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<h1 id="reader-title">Puerto Rico’s Power Union Denounces
Governor’s Decision to “Sell the Assets” of the Public Power
Utility (PREPA)</h1>
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<p><img class="wp-image-10381 aligncenter"
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<p><strong>UTIER DENOUNCES GOVERNOR’S ANNOUNCEMENT
OF THE PRIVATIZATION </strong><strong>OF THE
PUBLIC POWER UTILITY (AEE, OR PREPA)* </strong></p>
<p><strong>San Juan, Puerto Rico, January 23rd,
2018</strong></p>
<p>The Union of Workers of the Electric and
Irrigation Industry (UTIER) denounces Governor
Ricardo Rossellá’s announcement to privatize the
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA).
The announcement demonstrates the insensitivity
of this government and leaves clear that the
welfare of the people is not among the interests
of the current Governor.</p>
<p>UTIER has been consistent in denouncing the
privatization plans of various government
administrations and also the recent intentional
slowness in the process of restoring the
electrical system.</p>
<p>The Governor is taking advantage of the pain of
thousands of people who are currently without
electric power. Given the insensitivity of
Governor Ricardo Rosellá of announcing the
privatization of PREPA in the midst of the
suffering of almost half a million Puerto Ricans
who still do not have electricity, UTIER once
again raises its voice in favor of the people.
We have tried through our brigades to restore
electric power as soon as possible, despite all
the obstacles that the government, the Engineers
brigade, the Board of Fiscal Control, and the
upper management of PREPA have erected to try to
prevent us achieving that goal.</p>
<p>For decades we have warned how various
administrations have undermined workers and
intentionally damaged the infrastructure of
PREPA. This was intended to provoke the people’s
discontent with the service in order to
privatize our first industry, “the jewel in the
crown”, to strip us—the people—of what is ours.
“Because PREPA is a public good that belongs to
the people and not to the politicians,” said the
president of the UTIER, Angel Figueroa
Jaramillo.</p>
<p>Figueroa Jaramillo explained how, since the
1970s, governments of the two main parties have
tried to privatize PREPA. In each of these
attempts, UTIER has reacted immediately, warning
the people what this would mean for the country.</p>
<p>“We asked, how come it was possible that,
facing so much devastation left by the
hurricanes, that we would prioritize hiring a
company such as Whitefish, which did not have
the staff or experience to handle an emergency
like the one we had gone through? Then we met
the endless irregularities in the awarding of
the contract that was signed with Whitefish and
the powerful political links it has with the
current US administration. Everything we said
was proven to be correct and has been so in
every complaint we have made over decades”, said
Figueroa Jaramillo.</p>
<p>The President of UTIER insisted, “The position
of UTIER is that electricity is a human right
and not a commodity. That is what our people
have realized after the ravages of hurricanes
Irma and Maria, after having run out of
electricity and suffering so many hardships and
the loss of family members, either because they
have died or had to leave the country. That is
why we strongly oppose privatization in any of
its expressions, whether through the transfer of
assets or the transfer of management to private
companies. We ask the people the following
question so that they think clearly about it: If
PREPA was not profitable and able to generate
profits, would there be a company that wanted to
acquire it?”</p>
<p>The president of the UTIER urged people to also
remember the declarations of the Board of Fiscal
Control (JCF) a year ago in which it presented
the privatization of PREPA as one of its goals.
“We cannot leave the heritage that belongs to
us–-the people—in private hands. And one of them
is PREPA. Because if at some point we face
another atmospheric phenomenon such as the ones
to which we are exposed every year during
hurricane season, we already know how the
private generators AES and Ecoelectrica will
react: turning off their machinery in order not
to lose their investment. That’s what they did
on this occasion. They are not worried about the
suffering of the people. That situation cannot
be repeated and if PREPA is privatized, that is
what’s in store for us. Furthermore, we must not
be deceived: privatization increases the
electric bill and makes us more vulnerable as
the people. Let’s not allow the main industry
for the development of our country to be stolen
from us. Let’s not wait for it to happen”, added
Figueroa Jaramillo.</p>
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