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WORLD NEWSTuesday 6 October 2015
Report: Guyana Sugar Corporation bankrupt; future uncertain
BERT WILKINSON A government-appointed The commission is ex- bor shortages, strikes and poration’s director and
Associated Press inquiry commission found pected to release a final changing weather pat- forced board members to
GEORGETOWN, Guyana that the company is nearly report later this month to terns. It also has to pay resign after executives said
(AP) — Guyana’s state- half a billion dollars in debt determine what the gov- back a $200 million loan the company had run out
owned sugar corporation and faces other challeng- ernment should do about from China that was used of money to pay workers’
faces an uncertain future es. “Every estate, without the Guyana Sugar Corpo- to build a new sugar fac- salaries. Guyana is the larg-
after a report found that any exception, is operating ration. The company has tory in Guyana’s southeast est sugar-producing coun-
the South American coun- at a loss,” inquiry chairman struggled with an increase region that has struggled try in the Caribbean Com-
try’s single largest employ- Vibert Parvatan said in a in production costs amid to function properly. munity trade bloc, but it
er is bankrupt, officials said preliminary report issued to falling international sugar Government officials in has seen a steady drop in
Monday. government officials. prices, and it has faced la- June fired the sugar cor- production.q
Questions arise about neighborhood where slide killed 139
K. CORCORAN Bulldozers move land for a fourth day to search for victims of a fatal mudslide, amid new, smaller of what could potentially
SONIA PEREZ D. happen throughout the
Associated Press slides in Cambray, a neighborhood in the suburb of Santa Catarina Pinula, on the outskirts of city,” Maldonado said.
SANTA CATARINA PINULA, Rescue efforts resumed
Guatemala (AP) — Emer- Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 5, 2015. Hope faded for many families that they would find early Monday, but over-
gency workers spent a night rain made the dig-
fourth day digging bodies survivors, as the smell of rotting bodies spread across the enormous mound of earth, and ging more precarious, said
out of a massive mudslide fire department spokes-
on Monday, watching the rescuers reported the buried dwellings they reached were filled with water, suggesting anyone man Julio Sanchez. He said
death toll rise to 139 as the number of rescuers has
questions mounted about trapped inside would have drowned. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) been reduced and crews
why people were allowed were using heavy machin-
to build homes at the base jandro Maldonado said he cal authorities about what leave their homes. ery to move the mud.
of a dangerous hillside next had warned Mayor Tono Maldonado said authori-
to a small river. Coro of the municipality of they had done in response Maldonado acknowl- ties are still committed to
Backhoes continued to Santa Catarina Pinula that recovering the bodies of
remove thousands of tons the river was eating away to the warning. edged there are many victims, but stressed “we
of dirt from the acres-wide at the base of the steep are not going to risk more
mudflow on the outskirts hill. Municipal spokesman neighborhoods like Cam- lives unnecessarily.” In the
of Guatemala City, with Maldonado said he was past, some mudslide areas
practically no hope of waiting for a report from lo- Manuel Pocasangre said bray in and around Guate- have been left partially un-
finding anyone alive and excavated and declared
increasing difficulties in res- local authorities had mala City that are at risk of de-facto graveyards.
cuing whole bodies. On Monday, 187 people
Guatemala’s national Di- warned residents about flooding or mudslides. waited on cots inside the
saster Reduction Commis- Salon Municipal, an au-
sion, known as the Conred, the dangers, but the in- “What happened in Cam- ditorium the town usually
said Monday it had warned employs for events and
about the risk to the Cam- habitants did not want to bray is just a tragic case parties. Displaced families
bray neighborhood since could find food, medical
last year, and had recom- services, activities for chil-
mended that residents be dren and psychological
relocated. services there. But no one
The commission has now yet was talking about re-
declared the Cambray location or compensation
area uninhabitable; about for losing their homes, most
300 people remain missing. of which remain intact and
Commission Director Ale- weren’t hit by the slide.q
5 Argentine presidential hopefuls hold debate, blast Scioli
P. PRENGAMAN successor of President Cris- said Mauricio Macri, out- “He was disrespectful in Opinion Studies, a South
Associated Press tina Fernandez, said a few going mayor of Buenos Ai- not coming here. His si- American research firm,
BUENOS AIRES, Argen- weeks ago he would not res and the leading oppo- lence is mocking society,” said Scioli simply calculat-
tina (AP) — Five Argentine attend because a law was sition candidate. said Massa, who then used ed that there was little to
presidential candidates necessary to regulate such “It looks like (the ruling par- the remaining 30 seconds gain by exposing himself to
shared their ideas with the encounters. In a television ty) is having trouble defin- allotted for an answer to five other candidates who
nation during a debate this interview Sunday, Scioli, ing who is going to govern remain silent and stone- would surely attack.
weekend, expounding on governor of the Buenos if it wins the presidency,” faced. Recent polls show Scioli
topics from high inflation Aires province, said “de- said Macri, implying that Organizers had billed the with nearly 41 percent of
to combating drug traffick- bates often take an ag- Scioli was taking orders event as the first national the electorate’s support,
ing while saving their most gressive tone” and that from Fernandez. presidential debate, but compared to 29 to 30 per-
withering critiques for the voters knew what he stood Sergio Massa, an opposi- Scioli’s absence took away cent for Macri and about
poll leader who skipped for. tion candidate who broke from some of the event’s 18 for Massa.
the event. The candidates on stage from Fernandez’s party to luster. If such numbers hold, Scioli
Ruling party candidate didn’t agree. create his own, added the- Roberto Bacman, direc- would win the Oct. 25 elec-
Daniel Scioli, the chosen “I regret that he isn’t here,” atrics to a barb for Scioli. tor of the Center for Public tion in the first round.q
