Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 1 augusT 2019
Puerto Rico braces for clashes over island's next leader

By DÁNICA COTO does not have the votes
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) needed in the House of
— Puerto Rico's political Representatives. All three
crisis appeared to deepen legislators are members of
on Wednesday as the is- Rosselló's pro-statehood
land's outgoing governor New Progressive Party.
and legislators — including "The situation could not be
those from his own party — more complicated," said
clashed over who should Sen. José Antonio Vargas
be the next leader of a U.S. Vidot, who ran for Senate
territory unbalanced by as an independent. "This is
massive protests. absurd, what we're going
Gov. Ricardo Rosselló an- through. We never thought
nounced that he had cho- something like this could
sen Puerto Rico's former happen. In an extraordi-
non-voting representative nary crisis, we have to take
to Congress, Pedro Pierluisi, extraordinary measures."
as his secretary of state. Rosselló has said he will re-
That post would put Pierluisi sign on Friday, bowing to
in line to be governor when the demands of massive
Rosselló steps down on Fri- street protests by Puerto Ri-
day. But he's unlikely to be cans frustrated with corrup-
approved by legislators. tion, mismanagement and
Several lawmakers have In this July 25, 2019 photo, a young woman takes part in the festivities to celebrate the resignation an obscenity-laced chat
already said they will re- of Gov. Ricardo Rossello, after weeks of protests over leaked obscene, misogynistic online chats, that was leaked in which
ject Pierluisi's nomination in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Rosselló and 11 other men
because he works for a Associated Press made fun of women, gay
law firm that represents the people and victims of Hur-
federal control board that sort of bankruptcy. Pierluisi's ated Press. urged Rosselló to instead ricane Maria.
was created to oversee brother-in-law also heads Rep. Milagros Charbonier nominate Puerto Rico Sen- More than a dozen officials
Puerto Rico's finances be- the board. and House of Representa- ate President Thomas Rive- have resigned in the wake
fore the territory, saddled "That's a serious conflict of tives President Johnny Mé- ra Schatz, who is running for of the chat, including for-
with more than $70 billion interest," Rep. José Enrique ndez also said they would governor in 2020. mer Secretary of State Luis
in public debt, declared a Meléndez told The Associ- vote against Pierluisi. Both Méndez has said Pierluisi Rivera Marín.q

US Homeland Security discusses asylum agreement in Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — longed drought that has
The acting head of U.S. severely hurt farmers.
Homeland Security held Guatemala is ill-prepared
discussions behind closed financially or in infrastruc-
doors in Guatemala on ture terms to provide safe-
Wednesday on an agree- ty, housing, education and
ment that would force other support for potential-
many asylum seekers to file ly tens of thousands of Cen-
claims in the Central Ameri- tral Americans.
can country instead of the The agreement has been
United States. challenged in Guatema-
Details on Acting Secretary la's Constitutional Court.
Kevin McAleenan's agen- Human rights prosecutor
da and activities were Jordán Rodas asked the tri-
scant, and there was no bunal to overturn it, arguing
immediate access for jour- that U.S. President Donald
nalists. But the Guatemalan Trump's threats of tariffs or
government said it includ- other consequences made
ed a meeting with Interior the agreement null.
Minster Enrique Degenhart, The Constitutional Court
who signed the deal in had also issued injunctions
Washington last week. before the signing, telling
Presidential candidate The Spanish message "I refuse to live in a dictatorship" hangs outside the University Museum in President Jimmy Morales'
Sandra Torres' political Guatemala City, Tuesday, July 30, 2019. government not to enter
party also said McAleen- Associated Press into a deal without approv-
an would meet with her, a al from the country's Con-
week and a half before her McAleenan would present Americans arriving at the that Guatemala, which is gress, but the rulings were
runoff election against Ale- a plan of action to imple- U.S. border. It would mean both a sending and transit ignored.
jandro Giammattei — who ment the deal. Hondurans and Salvador- country for irregular migra- In a statement Wednes-
was also due to meet the Washington is apparently ans who travel by land tion, has the same prob- day, U.S. Ambassador
acting secretary. seeking to win local ap- through Guatemala must lems driving Hondurans Luis E. Arreaga called the
The president of the Ameri- proval for the pact, which apply for asylum there rath- and Salvadorans to flee agreement "a bold new
can Chamber of Com- could significantly ease er than on U.S. soil. their homes: violence, pov- approach to reduce irregu-
merce in Guatemala said the wave of mostly Central Critics of the deal point out erty, joblessness and a pro- lar immigration."q