Morovis mayor will join march against LUMA Energy contract
By The Star Staff
Morovis Mayor Carmen Maldonado González confirmed Tuesday that she will join today’s march calling for the contract between LUMA Energy and the government to be canceled.
The 9 a.m. march, organized by several trade union, social and professional groups, will start at the Capitol in Puerta de Tierra and proceed to La Fortaleza in Old San Juan. Maldonado endorsed the organizers’ call to demand zero increases in the electricity rate and zero cuts to the pensions of active workers and retired people, to promote renewable energy and to cut 75% of the bond debt. She also indicated that the citizens’ complaint is because of the constant increases in electricity bills and blackouts that are being experienced throughout the island.
“The only citizen who is happy with the constant increases in the [electricity] bill is Governor Pedro Pierluisi,” Maldonado said. “Overall, since he doesn’t pay them, he doesn’t care about the sacrifice of the people. I have said it before, Pierluisi is the de facto attorney for the energy consortium. He has all the excuses to justify such a bad and expensive service.”
“The reality that we are all experiencing is that LUMA has been a disaster since they arrived in Puerto Rico,” the Popular Democratic Party vice president said. “Their reluctance to disclose information about the millions of dollars of public funds that we pay is evidence that they are not interested in Puerto Rico. Their lack of coordination with municipalities in response to emergencies, the complaints of citizens and the importation of personnel, when here we have experienced and committed [workers], show the disaster they have created.”