Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 29 augusT 2017

Guatemala president softens stand on expelling graft prober

court and international dis- ing the corruption long
approval poured in. One endemic in Guatemala,
Cabinet minister quit in pro- including helping force the
test and the president fired previous president from of-
the foreign minister for re- fice two years ago.
fusing to expel Velasquez. Indigenous groups blocked
On Monday, Guatemala’s a major interchange on the
chief prosecutor, Thelma Inter-American Highway on
Aldana, who with Velas- Monday to show support
quez had announced Fri- for Velazquez and small
day they would seek the street protests by students
removal of Morales’ im- grew as the day wore on.
munity from prosecution to “I protest because I reject
make way for a campaign the corruption in the coun-
finance investigation, ex- try,” said Andrea Rodriguez,
pressed her unconditional a public policy student at
support for Velasquez in San Carlos de Guatemala
radio interviews and at a University. “This is a moment
news conference. that calls for all of us to par-
Morales had issued a state- ticipate and mobilize in a
ment after the court ruling way to participate.”
standing by his order to kick A short time later, Aldana
A woman supporting Ivan Velasquez, commissioner of the U.N. International Commission Against Velasquez out of the coun- said at a news conference
Impunity, shouts at count-demonstrators across the street in Guatemala City. try, but many said the legal that she was willing to meet
(AP Photo/Moises Castillo) standoff could undermine with Morales, but said the
the president whichever president must obey the
CHRIS SHERMAN Hours after he got support lic I have and will respect way it went — either over- Constitutional Court’s sus-
Associated Press from his own Cabinet on the decisions of the other turning the expulsion order pension of his order while
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — the expulsion order, Mo- branches of government. or bringing a wave of in- it considers its final ruling in
President Jimmy Morales rales indicated a willing- The rule of law should al- ternational pressure on his the case. And while Mo-
appeared to soften his ness to abide by court de- ways prevail,” he wrote in government. While ruffling rales had said he stood by
stand Monday in his effort cisions on his action, which his Facebook account. the feathers of politicians his expulsion order, there
to oust the U.N. anti-corrup- had touched off anger One day earlier Morales and officials, the U.N. panel was no sign the govern-
tion commissioner in Gua- and raised threats to the announced he was expel- and local prosecutors have ment was trying to make
temala, a move that left future of his administration. ling Ivan Velasquez, but his built popularity among good on removing Velas-
him battered him with criti- “People of Guatemala, order was quickly blocked many Guatemalans over quez, who had not com-
cism at home and abroad. as president of the repub- by Guatemala’s highest the last decade by attack- mented publicly. q

Board sues Puerto Rico governor for rejecting furloughs

By DANICA COTO billion public debt load. warned that doing so could all $880 million in required and sets aside $2 billion this
Associated Press The board also requested lead to deeper furloughs if savings. year for tens of thousands
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) an injunction to prohibit the implementation is delayed. Rossello told reporters on of retirees. The law does
— A federal control board governor from refusing to The lawsuit was filed after Monday that he believes not include any cuts as re-
overseeing Puerto Rico’s comply. Puerto Rico government his administration has met quired by the board.
crisis-ridden finances sued “While our preference was officials clashed with board the objectives outlined in Puerto Rico has spent more
the island’s governor on to avoid this step, we be- members during a public a fiscal plan that the board than a decade mired in a
Monday for refusing to im- lieve it is a necessary mea- meeting earlier this month certified earlier this year. recession sparked in part
pose furloughs and take sure to keep Puerto Rico on in which they refused to He also said that furloughs by previous administrations
other measures it says are track with its commitments implement furloughs or im- for more than 130,000 em- that borrowed heavily to
needed to save money. to reduce spending and pose a 10 percent cut to ployees that the board cover ballooning deficits.
The lawsuit further raises build stable foundations a public pension system says should take effect on The crisis has led to multimil-
tensions between Gov. for its economic future,” facing nearly $50 billion in Sept. 1 aren’t needed at lion-dollar defaults on bond
Ricardo Rossello and the said Natalie Jaresko, the liabilities. The board at the this time. payments and prompted
board, which is demanding board’s executive director. time said furloughs were “We are willing to find other nearly half a million Puerto
public employee furloughs It is the first time the board needed because Rossello’s alternatives,” he said. Ricans to flee to the U.S.
and a pension reform as has gone to court to en- administration had not Last week, Rossello signed a mainland in search of jobs
the U.S. territory tries to re- force its demands, and achieved $218 million in law that establishes a pay- and a more affordable
structure a portion of its $74 board members have savings as part of an over- as-you-go pension plan cost of living.q