Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 20 February 2018

Rio could be 'laboratory' for solving Brazil's crime crisis

By SARAH DiLORENZO chegoyen said after the
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil- meeting. "It's the outward
ian leaders said Monday manifestation of a structur-
that the use of the military al crisis."
to combat rising violence in According to the Brazilian
Rio de Janeiro could serve Forum of Public Security,
as a model for other violent Rio de Janeiro isn't the most
areas of Brazil. dangerous state in Brazil: In
The armed forces officially terms of violent intentional
took over Rio's police on Fri- killings per 100,000 people,
day under a decree signed it ranked 11th in 2016. But
by President Michel Temer. Rio is in many ways Brazil's
The measure still requires face to the world and car-
congressional approval, ries major weight within the
and the lower house was country as home to much
scheduled to debate it of its media and entertain-
Monday evening. But an ment industries.
opposition party asked the Secretary-General Welling-
Supreme Court to suspend ton Moreira Franco, a key
the vote before the session Temer adviser, said what
got under way, saying Te- happens in Rio will hopeful-
mer had not followed the ly spread throughout Brazil.
rules for issuing such a de- “I believe that this is one
cree and saying the move A soldier stands in guard on a street, before a meeting with Brazil's President Michel Temer and more step along the road
had "political and elector- local authorities about the implementation of a decree that has placed the military in charge of of being able to restore
al motivations." It was not Rio's state security, at the Guanabara palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. security, order and, above
Temer said he plans to create a public security ministry to coordinate security operations in the
immediately clear if that entire country. all, confidence to residents
would affect the planned (AP Photo/Leo Correa) of Rio de Janeiro state,”
debate. Franco said. “This spirit is be-
Temer's extraordinary de- violent Carnival. During the tions. "It's important to under- ing mobilized so that ... this
cree came after Rio's gov- holiday, there were several Temer met Monday with stand that Rio de Janeiro conversation, this method-
ernor asked for federal help muggings, armed robber- ministers and lawmakers to is a laboratory," Institutional ology can spread through-
following an exceptionally ies and violent confronta- discuss the intervention. Security Minister Sergio Et- out Brazil.”q

Judge grants $300M loan for Puerto Rico power company

By DANICA COTO Rico's Electric Power Au- was approved. It had said tion in the near term," he approved in October for
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) thority needed the money, in a previous filing that it said. disaster recovery. Federal
— A federal judge on Mon- so the board submitted a plans to request more loans The initial $300 million would officials said in December
day approved a $300 mil- revised request for $300 mil- in upcoming weeks. come out of the govern- that they were withhold-
lion loan for Puerto Rico's lion on Friday. Gerardo Portela, director ment's general fund, but ing the funds because they
power company that offi- Hours before the judge ap- of Puerto Rico's financial officials needed permis- believed the government
cials say will help keep the proved the request, Gov. authority, said in a state- sion from the court to do still had enough cash avail-
troubled agency operating Ricardo Rossello main- ment that the power com- so given that the island is able.
until late March. tained that the company pany will keep seeking all undergoing a bankruptcy- The federal control board
The ruling comes just days still needed a $1 billion loan kinds of financing sources like process to restructure a recently warned that Puer-
after the judge had reject- to keep operating in the to help fund its operational portion of its $73 billion pub- to Rico's power company
ed an initial $1 billion loan months ahead. and reconstruction needs. lic debt amid an 11-year re- could see a $1.2 billion
request made by a federal "There's no money," he said. He also praised the judge's cession. loss in revenue in the first
control board overseeing "We're in a precarious situ- ruling. Rossello stressed that the six months after Hurricane
the U.S. territory's finances. ation." "The approved financing U.S. territory is running out Maria, which hit on Sept. 20
The judge had said officials The board did not immedi- will provide PREPA with a of money and also needs and destroyed two-thirds
did not provide sufficient ately respond to requests much-needed lifeline while a separate, billion-dollar of the power distribution
evidence proving Puerto for comment after the loan safeguarding the opera- loan that U.S. Congress system.q