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A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 26 OcTOber 2017
Hurricane Maria recovery highlights Puerto Rico inequalities

By COLLEEN LONG a roof, they don’t have wa-
Associated Press ter, they are caring about
VEGA BAJA, Puerto Rico more basic things such as
(AP) — Hurricane Maria food,” Caraballo said.
didn’t discriminate be- The Category 4 storm was
tween rich and poor when among the most devas-
it ravaged Puerto Rico, but tating the U.S. territory has
the recovery has been an- ever seen, killing more than
other story. Much of Puerto 50 people. It ripped up gi-
Rico was still without power ant trees, wiped out power
Wednesday, more than to the entire island, demol-
a month after the storm, ished scores of homes and
but wealthier residents are badly damaged thousands
sealed up in air conditioned more. About 70 percent of
homes with their genera- people now have water,
tors and bottled water, or but still must boil it or treat
have fled the island alto- it to make it safe to drink.
gether for extended vaca- Gov. Ricardo Rossello has
tions, while the poorest are pledged to get 95 percent
left swatting mosquitoes in of power back by Dec. 31;
sweltering heat and trying right now about 30 per-
to secure enough water. cent have electricity. Some
“I have no money. I can’t parts of the island feel
hear very well. It’s too In this Oct. 23, 2017 photo, tents stand on the other side of the shore of Laguna de Condado practically normal: In up-
hard for me to try to go opposite the exclusive area of Paseo Caribe in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria didn’t scale parts of San Juan, or-
find another place so I discriminate between rich and poor when it ravaged Puerto Rico, but the recovery has been ganic markets are stocked
am here waiting for my sis- another story. with cold, fresh produce
ter to find me,” said Efrain (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) and water, though some
Diaz Figueroa, 70, who of Puerto Rico Economists those in the country,” he poverty and the middle still limit the number of bot-
sleeps under a shard of Association. More than 40 said. The U.S. territory of 3.4 class was already blurring. tles you can buy. Genera-
tin on a damp mattress percent of the island lives million people was already More than a dozen families tors whir outside restaurants
in the wreckage of his sis- below the poverty line, and struggling with a more than a day were losing homes and apartment buildings.
ter’s home, batting away tens of thousands are now decade-long recession be- to foreclosure. Unemploy- Lights flicker on in the eve-
swarms of mosquitoes in out of work. Life for them is fore the storm, working to ment was at 10 percent, nings among the high-rises.
the punishing heat. A sign only getting worse. restructure a portion of its nearly three times the rate People walk their dogs on
nearby reads: “Don’t rob “Maria just exacerbated $73 billion public debt. The in the mainland. cleared streets, jog wear-
us.” Puerto Rico has some the inequalities we were median annual income “And then Maria hap- ing expensive gym clothes
of the highest income in- seeing in Puerto Rico, es- is $19,500, while in the rest pened. And now those in the early morning and go
equality in the world, said pecially among those in of the U.S. it’s more than people are living like the out for dinner in partially lit
Jose Caraballo, president the metropolitan area and $58,000. The line between homeless. They don’t have restaurants. q

Brazil leader hospitalized as he faces vote on suspension

By MAURICIO SAVARESE a partial coronary obstruc- pended for up to six months The voting was scheduled probe. Prosecutors allege
SARAH DiLORENZO tion that would be treated while he is tried in the na- for later Wednesday, but it that Brazil’s government
Associated Press with aspirin and a low-fat tion’s Supreme Court. cannot start until there is a was run like a cartel for
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Bra- diet. Temer has spent recent two-thirds quorum present. years, with the political par-
zilian President Michel Te- The news came as the low- weeks shoring up his sup- Many opposition lawmak- ties in power selling favors,
mer was hospitalized on er house of Brazil’s Congress port, doling out local proj- ers, hoping to drag out the votes and plum appoint-
Wednesday with a urinary met for another vote on his ects, plum positions and process as long as possible, ments to powerful business-
obstruction, his office said, political survival. The cham- decrees favorable to his had refused to enter the men. They say Temer took
even as lawmakers de- ber spared him last time he allies. Still, with lawmakers chamber. over the scheme when he
bated in Congress whether was accused of corruption starting to think about their That raised the possibility came to power last year,
to suspend him and put and was expected to do so prospects for re-election that the vote might drag after his predecessor was
him on trial on corruption again. But Temer’s popular- next year, Temer’s margin into the next day or could impeached and removed
charges. ity is in single digits after a of victory could be slimmer even be rescheduled. As from office, and that his
The presidential palace series of scandals and the this time. the morning’s session end- party has since received
said in a statement that vote could show how ef- Andreia Sadi, a columnist ed, a handful of opposition about $190 million in bribes.
the 77-year-old leader had fectively he will be able to with the Globo media gi- lawmakers who were pres- Temer has denied the
experienced discomfort ent began shouting, “Out charges and alleged
Wednesday morning and Brazil’s President Michel Temer attends the Aviator Day with Temer!” that the prosecutor who
was sent to a military hospi- ceremony at the Brasilia Air Base, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. Temer The charges against Temer brought them had a
tal for an examination and was hospitalized on Wednesday with a urinary obstruction, his stem from Brazil’s massive grudge against him. In
treatment. It did not pro- office said. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) corruption investigation, an address to lawmakers
vide further details. Carlos which began as a probe Wednesday, Temer’s law-
Marun, a deputy from Te- govern during the last year ant, wrote that Temer re- into money laundering and yer, Eduardo Carnelos, said
mer’s party, said he did not of his term. cently lamented that many ended up uncovering sys- the indictment contained
think the issue was serious. If two thirds of the 513 lawmakers have told him temic graft in Brazil’s halls no proof and was so con-
Earlier this month, Temer’s members of the Chamber that they would like to vote of power. Dozens of poli- fusing that it “assaults the
office announced that he of Deputies accept the in his favor but the pressure ticians and businessmen Portuguese language, it as-
had been diagnosed with charges, Temer will be sus- to desert is strong. have been jailed in the saults logic.”q