Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 3 January 2017

Puerto Rico’s new gov promises immediate push for statehood

DANICA COTO
Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)
— Puerto Rico’s new gov-
ernor was sworn in Mon-
day, promising an immedi-
ate push for statehood in
a territory facing a deep
economic crisis.
Gov. Ricardo Rossello, 37,
proposed several mea-
sures aimed at alleviating
the crisis shortly after he
was sworn in at midnight.
Among them is a proposal
to hold a referendum that
would ask voters whether
they prefer statehood or in-
dependence. Many have
argued that Puerto Rico’s
political status has contrib-
uted to its decade-long
crisis that has prompted
more than 200,000 people
to flee to the U.S. mainland
in recent years.
“The United States can-
not pretend to be a mod-
el of democracy for the
world while it discriminates
against 3.5 million of its citi-
zens in Puerto Rico, depriv-
ing them of their right to
political, social and eco- Pro-statehood supporters await the arrival of Puerto Rico’s new governor at the seaside Capitol in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Monday,
nomic equality under the Jan. 2, 2017.
U.S. flag,” Rossello said in Associated Press
his inaugural speech, de-
livered in Spanish. “There
is no way to overcome Rossello said he also aims sought statehood for Puer- tors to boost the number of to generate more revenue
Puerto Rico’s crisis given its to boost public-private to Rico. dwindling specialists. for a government he said
colonial condition.” partnerships and use that Rossello announced that Thousands of supporters was running out of money.
The crowd rose to its feet revenue to save a retire- he has already signed six cheered as they clutched Despite those and other
and cheered as Rossello ment system that faces a executive orders, including umbrellas to protect them- measures, the island’s gov-
announced that he would $40 billion deficit and is ex- one to promote bilingual selves from a searing sun. ernment has defaulted on
fly to Washington, D.C., pected to collapse in less education, another to pro- “This is a historic moment millions of dollars’ worth of
Monday to back a bill to than a year. He pledged vide female government for Puerto Rico,” said bond payments and de-
admit Puerto Rico as the to work closely with a fed- employees with the same 50-year-old Jose Davila as clared a state of emergen-
51st state. eral control board that U.S. pay as their male counter- he waved a large flag from cy at several agencies.
He also said he would soon Congress created last year parts, and a third ordering Rossello’s pro-statehood The federal control board
hold elections to choose to oversee Puerto Rico’s fi- agencies to reduce their New Progressive Party. has requested a revised fis-
two senators and five rep- nances, and he has said he budgets and contracts for “He’s the hope of our is- cal plan that has to be ap-
resentatives to Congress supports negotiations with professional services by 10 land, he’s the hope for proved by end of January,
and send them to Wash- creditors to help restructure percent. He also seeks to statehood, he’s the hope saying that the one Garcia
ington to demand state- a public debt of nearly $70 privatize services such as for a people that have suf- submitted last year was
hood, a strategy used by billion. the generation of energy, fered.” Puerto Ricans have in part unrealistic and re-
Tennessee to join the union “Puerto Rico’s recovery be- establish an office to over- been hit with dozens of lied too heavily on federal
in the 18th century. The U.S. gins today,” said Rossello, see and distribute federal new taxes in the past four funds. Garcia had refused
government has final say a scientist with no political funds to cut down on cor- years and increases in utility to submit a revised plan to
on whether Puerto Rico experience and the son of ruption, and to create fi- bills as former Gov. Alejan- include austerity measures.
can become a state. a former governor who also nancial incentives for doc- dro Garcia Padilla aimed q