Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 13 augusT 2019
Turmoil calms as Puerto Rico governor turns to policy

By DÁNICA COTO the need, the poverty, the
Associated Press desperation, the helpless-
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) ness and also the will of the
— Puerto Rico's political tur- people to keep moving for-
moil seemed to be at least ward ... I want to keep us-
temporarily easing on Mon- ing those experiences for
day with attention shifting the benefit of the people."
from protests to policy fol- Vázquez said one of her
lowing the replacement priorities is to evaluate all
governor's move to sus- government contracts. An-
pend a hurricane recovery ger still simmers across the
contract. U.S. territory over corrup-
In one of her first moves as tion and mismanagement
governor, Wanda Vázquez of public funds led to the
announced late Sunday recent ouster of the island's
that she was scrutinizing a former leader.
pending $450,000 contract On Monday, a federal
that is part of the program control board overseeing
to rebuild and strengthen Puerto Rico's finances re-
the island's power grid, quested copy of all con-
which was destroyed by tracts that former Gov.
Hurricane Maria nearly two Ricardo Rosselló signed in
years ago. the last two weeks before
"There is no room in this In this May 16, 2018 file photo, an electric power pole leans over the road in the Piedra Blanca he stepped down, noting
administration for unrea- area of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. that media reports said
sonable expenses," said Associated Press he signed more than 200
Vázquez, who on Wednes- contracts worth some $80
day became Puerto Rico's new governor appeared to On Monday, Vázquez she said, adding that she million. The board said in
third governor in a week be easing somewhat. There asked people to give her has spent 32 years in pub- its letter to Chief Financial
following massive protests have been no large pro- an opportunity. lic service, including as a Officer Omar Marrero that
that resulted in political tur- tests since she was sworn in "The people of Puerto Rico district attorney and justice it has to approve any con-
moil. and none appeared to be know I'm here because the secretary. "Throughout my tracts worth $10 million or
Immediate pressure on the on the horizon. constitution dictated it," trajectory, I was able to see more.q

Officer in Mexico's National Guard killed in shootout

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- hung nine bodies from an
ico's new National Guard overpass and scattered 10
force suffered its first ca- more on a highway Thurs-
sualty in the line of duty, day.
when an officer was killed On Saturday, the Michoa-
in a shootout with a gang. can state government an-
The National Guard was nounced it was sending
launched by President An- 120 more state police to
dres Manuel López Obra- guard the city of Uruapan,
dor in late June and is an where the killings occurred.
amalgam of military po- The state said it will set up
lice and federal police. It checkpoints on all roads
is supposed to be Mexico's leading into the city.
front-line force for fighting Amid all the bloodshed,
gangs. the unlikeliest of heroes
The federal Security Depart- emerged: a hot dog and
ment said three suspects hamburger vendor who
were killed in the confron- kept serving clients from
tation Saturday in Yuriria his stall under the overpass,
township in the north-cen- even as half-naked bod-
tral state of Guanajuato. ies dangled by their necks
However, the Yuriria munic- nearby. The vendor told the
ipal government said five newspaper El Universal that
suspects were killed in the he heard a body drop with
shootout, three wounded Military police wearing the insignia of the National Guard patrol near the border bridge that cross- a thud onto the roadway,
and seven detained. es the Rio Grande river, in Matamoros, Mexico, Friday, Aug. 2, 2019. but never stopped cooking
The town said the National Associated Press and waiting on customers.
Guard patrol was attacked "They were hanging all over
when "they detected a Guanajuato has been hit down on pipeline thefts, have closed. the place," the vendor,
safe house operated by a by violence involving gangs some gangs appear to But the violence has gotten identified as Isidro Garcia,
criminal gang. One mem- that steal fuel from gov- have moved into extortion, even worse in the neigh- told El Universal. "I don't
ber of the National Guard ernment pipelines. After hitting the city of Celaya so boring state of Michoa- focus much on that, I just
was killed." the government cracked hard that some businesses can, where a drug cartel mind my own business."q