LatinNews Daily - 30 May 2024

*Costa Rica’s state-run electricity and telecommunications provider Grupo Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) has announced that the head of electricity, Roberto Quirós Balma, will be replaced. In a statement ICE attributes the decision to the need to “better anticipate potential rationing”. This is a reference to plans announced earlier this month to roll out power cuts due to drought caused in part by the El Niño weather phenomenon which has affected water levels in hydroelectric plants, although these have since been suspended due to rainfall. In the same statement, ICE also announced it was replacing the head of telecommunications Luis Diego Abarca Fernández for “participating in an activity with a provider” – a reference to reports that he had attended an event organised by China’s telecoms giant Huawei. According to the ICE press release, the two will be assigned new roles.