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A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 17 February 2018
Puerto Rico seeks $300M, warns of power company shutdown

By DANICA COTO the judge it needed the $1
Associated Press billion loan. He condemned
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) threats of rationing electric-
— A federal control board ity.
urgently sought a $300 mil- “The uncertainty of imple-
lion loan for Puerto Rico’s menting selective black-
power company on Friday outs in Puerto Rico, while...
after a judge rejected a clients are still in the dark
previous $1 billion loan re- and when the rest of the is-
quest despite warnings the land is starting to see a bit
U.S. territory would have to of normalcy, is devastat-
start rationing electricity. ing,” he said.
The latest request comes as Ortiz also demanded that
nearly 400,000 power cus- Rossello publicize revised
tomers across the island re- fiscal plans for the island’s
main in the dark more than power company, in addi-
five months after Hurricane tion to its water and sewer
Maria hit the island, caus- agency.
ing the longest blackout in On Friday, the control
U.S. history. board announced that it
The board filed the scaled- was still reviewing those
back request before dawn plans, along with Puerto
and said Puerto Rico will Rico’s overall fiscal plan,
have to reduce power Barrio Patron resident Karina Santiago Gonzalez works on a small power plant in Morovis, Puerto and that it had extended a
Rico. A federal control board requested on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, $300 million loan for Puerto Rico’s
generation and person- power company after a federal judge rejected a previous $1 billion loan request despite warnings deadline to approve them
nel if it does not obtain the the U.S. territory would have to start rationing electricity. Some 400,000 customers remain in the by more than a month.
funds by Feb. 20. It also said dark five months after Hurricane Maria. But a host of problems con-
Puerto Rico’s Electric Pow- (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) tinued to arise.
er Authority is in jeopardy Gov. Ricardo Rossello, who an inability to buy fuel, it is a power distribution system. Just hours before the board
and that $300 million would was in Philadelphia on Fri- humanitarian crisis.” The board said in its filing filed its latest loan request,
only allow the company to day, called on the U.S. Meanwhile, some Puerto Friday that the power com- the power company an-
operate until late March, Treasury Department to Ricans fumed on social pany “began to implement nounced it was reducing
which it warned would release a separate billion- media about receiving ex- plans to ramp down (its) employee working hours
leave “many customers” dollar loan that Congress pensive power bills despite power production and shut from seven to five days a
without power. approved in October for not having lights. They also down certain generating week for safety reasons. It
A federal judge found disaster recovery efforts as criticized the government’s units in order to conserve its is unclear how that mea-
Thursday that neither the officials warn the Puerto Ri- threat to impose outages limited cash resources.” sure will impact power-res-
board nor government offi- can government is running due to a lack of funds, with Opposition legislator Jesus toration efforts across the
cials provided sufficient evi- out of money. one person saying it would Manuel Ortiz said Puerto island, and union leader
dence to prove the power “This is an urgent situation,” be like reliving Sept. 20, the Rico’s current administra- Angel Figueroa did not im-
company needed a $1 bil- he said. “If the power goes day the Category 4 storm tion lacked credibility since mediately respond to a re-
lion loan. out in Puerto Rico, if there’s destroyed two-thirds of the it wasn’t able to convince quest for comment.q

Brazil’s military to take control of Rio police amid crisis

By MAURICIO SAVARESE de Janeiro. This is a metas- failing. Many analysts and
Associated Press tasis that is spreading in our lawmakers saw the deci-
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Bra- country and it threatens sion as a way for him to
zil’s federal government is- our people. deflect attention from his
sued a decree Friday to put That’s why we decided on political woes.
the military in charge of Rio the intervention,” Temer Chamber of Deputies
de Janeiro’s local police said at Brazil’s presiden- Speaker Rodrigo Maia told
amid a spike in violence. tial palace in Brasilia. “Our journalists in Brasilia that a
The move is significant, administration will give a pension reform vote in Con-
both symbolically and in tough, firm answer.” gress would be delayed by
practical terms, for Latin While Rio has used military at least a week. Temer later
America’s largest nation, staffers to help police be- said if he has enough votes
where many still remember fore, the intervention marks to pass the reform he will
the brutal 1964-1985 mili- a bigger step, with the suspend the intervention
tary dictatorship. command of all security in Rio, get the pension’s
Putting the military in An presidential guard soldier holds his position at the Presidential operations leaving civilian reform through two houses
charge could bring imme- Palace ramp, in Brasilia, Brazil, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. Brazil’s hands. Trials will also not of Congress and then try to
diate relief from drug traf- federal government is seeking to put the country’s military in be conducted by civilian reinstate the intervention
ficking violence, but also charge of Rio de Janeiro’s local police. Chamber of Deputies courts if soldiers commit again.
spur fears about the use of Speaker Rodrigo Maia told journalists in Brasilia on Friday that a crimes during policing op- The intervention is a “triple
measure regarding federal intervention would be taken up by
strong-armed tactics. Congress next week. It is widely expected to be approved. erations. jump without a safety net,”
The decree, which is al- (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) The move comes as the said Maia. “We can’t get
ready valid and is expect- Brazilian president’s popu- this wrong. This is an excep-
ed to be confirmed by Temer. He said it was an der.” larity has fallen to single tional measure that hope-
Congress next week, was “extreme measure to get “Organized crime nearly digits, and his push to pass fully won’t take too long to
signed by President Michel the situation back into or- took over in the state of Rio pension reform looks to be re-establish order.”q