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WORLD NEWSFriday 12 January 2018
Puerto Rico Fears Post-Maria Murder Surge: 11 Days, 32 Slain
By DANICA COTO Relatives comfort each other as the body of a family member is removed at an early morning close for several hours to a
Associated Press couple of days during the
CAROLINA, Puerto Rico crime scene, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. While the number of homicides holiday period because of
(AP) — Before the sun rose a lack of officers. No arrests
on the first day of 2018, did not immediately spike in the weeks after Hurricane Maria struck on Sept. 20, police and have been made in the
someone called 911 to re- 32 killings this year. Maria,
port the charred, bullet-rid- independent experts say many killings appear at least partly related to its aftereffects. which hit as a Category 4
dled body of a man with a storm, destroyed much of
snake-like tattoo on his left (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) the island’s electrical grid.
hand, lying beside a road For those police on duty,
in the Puerto Rican town of disruption. “Hurricanes af- ernment has fallen behind test. The sickout has taken the streets are darker and
Vega Baja. The next day, more dangerous because
two men were found dead fect everyone, including with millions of dollars in about 2,000 police off the power has been restored
with their feet and hands to only 60 percent of cus-
bound in Bayamon, a work- criminals,” said criminolo- overtime payments owed street each day in a terri- tomers in the U.S. territory.
ing-class city southwest of Drug gangs are fighting to
the capital. Another man gist Jose Raul Cepeda. to police officers, who tory that has 13,600 officers. re-establish territory they
was shot to death before lost in the disruption from
dawn in nearby Vega Baja Already bankrupt, the is- have begun calling in sick It has forced more than a Maria, which pushed thou-
while trying to stop thieves sands from their homes and
from stealing his genera- land’s overwhelmed gov- in big numbers to pro- dozen police stations to left entire neighborhoods
tor. Thirty-two people have uninhabitable for weeks.
been slain in Puerto Rico Police Chief Michelle Her-
in the first 11 days of the nandez resigned Monday
year, double the number after only a year on the
killed over the same period job, and local and federal
in 2017. If the surge proves authorities are rushing from
to be more than just a tem- meeting to meeting to de-
porary blip, January could bate how to best protect
be the most homicidal 3.3 million Puerto Ricans,
month on the island in at especially those still living in
least two years, adding a the dark.q
dangerous new element to
the island’s recovery from Venezuela: 4 dead, 28 missing as boat sinks in Caribbean
Hurricane Maria, its worst
disaster in decades. While By FABIOLA SANCHEZ economic collapse. men and two women on Curacao’s police and
the number of homicides SCOTT SMITH The boat carrying 34 peo- shore, said Curacao police coast guard continued
did not immediately spike Associated Press ple departed Tuesday spokesman Reginald Hug- their search by land and
in the weeks after the hur- CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) night, Venezuela’s Region- gins, adding that the inves- air, looking for possible sur-
ricane struck on Sept. 20, — Authorities are search- al Civil Protection director tigation is ongoing. vivors or victims, he said.
police and independent ing the Caribbean for 28 Jose Montano said, adding “We also found a lot of Luis Stefanelli, a member of
experts say many killings people missing from a boat that two people managed wood that’s from a boat,” Venezuela’s congress, said
appear at least partly re- that left Venezuela and to swim safely to shore in he said, adding that debris passengers of the small
lated to its aftereffects. The appears to have sunk, after Curacao, which is about 45 included gas cans and per- boat were all under the
storm has plunged much four bodies and wreckage miles (70 kilometers) away sonal belongings. age of 35.
of the island into darkness, washed ashore in nearby at its closest point. The victims have not been The incident comes amid
increased economic hard- Curacao, officials said He said Venezuelan au- identified, and Huggins heightened tensions af-
ship and contributed to Thursday. thorities learned of the inci- said it was unclear whether ter Venezuela’s President
a sickout by police, all fu- It remained unclear why dent after relatives of one the two men who made Nicolas Maduro on Friday
eling lawlessness. What’s the boat sank as it headed passenger called for help. it safely to shore were on ordered a trade blockade
more, officials say a turf to the Dutch island, a jour- Police on the island the same boat or another. with Curacao, Aruba and
war has broken out among ney frequently taken by Wednesday morning dis- He said they were in police Bonaire, suspending sea
drug gangs looking to grab people fleeing Venezuela’s covered the bodies of two custody. and air travel.q
territory after the storm’s
