Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

A11
WORLD NEWS Wednesday 21 February 2018

Underpaid Venezuelans skipping out on work to make ends meet

By SCOTT SMITH Venezuela's democratic
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) tradition. Yet, Maduro has
— On many days, Ramon turned the economic cri-
Medina has no choice but sis to his advantage, ana-
to skip work to make ends lysts say. Douglas Barrios,
meet. a Venezuelan economist
Like around half of Venezu- at Harvard University, said
elans, he earns the mini- that in 2012, before the
mum wage — the equiva- country sank into recession,
lent of around $3 a month the country’s monthly mini-
— so whenever his cell- mum wage equaled $300,
phone buzzes with a tip, he on par with those of other
sneaks away from his job Latin American nations and
as a hospital orderly for the enough to support a family
chance of taking home a with rent and food.
government-supplied food That has since dramatically
bag on which he depends changed, he said, noting
to feed his family. that today it takes a worker
He's not the only one hus- nearly two weeks to earn
tling. On any given day, he enough to buy two pounds
estimates a third of his co- of powdered milk. Normal-
workers at Vargas Hospital ly, voters would turn their
in Caracas are also step- In this Feb. 7, 2018, commuters wait for public transportation in Caracas, Venezuela. Workers backs on a government
ping out for a lucrative side struggle getting to their jobs because the buses are full or don't run, or they can't find spare parts under such circumstances.
job or spending hours in line for their cars. But Maduro is locking in
to buy flour and cooking oil (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) support by making voters
at bargain-basement pric- dependent on discounted
es impossible to pass up. and a recession deeper racas subway system or sembly lines are still running. government food bags
the state-run oil company The crisis is spiraling out of
than the U.S. Great Depres-
That leaves few back in the and by announcing wage
hospital caring for sick pa- sion, Venezuela's economy as workers scraping by on control even as President hikes before energized live
is now being ravaged by a meager paychecks can't Nicolas Maduro is seeking
tients, the 55-year-old said. audiences on nationally
"You do what you can to new scourge: mass absen- be bothered to show up for a second term in a snap televised broadcasts. The
teeism.
work. Private companies election his supporters re-
help out," he said of his job, 71-year-old has tied on his
but added, "People are dis- In recent weeks, newspa- complain they can't find cently set for April 22, draw- apron and sifted flour there
pers and social media have enough workers to punch ing condemnation from
couraged." for four decades. But he
Along with four-digit infla- been filled with reports of the clock, exacerbating the U.S. and other coun- said the hardships make it
work stoppages at the Ca-
a standstill in what few as-
tries who say he's flouting
tion, widespread shortages harder for him every day.q
Judge grants $300M loan for Puerto Rico power company

By DANICA COTO Rico's Electric Power Au- in a previous filing that it The initial $300 million would that they were withhold-
Associated Press thority needed the money, plans to request more loans come out of the govern- ing the funds because they
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) so the board submitted a in upcoming weeks. ment's general fund, but believed the government
— A federal judge on Mon- revised request for $300 mil- Gerardo Portela, director officials needed permis- still had enough cash avail-
day approved a $300 mil- lion on Friday. of Puerto Rico's financial sion from the court to do able.
lion loan for Puerto Rico's Hours before the judge ap- authority, said in a state- so given that the island is The federal control board
power company that offi- proved the request, Gov. ment that the power com- undergoing a bankruptcy- recently warned that Puer-
cials say will help keep the Ricardo Rossello main- pany will keep seeking all like process to restructure a to Rico's power company
troubled agency operating tained that the company kinds of financing sources portion of its $73 billion pub- could see a $1.2 billion
until late March. still needed a $1 billion loan to help fund its operational lic debt amid an 11-year re- loss in revenue in the first
The ruling comes just days to keep operating in the and reconstruction needs. cession. six months after Hurricane
after the judge had reject- months ahead. He also praised the judge's Rossello stressed that the Maria, which hit on Sept.
ed an initial $1 billion loan "There's no money," he said. ruling. U.S. territory is running out 20 and destroyed two-
request made by a federal "We're in a precarious situ- "The approved financing of money and also needs thirds of the power distribu-
control board overseeing ation." will provide PREPA with a a separate, billion-dollar tion system. Nearly 250,000
the U.S. territory's finances. The board did not immedi- much-needed lifeline while loan that U.S. Congress customers remain with-
The judge had said officials ately respond to requests safeguarding the opera- approved in October for out power more than five
did not provide sufficient for comment after the loan tion in the near term," he disaster recovery. Federal months after the Category
evidence proving Puerto was approved. It had said said. officials said in December 4 storm.q