Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 9 May 2018

U.S. questions why power not fully restored in Puerto Rico

By DANICA COTO been properly maintained cess of contracting three
Associated Press for decades. new companies to replace
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) “I don’t doubt we’ll have crews once the Corps
— Federal legislators grilled some growing pains,” he leaves.
U.S. and Puerto Rico of- said. “It has not been main- As the next hurricane sea-
ficials on Tuesday on why tained the way it needed son approaches, the U.S.
power has not been fully to be. You just don’t build Department of Energy rec-
restored to the island near- a transmission tower and ommended that Puerto
ly eight months after Hurri- walk away and hope that Rico immediately ensure
cane Maria, and as a new everything will be fine.” that mutual aid agree-
storm season looms. The U.S. Army Corps of En- ments with power crews
Lawmakers at a hearing of gineers, which has been in the U.S. mainland are in
the U.S. Senate Commit- overseeing federal power place, said Bruce Walker,
tee on Energy & Natural restoration efforts, is leaving an assistant secretary with
Resources also questioned May 18 as determined by the department.
why the U.S. Army Corps of Walter Higgins, Chief Executive Office, Puerto Rico Electric Power FEMA, and efforts to extend He also said crews are
Engineers was pulling out of Authority, center, speaks at the Senate Committee on Energy that deadline have not suc- working to establish micro
Puerto Rico next week. and Natural Resources on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, ceeded. So far, crews have grids that would be able to
May 8, 2018.
“Tens of thousands of Associated Press repaired 69 percent of keep providing power to a
Americans there are still in The concerns come as the because of where they’re sub-transmission lines and small region amid a broad-
the dark. The threat to their Caribbean prepares for the located. 88 percent of transmission er blackout.
health and wellbeing is start of hurricane season on Several initiatives are un- lines, said Charles Alexan- Higgins said the company
real,” said Sen. Martin Hein- June 1, and the new CEO derway to help strengthen der Jr., the Corps’ director is planning emergency drills
rich, D-N.M. “If 20,000 Tex- of Puerto Rico’s power the Electric Power Author- of contingency operations ahead of any storms.
ans or Floridians were with- company warned that re- ity’s system, said CEO Wal- and homeland security. “We will have practiced
out power, I can’t imagine storing power to the more ter Higgins, but he noted Carlos Monroig, a power and practiced and prac-
FEMA saying ‘Mission ac- than 22,000 customers that that a grid nearly 80 per- company spokesman, told ticed to be as ready as
complished.’...It’s repre- remain in the dark has be- cent destroyed by the The Associated Press that possible for the next sea-
hensible.” come increasingly difficult Category 4 storm had not the agency is in the pro- son,” he said.q

Mexican business groups once

again knock leftist candidate

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexi- when Lopez Obrador said angry, radical tone that
can business groups are some businessmen oppose he often lapsed into in the
again taking out newspa- him because “they don’t 2006 and 2012 campaigns.
per ads to indirectly attack want to stop stealing.” He said Monday that mem-
leftist presidential front-run- Lopez Obrador, who has a bers of all parties are wel-
ner Andres Manuel Lopez strong lead in polls for the come in his movement.
Obrador. July 1 election, has sought Lopez Obrador told a rally
A two-page ad appeared to defuse the conflict, say- in Mexico City that “we
Monday in newspapers ing: “We are not against have to call for unity ...
that while it did not men- businessmen. I repeat, we we are going to reconcile
tion Lopez Obrador by are against corruption.” all Mexicans. Peace and
name, it criticized those In 2006, business groups love.”
who “divide” Mexico and took out ads against Lopez Lopez Obrador also said
cause “resentment.” Obrador that may have that, if elected, he would
In this April 20, 2018 file photo, presidential candidate Andres It was the second time in a cost him the election. cancel a planned $1.2 bil-
Manuel Lopez Obrador, with the MORENA party, speaks to
supporters during his campaign rally in Milpa Alta in Mexico week that business cham- This is Lopez Obrador’s third lion purchase of about
City. bers have taken out such run for the presidency, and eight Seahawk helicopters
Associated Press ads. They were angered he has tried to avoid the from the United States.q