2020 over coronavirus

The organisers of the Berlin Marathon said Wednesday that they have cancelled the race for 2020 due to problems finding an alternative date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Berlin marathon cancelled for 2020 over coronavirus
Berlin marathon runners in 2019. Photo: DPA

The race was initially postponed from April to September 27th, but organisers have now cancelled this year's event, which attracted 62,000 runners in 2019, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Due to the weather conditions alone and shortening days, it's very difficult to hold the Berlin Marathon… before the end of this year,” said race director Jürgen Jock.

“The question of whether athletes will be able to travel internationally again by then cannot be answered now.” 

Organisers added: “Your health, as well as all of our health, is our first priority.

“Therefore, taking into account the Containment Measures Ordinance due to the COVID-19 pandemic… the Berlin Marathon 2020 will not be able to take place.”

The city of Berlin has banned events with more than 5,000 participants since April.

The flat, fast course around Berlin's city centre is where Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya set the men's world marathon record of 2hr 01min 39sec in 2018.

It was the eighth time in the previous 20 years that the men's world record has fallen on the streets of Berlin.

Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 over the marathon distance in Vienna last October, but the time is not recognised as a world record as the event was not an open competition.

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