Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 13 april 2017

Puerto Rico union sues to block government pension cuts

DANICA COTO guarantees involving con- The union accused the
Associated Press tracts between the gov- board of creating what it
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico ernment and retirees. The called “an unauthorized,
(AP) — One of Puerto Ri- union represents more than dangerous and uncertain
co’s largest unions sued on 10,000 government workers path” for Puerto Rico’s fu-
Wednesday to block a fed- and 2,300 retired ones. ture as the island struggles
eral control board’s auster- “(Puerto Rico’s) current to emerge from a decade-
ity plan that would slash and future retirees are not long economic crisis.
pensions and other spend- rich and will not become A spokesman for the board
ing by the U.S. territory. rich because of their pen- overseeing Puerto Rico’s
The suit filed by the United sions,” the lawsuit states. finances declined to com-
Public Servants union said “To the contrary, many of ment.
the plan violates a law pro- them will suffer grievous The board recently ap-
tecting the pension system harm from the cuts prom- proved an austerity plan
as well as constitutional ised by the final fiscal plan.” that would cut benefits for

Angelo Lopez, 74, stands in front of his fresh fruit store in Lares,
Puerto Rico. One of Puerto Rico’s largest unions sued on Wednes-
day to block a federal control board’s austerity plan that would
slash pensions by the U.S. territory.
(AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)
retirees who receive more mists have warned that
than $2,000 a month. If thousands of retirees would
Puerto Rico’s government be pushed below the fed-
doesn’t meet several fi- eral poverty level if that
nancial goals imposed by measure is implemented.
the board in upcoming The system is underfunded
months, the island’s public by more than $40 billion
pension system could be and is expected to run out
cut by 10 percent. Econo- of money this year.q

UNICEF: Peru’s floods leave

thousands of children at risk

FRANKLIN BRICENO don’t have needed food or
Associated Press do not eat,” Fornara said.
LIMA, Peru (AP) — The A warming of Pacific
United Nations’ child re- Ocean waters along Pe-
lief agency is warning that ru’s coast has generated
thousands of children in a series of intense storms
Peru are at risk of severe that officials are calling
malnutrition as a result of the worst environmental
floods and mudslides that calamity to strike the na-
have killed 106 people and tion in nearly two decades.
left countless more home- Floods and mudslides have
less. destroyed thousands of
An estimated 15,000 chil- homes, crippled roads and
dren under the age of 2 liv- bridges and ruined agricul-
ing in the Andean nation’s tural lands.
hardest hit regions don’t Along Peru’s northern coast
have access to sufficient — the hardest hit region —
food, clean water and san- families left homeless are
itary living conditions, UNI- living in shelters and tents.
CEF representative Maria In those conditions, respira-
Luisa Fornara said Wednes- tory and intestinal ailments
day. abound and children are
“A child can rapidly be- “the first to get sick,” For-
come malnourished if they nara said.q