In the middle of a cold snap and water shortage in Texas, his senator Ted Cruz goes to the sun
Audio 01:19
Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
AP - Greg Nash
Text by: RFI Follow
6 min
In Houston, the power is gradually restored but there are 450,000 homes without electricity against 2.5 million until Wednesday, February 17.
On the other hand, 12 million find themselves without running water and 7 million have to boil their water to make it drinkable.
While millions of Texans battled the cold, their Senator Ted Cruz sought refuge in Cancun, Mexico.
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With our correspondent in Houston,
Thomas Harms
On the plane that took him to Cancun, Mexico on Wednesday evening, passengers recognized the senator and shared photos on social networks.
This Thursday, all of Texas knew about it.
“Anyone can or want to leave for the week?”
Heidi Cruz texted to friends and neighbors.
“We may go to Cancún.”
Messages provide new details about the trip to Mexico that left Sen.
Ted Cruz facing fierce blowback for fleeing Texas as a disaster hit.
https://t.co/InnmXSigr8
- The New York Times (@nytimes) February 18, 2021
In a press release, Ted Cruz then confesses to having preferred to leave his house in Houston which no longer had electricity and to leave with his wife and daughters whose private school was closed all week because of the
cold snap
.
He explains that he wanted to be a "
good father
".
After returning to Texas, Ted Cruz told reporters that his trip to Cancún was "obviously a mistake and in hindsight I wouldn't have done it" https://t.co/APT54dwFwU
- The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 19, 2021
Democrats call for his resignation and Republicans admit that in times of crisis, citizens expect their elected officials to be fully engaged.
Last November, the Democratic mayor of Austin also went on vacation to Mexico, this time over the Thanksgiving holidays ... while urging his constituents to stay at home to avoid the spread of Covid-19.
Ted Cruz then called him a hypocrite.
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To read also: Cold wave in the United States: controversy over renewable energies
Exploded piping
While the senator flounders in the midst of controversy, millions of his constituents still have no electricity or running water.
This is the case of Justin Shin, who lives in southwest Houston: “
We don't have water here, I haven't washed for three days, it's hard for everyone.
I can't use the toilet anymore either.
"
In many cases, it is not just a water cut due to the lack of current to supply the pipes.
But that's because the pipes blew up.
At Tamika Thomas who takes care of her 6 grandchildren, when the electricity came back on, the heating generated a large temperature difference and pressure on the pipes.
“
All I heard was a 'Wooh',” she
says.
And I said to myself: "what is this?"
I went down to look and saw the water rushing down.
Here, in my room, everything was under water, until then ... The kitchen was also flooded.
"
Refugees in hotels
The damage caused by these leaks and freezing is considerable.
At Markus Clarck's too the pipeline exploded.
“
Our walls are so wet with water that you only need to put your hand on them, a little pressure, for them to collapse.
"
Many Houstonians have taken refuge in hotels, which have been full since Monday.
To get water, everyone can manage, either by queuing for several hours in front of the few open supermarkets.
Either by melting what remains of snow to boil it on their barbecue to make it drinkable.
►
To listen: The cold snap in Texas paralyzes the US oil and gas industry
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