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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 3 November 2020
5 parties field candidates for Puerto Rico governor

By DÁNICA COTO and other officials that in- traditional parties are Char-
Associated Press cluded homophobic re- lie Delgado for the Popular
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) marks, jokes about Hur- Democrats, the longtime
— Candidates from five ricane Maria victims and mayor of the northwestern
parties are vying Tuesday comments that prompted coastal city of Isabela, and
to become Puerto Rico's investigations into possible Pedro Pierluisi for the New
next governor, facing vot- corruption. Progressives, who beat in-
ers in the U.S. territory weary The field of six includes four terim Gov. Wanda Vázquez
of corruption and seeking candidates not allied with in the party primary. Pierluisi
relief from an onslaught of the two parties that have represented the U.S. terri-
hurricanes, earthquakes long dominated politics tory in Congress for eight
and the coronavirus that on the island — the pro- years and served briefly as
has deepened a decade- statehood New Progres- governor during last year's
long economic crisis. sive Party and the Popular political turmoil.
The election is coming as Democratic Party, which "It's a new ballgame," said
Puerto Rico struggles to re- supports keeping territorial Mario Negrón Portillo, re- A Puerto Rican flag is seen hanging amid the rubble as
structure a $70 billion public status. They are Juan Dal- tired head of the school of homeowners and family members remove supplies from the Ely
debt that the island gov- mau of the Puerto Rican public administration at the Mer Mar hardware store, partially destroyed after an earthquake
ernment says is unpayable Independence Party, Alex- University of Puerto Rico. in Guanica, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday, January 7, 2020.
and just over a year since andra Lúgaro of the Citizen "After what happened Associated Press
street protests led former Victory Movement, César last summer, there's a lot Candidates know some The island traditionally has
Gov. Ricardo Rosselló to Vázquez of the Dignity Proj- of uncertainty and a lot of people are seething over had high voter participa-
resign. The protests began ect and Eliezer Molina, who doubt about how that will government corruption, tion, but tens of thousands
after someone leaked a is running as an indepen- be reflected ... Will what inefficiency and lack of of people left after Hurri-
private chat between him dent. Representing the two happened truly take root?" transparency and have cane Maria battered Puer-
pledged measures such to Rico in September 2017,
What a fluke: Dutch whale tail sculpture as greater scrutiny of con- causing more than $100 bil-
tracts. Lúgaro, for example, lion in damage and killing
catches metro train said she would cap salaries an estimated 2,975 people
of agency directors and in its aftermath. More left
ban the legislature from following a series of strong
SPIJKENISSE, Netherlands awarding contracts to earthquakes that began
(AP) — This really was a family members. Dalmau's last December, and others
fluke. The driver of a metro proposals include ban- have been chased away
train escaped injury when ning the government from by the long economic crisis
the front carriage rammed awarding contracts to that has more than 40% of
through the end of an el- those previously convicted the island's 3.2 million peo-
evated section of rails and of corruption. ple living in poverty.q
was caught by a sculp-
ture of a whale's tail near
the Dutch port city of Rot-
terdam. The train was left
perched upon one of two
tail fins known as "flukes"
several meters (yards)
above the ground.
It created such a stir locally The whale's tail of a sculpture caught the front carriage of a
that authorities urged sight- metro train as it rammed through the end of an elevated section
seers to stay away, adding of rails with the driver escaping injuries in Spijkenisse, near
that coronavirus restrictions Rotterdam, Netherlands, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. Associated Press
were in force.
Even so, some 50 people tempt to lift the train off the sengers on the train when it
were at the scene late whale Tuesday morning. crashed through stop barri-
Monday morning as en- The architect who de- ers at the end of the station
gineers tried to work out signed the sculpture, in the town of Spijkenisse,
how to stabilize and then Maarten Struijs, told Dutch on the southern edge of
remove the train amid broadcaster RTL he was Rotterdam, early Monday
strengthening winds. pleased that it likely saved morning. The station is the
"A team of experts is investi- the life of the driver. final stop on the metro line.
gating how we can make it "I'm surprised it's so strong," Authorities launched an
safe and get it down," Carly he said. "If plastic has been investigation into how the
Gorter, a spokeswoman for standing for 20 years, you train could plough through
the local security authority, don't expect it to hold a the barrier at the end of
said in a telephone inter- metro carriage." the rail tracks. The driver
view. The company that oper- was being interviewed as
"It's tricky," she added. ates the metro line said part of the probe, the Rijn-
The authority said late Mon- the driver was uninjured mondveilig security author-
day that a crane would at- and there were no pas- ity said.q

linda.reijnders@cspnv.com