Page 12 - aruba-today-20180317

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 17 March 2018

6 months after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico pleads for help

ranging from power resto- administration has blamed
ration to home repairs. Puerto Rico for creating
U.S. lawmakers have ap- delays in the disbursement
propriated $23 billion in di- process, but has not been
rect aid, a response that more specific.
some Puerto Rican officials Meanwhile, tens of thou-
called woefully inade- sands of Puerto Ricans are
quate. Separately, the Fed- still waiting for permanent
eral Emergency Manage- shelter, water or power as
ment Agency has spent the next Atlantic hurricane
some $6 billion for Puerto season approaches.
Rico from its standing emer- "If we were a state, the
gency funds since the hur- response certainly would
ricane. As the six-month an- have been a lot quicker,"
niversary of the Category 4 said Omar Marrero, director
storm approaches, only a of Puerto Rico's Central Re-
fraction of the $23 billion in covery and Reconstruction
congressionally approved Office. He said that of the
funds has actually been $23 billion, Puerto Rico has
spent in Puerto Rico. In Feb- so far received only $1.27
ruary, a $4.7 billion loan ap- billion for its federal assis-
proved last year for Texas, tance nutrition program
Florida, the U.S. Virgin Is- and $430 million to help re-
José Morales checks a water tank installed on the roof of his residence in the Barrio Mana neigh- lands and Puerto Rico was pair public infrastructure.
borhood, in Corozal, Puerto Rico. After Hurricane Maria shredded the electric poles in this plantain reduced by the U.S. Trea- Last week, 58 U.S. legislators
farming town, Barrio Mana residents asked federal officials but never received a generator to
pump water from the well that supplies more than 100 families. sury Department to $2 bil- sent a letter to U.S. Treasury
(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) lion for Puerto Rico, none of Secretary Steve Mnuchin
which has been disbursed. demanding the agency
By DANICA COTO borhood's 130 families. daughter-in-law, Maria And programs funded with expedite the loan process
COROZAL, Puerto Rico (AP) That was nearly six months Perez, her eyes filled with FEMA money, like genera- and offer the full amount.
— Hurricane Maria shred- ago. Today, like everyone tears. "Practically no one tors for rural wells, have "At a time when people
ded the electric poles in this in Barrio Mana, World War has shown up here." yet to reach thousands of on the island are hurting,
plantain farming town high II veteran Antonio Morales, Super-charged with energy Puerto Ricans like those it is unconscionable to not
in the mountains of central 93, sleeps in a single-story from unusually warm seas, in Barrio Mana, American provide maximum relief to
Puerto Rico, leaving tens of concrete home with no Hurricane Maria caused citizens living in Third World American citizens at the
thousands of people with- running water, its floor cov- roughly $100 billion in dam- conditions six months after hour of their greatest need,"
out power or running wa- ered with dozens of gallon age to Puerto Rico when a natural disaster. they wrote. "Unfortunately,
ter. Desperate, residents jugs and plastic buckets of it roared across the island Puerto Rican officials say the Treasury Department
of the town's Barrio Mana water that his nurse uses to Sept. 20, according to the the Trump administration seems more concerned
neighborhood asked fed- bathe him. government of the U.S. ter- is neglecting the territory with repayment of the loan
eral officials for a genera- "Barrio Mana is not even on ritory. In November, Puerto because it doesn't have a than in providing emergen-
tor to pump water from the the government's radar," Rico asked Congress for vote in Congress or presi- cy liquidity relief to an island
well that supplies the neigh- said Morales' 61-year-old $94 billion to fund needs dential elections. The Trump battered by two hurricanes
and 11 years of recession."
Brazil's ex-president says he's 'ready' for jail in book Puerto Rico remains mired
in a longstanding eco-
nomic crisis, struggling to
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's tion charges. Da Silva's conviction was Superior Federal Tribunal. restructure a portion of $73
former President Luiz Inacio The book entitled "Truth upheld in January, and an- That means it is possible billion in public debt accu-
Lula da Silva is launching a Will Triumph: The People other court has denied his that da Silva could soon mulated through years of
book in which he says he Know Why I am Being Con- request for an injunction begin serving his sentence, mismanagement, corrup-
is 'ready' to go to jail and demned," is scheduled to that would prevent him even though he is the front- tion and the elimination of
serve a 12 year and one go on sale early Friday eve- from being imprisoned as runner for the 2018 presi- decades-old federal tax
month sentence on corrup- ning in Sao Paulo. he appeals the ruling to the dential election.q breaks. q