President tries to ease public concerns

PRESIDENT RICARDO MARTINELLI was in defensive mode on Friday July 26, as he tried to pull some of the thorns that have plagued the administration in recent months, from garbage collection to Metro buses ..and the ombudsperson.

 As calls increase for the head of the Garbage Collection Authority (AAUD) to appear before the National Assembly, Martinelli said that collections has "improved a lot, but not enough."

However, he said that it will improve with the adding of more equipment to AAUD.
He added that there shouldn't be a "witch hunt" for the director of the agency, and he should be allowed time to solve problems. The garbage authority was created four years ago when Martinelli took the responsibility for collection away from the city.
The public transport system has not resulted in the immediate benefits that were expected said the president. He said that the companies Mi Bus and Sonda, who run the public transport system, must make the necessary corrections. In spite of problems with Sonda, the company was awarded a new contract last week to handle ticketing for the Metro Subway.
He downplayed the scandal regarding lavish spending practices in the Ombudsman Office.
"I saw some chairs, nothing out of this world," said Martinelli,, who also said he did not know that former Ombudswoman Patria Portugal drove a Lincoln Navigator that cost $87,000. He did not mention the two contracts totaling $450,000 for a web site and staff training
He said that Portugal was selected by the National Assembly and has done important work. He said she should have the opportunity to defend herself from accusations.
"We should not judge her," he said. "We must permit her to defend herself.