Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 13 March 2020
Caribbean tries to resolve vote dispute in oil-rich Guyana

By BERT WILKINSON er Western nations have
Associated Press warned against the swear-
GEORGETOWN, Guyana ing-in of any president
(AP) — Several Caribbean pending court challenges
prime ministers traveled to and verification of ballots.
Guyana on Wednesday Counting and verifica-
to try to help resolve an tion of ballots have been
election crisis in the South stopped since March 5.
American country, where U.S. and other observers
rival factions are compet- saw "flawed tabulation" in
ing for control of massive the election and "any gov-
oil revenues expected in ernment sworn in on the
years to come. The 15-na- basis of that result would
tion Caribbean Community not be legitimate," accord-
was intervening in a dispute ing to Michael Kozak, the
that erupted after March 2 U.S. State Department's
elections in which both of acting assistant secretary
the main political groups of state for Western hemi-
claimed victory, prompt- sphere affairs.
ing street unrest in which at This year's elections have
least one person was killed. been widely viewed as the
The political instability most crucial since inde-
comes as the country of pendence from Britain in
fewer than 1 million people People line up to vote during presidential elections in Georgetown, Guyana, Monday, March. 2, 2020. 1966, largely because the
faces the prospect that oil Associated Press country is one of the world's
revenues in the next de- nada, Roosevelt Skerrit of with Granger's coalition the past week. Police shot newest producers of oil
cade could make it one of Dominica and Ralph Gon- supported by the Afro-Guy- and killed a coastal village and could earn billions in
the wealthiest in the hemi- salves of St. Vincent and anese population and the teenager who they said revenues.
sphere. the Grenadines. PPP opposition backed by had attacked officers with Guyana recently sold its
"The delegation will meet The governing coalition the Indo-Guyanese com- a machete. Several others first million barrels to mar-
with the leadership of all led by retired army Gen. munity. There is also a small- were injured by shotgun kets in the Far East and
parties that contested the David Granger said it won er number of indigenous pellets. Other protesters southern U.S. states. It will
poll," the Community said the elections by two seats Guyanese. burned tires, blocked high- get four more similar sized
in a statement. in the 65-seat parliament, A court was expected to ways and threw stones at shipments this year worth
The regional bloc said its while the main opposition rule this week on the elec- school buses, injuring sev- about $300 million as part
delegation includes current People's Progressive Party, tion, whose results have yet eral students. of production-sharing ar-
chair and Barbados Prime or PPP, said it won by three to be formally announced. Both sides have appealed rangements with a con-
Minister Mia Mottley, Keith seats. The dispute had led to for calm. The protests have sortium led by ExxonMobil,
Rowley of Trinidad and To- The factions are mainly di- street protests, mostly by faded for now. along with Hess Oil of the
bago, Keith Mitchell of Gre- vided along ethnic lines, opposition supporters, in The United States and oth- US and Nexen of China.q

Fuel, flour, diapers: Cubans turn to social media for basics

By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ people would have to efits of being a member.
Associated Press "spend all day going WhatsApp limits group
HAVANA (AP) — "Where around the city" looking chat sizes to 256 people,
to find it?" and "Whatever for things that they need, while other platforms ac-
you want" and "What do said Claudia Santander, cept thousands. Shop-
you need?" a graphic designer who ping through social media
These are the names of administers a dozen What- is easing life for many on
some of the social media sApp groups at no charge. the island, but it may be
groups catering to thou- Now, for example, some- exacerbating inequality
sands of Cubans who are one can ask about a cer- and making things harder
using newly available mo- tain product — toilet pa- for those without internet
bile internet to grapple per or milk powder or soap connections. Moreover, Claudia Santander, a 31-year-old graphic designer, poses
with shortages of basic — and another person on people get discounts on with her mobile phone as others line up to buy goods at the
goods that are worsening the chat might reply within data if they pay with bad- 4 Caminos market in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, March 11,
under tougher U.S. sanc- minutes to say which store ly needed dollars through 2020. Associated Press
tions. Armed with internet in Havana, the Cuban companies outside Cuba,
access on cellphones that capital, is stocking it. meaning those without ment and also helps open ish from shelves, but then
came into general use last "I've been able to sort out" U.S. currency are at a dis- people's minds a little," it returns and there is no
year, Cubans are form- diaper and other purchas- advantage. Cuba doesn't have clas- flour. One day there is no
ing online chat groups to es since joining several so- "A lot of people can't af- sified ads in official news- butter and the next there
share tips about where to cial media groups aimed ford" to buy phone data or papers. Some businesses is no cheese. Many peo-
find dish detergent, chick- at locating essential items, a good phone, said Lucía offer sales on the inter- ple, particularly those not
en, diesel fuel and other said Havana resident Lau- March, a writer. For those net, but the social media getting information from
scarce essentials. They do ra Vela, who has a young who can, she said, "the groups help people grap- a social media network,
so on WhatsApp, Insta- child. Some of the groups usefulness is obvious and ple almost in real time with can spend hours fruitlessly
gram and Facebook. have waiting lists of peo- it's something that repre- constant challenges. searching for household
Without the chat groups, ple anxious to get the ben- sents, above all, develop- Cooking oil might van- items. q