Page 28 - WEB

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 19 July 2018

Puerto Rico’s power company sees 3rd CEO in 2 weeks

By DANICA COTO bonuses. ment prepares to privatize
Associated Press Ortiz said his priority is to re- the generation of energy
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico build Puerto Rico’s credibil- and award concessions for
(AP) — Puerto Rico’s gov- ity to help attract foreign in- transmission and distribu-
ernor named a new CEO vestment and reach a deal tion.
on Wednesday to lead the with creditors to resolve the “We cannot keep planning
U.S. territory’s power com- agency’s $9 billion public much further,” he said. “We
pany, which has now seen debt. all know what needs to be
three top executives in two “One of the first things we done.”
weeks as it struggles with a have to do is pull the com- Gov. Ricardo Rossello is
lack of leadership, bank- pany out of bankruptcy,” among those who have
ruptcy and the restoration he said. been blamed for the on-
of electricity to hundreds He also said he will review going turmoil at the power
who remain in the dark multimillion-dollar federal company. A day after the
since Hurricane Maria. contracts awarded to U.S. previous CEO was appoint-
Electrical engineer Jose In this Oct. 19, 2017 photo, a brigade from the Electric Power companies who are help- ed last week, he issued a
Ortiz, who once served as Authority repairs lines damaged by Hurricane Maria in ing restore and rebuild the statement saying that the
executive director of the community of San Juan, Puerto Rico. island’s electrical grid after $750,000 salary was not
island’s water and sewer Associated Press the Category 4 storm de- appropriate given the is-
company, takes over the resignation last week after week following an outcry stroyed up to 75 percent of land’s economic crisis and
Puerto Rico Electric Power nearly four months on the over the $750,000 annual transmission lines. said that any board mem-
Authority on July 23. He re- job. salary that a previous CEO Ortiz promised that Puerto ber who disagreed should
places a CEO who lasted Ortiz once served as presi- would have earned amid Ricans will see “substantial step down. Five of them
only one day in the position dent of the power com- an 11-year recession. Ortiz change” early next year at did, including the CEO who
and took over from anoth- pany’s board, which saw will be making $250,000 an- the power company and was previously part of the
er CEO who announced his five members resign last nually and will receive no in their bills as the govern- board. q

Arrest made for abduction, deaths

of 3 Ecuador press workers

Associated Press and said he was respon- lombian judicial investiga-
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) sible for stopping the vehi- tors along the tumultuous
— Authorities in Colombia cle carrying a reporter and southern border with Ecua-
have arrested an addition- photographer along with dor.
al person for the kidnap- their driver. Investigators believe the
ping of three Ecuadorean The suspect is known by his El Comercio workers were
press workers who investi- alias “Cherry” and is con- kidnapped in Ecuador and
gators say were killed by sidered a confidante of transported by rebels into
a dissident band of leftist Walter Arizala, the leader Colombia.
rebels. of a group of guerrillas. Colombian authorities
In this June 29, 2018 file photo, relatives and friends attend the Police announced the Officials say Arizala’s group have made several arrests,
funeral service of journalists Javier Ortega, Paul Rivas and their capture of Gustavo Angulo is also responsible for the but Arizala himself remains
driver Efrain Segarra, in Quito, Ecuador. Arboleda on Wednesday recent killing of three Co- at large.q
Associated Press

Mexico’s president-elect rebuffed by Zapatista rebels

Associated Press would participate in their els who have long feuded
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- planned forums on bring- with Lopez Obrador.
ico’s leftist President-elect ing peace to violence- The rebels, who staged
Andres Manuel Lopez Ob- wracked Mexico. a brief armed uprising in
rador has been enjoying a “They already did it with 1994 for greater indigenous
honeymoon of sorts even the pope, and now with rights, have largely stayed
with conservative business- the EZLN (Zapatista Nation- off the national stage since
men, but was rebuffed by al Liberation Army).” 2001, but remain strong in
the Zapatista rebels. After winning a landslide several townships they con-
The leftist Zapatistas issued victory in the July 1 elec- trol in the southern state of
a statement Tuesday de- tions, Lopez Obrador went Chiapas.
nying they have had any on an offensive to recon- The Zapatistas note that Lo-
contact with Lopez Obra- cile with foes. pez Obrador won’t take of-
dor’s team and saying they But the latest disagree- fice until Dec. 1. and hasn’t
don’t want any. ment started when Alejan- been formally recognized
The Zapatista leadership dro Solalinde, one of the by the country’s electoral
taunted Lopez Obrador, president-elect’s advisers, tribunal as the man who Mexico’s President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks
noting his aides made an announced he was setting will succeed Mexican Presi- to reporters from his party’s headquarters in Mexico City,
Sunday, July 15, 2018.
error in saying Pope Francis up initial contact with reb- dent Enrique Pena Nieto.q Associated Press