Texas utility threatens to shut down power plant in Dominican Republic Copyright ) 2000 Nando Media Copyright ) 2000 Associated Press By SUSANNAH A. NESMITH

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (February 17, 2000 7:32 p.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com) - Following weeks of power shortages that have caused blackouts lasting up to eight hours a day, the largest power generating company in the Dominican Republic warned the government it could shut down its plant.

Officials with the Houston-based Smith and Enron said Thursday they would act if the government does not pay its $29 million debt in nine days.

The state electricity superintendent, Marcus Cochon, said the government would be able to pay only a little more than a third of the $102 million that it owes to Smith and Enron and another seven companies.

"At this time, the government has only been able to identify $40 million, but that's definite," Cochon said. "That's about 3 percent of our annual national budget. They have to understand that we can't pay more than that in six months."

http://www.nandotimes.com/global/story/0,1024,500169707-500217510-501026249-0,00.html

-- boop (leafyspurge@hotmail.com), February 18, 2000

Answers

There are a lot of countries living on the edge. Guess who is going to end up supporting all of them?

We outspent Russia and they had to give it up. If we're going to try to be like Atlas and support the world on our shoulders, we're going to sink just like Russia.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), February 18, 2000.