Jennifer González Colón was sworn in Thursday as the new governor of Puerto Rico, as the island prepared for a normally effervescent ceremony, overshadowed by widespread anger over a blackout that affected the country in the midst of year-end celebrations.
Gonzalez, a Republican who supports President-elect Donald Trump and whose pro-statehood New Progressive Party secured a historic third consecutive term after winning the Nov. 5 election, has pledged to stabilize America’s deteriorating power grid. the Caribbean island.
Before the start of a ceremony in front of the Capitol on the coast of Puerto Rico to celebrate her swearing-in, González attended mass surrounded by family and supporters.
“What is better than to come first to thank God, and to ask God to give me the wisdom, the fortitude and the tools to fulfill everything I promised the people of Puerto Rico?” he told reporters.
A lone protester, with her face covered, interrupted mass at the Santa Teresita de San Juan parish protesting the lack of electricity.
Meanwhile, a growing number of protesters gathered at the Capitol ahead of Gonzalez’s arrival.
González has promised to appoint an “energy czar” to review possible contractual breaches while searching for another operator to possibly replace Luma Energy, a private company that oversees energy transmission and distribution in Puerto Rico.
However, no contract can be canceled without prior approval from the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau and a federal control board that oversees the island’s finances.
Power outages were still being reported Thursday as crews tried to stabilize the grid after the blackout that occurred early Tuesday, leaving 1.3 million users in the dark as Puerto Ricans prepared to ring in the New Year.
Although electricity had been restored to 98.9% of 1.47 million total users, more than 600,000 were temporarily left without power on New Year’s when part of the system collapsed again, according to Luma.
“The stability of the system is fragile,” Luma said Wednesday night as he warned of more outages on Thursday given the continued lack of generation. “We know and understand how frustrating it has been for our customers to be without service for long periods of time.”
Backup generators were installed to ensure a smooth induction ceremony on Thursday as renowned musicians were scheduled to perform.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels YouTube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.
Add Comment