Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 30 July 2019
Puerto Ricans anxious for new leader amid political crisis

By DÁNICA COTO paying attention to what's
Associated Press happening. "We're tired of
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) the various political parties
— The unprecedented res- that always climb to power
ignation of Puerto Rico's and have let us down a bit
governor after days of mas- and have taken the island
sive island-wide protests to the point where it finds
has thrown the U.S. territory itself right now."
into a full-blown political Héctor Luis Acevedo, a
crisis. university professor and for-
Less than four days before mer secretary of state, said
Gov. Ricardo Rosselló steps both the governor's party
down, no one knows who and the main opposition
will take his place. Justice party that he supports, the
Secretary Wanda Vázquez, Popular Democratic Party,
his constitutional successor, have weakened in recent
said Sunday that she didn't years. He added that new
want the job. The next in leadership needs to be
line would be Education found soon.
Secretary Eligio Hernández, "These uncertainties are
a largely unknown bureau- dangerous in a democ-
crat with little political ex- People march with Puerto Rican national flags to celebrate the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Ros- racy because they tend to
perience. sello who announced overnight that he is resigning Aug. 2 after weeks of protests over leaked strengthen the extremes,"
Rosselló's party says it wants obscene, misogynistic online chats, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, July 25, 2019. he said. "This vacuum is
him to nominate a succes- Associated Press greatly harming the island."
sor before he steps down, Puerto Ricans until recently
but Rosselló has said noth- sume the governorship. Un- Rosselló belong to, and of then have the power to had celebrated that Ros-
ing about his plans, time is der normal circumstances, not prioritizing gender vio- nominate a secretary of selló and more than a
running out and some on Rosselló's successor would lence as justice secretary. state, or she could also dozen other officials had
the island are even talking be the territory's secretary She also has been accused reject being governor, in resigned in the wake of an
about the need for more of state, but veteran politi- of not pursuing the alleged which case the constitution obscenity-laced chat in
federal control over a terri- cian Luis Rivera Marín re- mismanagement of sup- states the treasury secre- which they mocked wom-
tory whose finances are al- signed from that post on plies for victims of Hurricane tary would be next in line. en and the victims of Hur-
ready overseen from Wash- July 13 as part of the scan- Maria. However, Treasury Secre- ricane Maria, among oth-
ington. dal that toppled the gover- Facing a new wave of pro- tary Francisco Parés is 31 ers, in 889 pages leaked
Rosselló resigned following nor. tests, Vázquez tweeted years old, and the consti- on July 13. But now, many
nearly two weeks of daily Vázquez, a 59-year-old Sunday that she had no tution dictates a governor are concerned that the
protests in which hundreds prosecutor who worked as desire to succeed Rosselló. has to be at least 35. In government is not moving
of thousands of Puerto Ri- a district attorney and was "I have no interest in the that case, the governorship quickly enough to restore
cans took to the streets, later director of the Office governor's office," she would go to Hernández, order and leadership to an
mounted horses and jet skis, for Women's Rights, does wrote. "I hope the governor who replaced the former island mired in a 13-year
organized a twerkathon not have widespread sup- nominates a secretary of education secretary, Ju- recession as it struggles to
and came up with other port among Puerto Ricans. state before Aug. 2." lia Keleher, who resigned recover from the Category
creative ways to demand Many have criticized her If a secretary of state is not in April and was arrested 4 storm and tries to restruc-
his ouster. On Monday, pro- for not being aggressive nominated before Rosselló on July 10 on federal cor- ture a portion of its more
testers were to gather once enough in investigating resigns, Vázquez would au- ruption charges. She has than $70 billion public debt
again, but this time to de- cases involving members tomatically become the pleaded not guilty. load.
mand that Vázquez not as- of the party that she and new governor. She would But Hernández has not Gabriel Rodríguez Aguiló, a
been clear on whether he member of Rosselló's New
would accept becoming Progressive Party, which
At least 52 dead in Brazil prison riot; governor. supports statehood, said in
a telephone interview that
"At this time, this public ser-
16 decapitated vant is focused solely and legislators are waiting on
exclusively on the work of Rosselló to nominate a sec-
the Department of Educa- retary of state, who would
By DIANE JEANTET volved, state prisons chief zonas. In early 2017, more tion," he told Radio Isla 1320 then become governor
Associated Press Jarbas Vasconcelos said at than 120 inmates died AM on Monday. A spokes- since Vázquez has said she
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — a news conference. in prisons across several man for Hernandez did not is not interested in the posi-
At least 52 prisoners were Vasconcelos said a fight northern states when rival return a message seeking tion.
killed by other inmates dur- between criminal groups at gangs clashed over control comment. "I hope that whoever is
ing clashes between orga- the Altamira prison erupted of drug-trafficking routes Meanwhile, Puerto Ricans nominated is someone who
nized crime groups at the around 7 a.m., when break- in the region. The violence are growing anxious about respects people, who can
Altamira prison in northern fast was being served. lasted several weeks, what the lack of leadership give the people of Puerto
Brazil on Monday, accord- Inmates also set fires that spreading to various states. could mean for the island's Rico hope and has the ca-
ing to prison officials. prevented authorities from In many of Brazil's pris- political and economic fu- pacity to rule," he said. "We
Para state prison authorities entering parts of the facil- ons, badly outnumbered ture. cannot rush into this. There
said 16 of the victims were ity for about five hours, he guards struggle to retain "It's very important that the must be sanity and restraint
decapitated while others said. The killings echoed power over an ever-grow- government have a certain in this process."
were asphyxiated. those of 55 inmates who ing population of inmates degree of stability, said Luis Another option was re-
The count of victims could died in a series of riots in who are able to run crimi- Rodríguez, a 36-year-old cently raised by Jenniffer
rise when authorities have May in several prisons in the nal activities from behind accountant, adding that all González, Puerto Rico's rep-
searched all areas in- neighboring state of Ama- bars.q political parties should be resentative in Congress.q