Puerto Rico News Digest For July 24, 2017

JARDINES DE COUNTRY KILL

Carolina neighborhood reports murder for 2nd weekend in a row

A man believed to be in his early 20s, who is so far unidentified, was shot to death at around 4:30 on Sunday morning in the Jardines de Country Club neighborhood of Carolina. The victim parked his car on 30th Street, between a basketball court and baseball field in the suburban neighborhood, and was apparently shot at several times as he sat in the vehicle. It is unknown whether he was pursued there before being killed. After shooting, the perpetrators presumably drove away in their own vehicle, while the victim left his bullet-riddled car and stumbled for a few feet before falling to the ground, where he died. A 911 call alerted police to the sound of gunfire, and they found the lifeless body soon afterward. This is the second murder reported in Jardines de Country Club inside of a week, and was one of eight violent deaths registered over the weekend across Puerto Rico.

TREASURY NET INCOME UP 1.7% FOR LAST FISCAL YEAR

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"Puerto Rico Treasury Secretary Raúl Maldonado Gautier reported that the net income to the General Fund from the newly concluded fiscal year 2016-17 (July-June) amounted to $9.334 billion, which represents $159.6 million, or 1.7 percent  more than the previous fiscal year 2015-16..."

ROSSELLO SIGNS PATIENTS' RIGHTS LAW 

From Caribbean Business:

"...Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló on Sunday enacted Senate Bill 27, giving patients more say before health insurers and providing greater power to the Patients Advocate Office (OPP by its Spanish initials) when defending those who are  not covered by the government’s medical plan, Mi Salud..."

MORE PR DOCTORS GOING BANKRUPT 

From News Is My Business:

"During the first six months of the year, 17 medical doctors filed for bankruptcy protection, reporting more than $23.5 million in combined debt to the court, a report by research firm Boletín de Puerto Rico confirmed..."

ROSSELLO TRIES TO PUT PR IN CONGRESSIONAL AGENDA

From The Washington Examiner:

"Puerto Rico is throwing a wrench into the mainland's politics. The Caribbean island's government held a referendum on June 11 to gauge public support in what was the territory's fifth-ever plebiscite on statehood, and the vast majority  of voters said yes..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For July 12, 2017

FAKE COPS ROB VILLALBA RESIDENTS

In two separate incidents at around 3:00 AM on Tuesday, three people were robbed in their homes by four criminals, two of  which were dressed as police officers. The individuals first came to a man's house in the town of Villalba, and after entering the house, informed the victim that they had a search warrant. They them threatened him with a gun and tied him up with an electrical cord before robbing him. The criminals then made their way to the house next door, were they threatened a couple. After a search, the men found $3,000 inside a vehicle, which they took along with a phone before fleeing the scene.

MAN FOUND SHOT TO DEATH IN CAROLINA

The body of 27-year-old Darwin Méndez Mize was found around noon yesterday on the side of Road 860 in the Martín González sector of Carolina. The man, who was shot in the head five times, was a resident of the Loma Alta neighborhood of the same city and had a criminal record. Police are investigating and no suspects have been identified as of yet.

PR TO OKAY POT FOR THE NON-TERMINALLY ILL

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"A law to allow terminally ill patients to use marijuana is now in effect in Puerto Rico, but Gov. Ricardo Rosselló Nevares promises it will soon be amended to include less serious conditions. The governor signed a law Sunday to regulate the use of medicinal cannabis..."

PR AMENDS PR TAX INCENTIVE LAWS

From Caribbean Business:

"Puerto Rico’s governor has signed several amendments to laws meant to lure more investors and attract new companies amid a deep economic crisis. One of the amendments signed by Gov. Ricardo Rossello requires $5,000 a  year in donations to nonprofits to qualify for a break..."

MENNONITE HEALTH BUYS SAN LUCAS HOSPITAL

From News Is My Business:

"Following a period of much analysis and evaluation, the Mennonite Health System reached an agreement with the Episcopal San Lucas Health System to purchase the assets and operation of the Episcopal San Lucas Hospital in  Guayama..."

GOVERNOR CREATES LGBT AFFAIRS COUNCIL

From Pasquines:

"While Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s party is usually considered socially conservative, he took a big step forward  last week in the interest of LGBT people in Puerto Rico. On July 5 Governor Rosselló signed an executive order on Facebook live Broadcast which created an LGBT Affairs Advisory Council..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For September 26, 2016

THREE MURDERED IN CAROLINA ON SUNDAY

As reported by El Nuevo Dia, three people were murdered Sunday night at around
7:30 PM on Road PR-857, in the Canovanillas sector of Carolina. A 911 call alerted
the police to three people who had been shot. Upon arriving, police found the bodies
of Julio M. López Castro, age 41, and Jonathan J. López Pizarro, age 22. A 23-year-
old man, Jonathan Rodríguez Cabrera, was taken to Centro Médico in Río Piedras
with various gunshot wounds. He died while receiving treatment. These three killi-
ngs were part of seven overall murders registered across the island during this past
weekend. The number of murders for the year in Puerto Rico now stands at 484, 70
more than at this time last year.

TOURISM COULD FACE LOSSES FROM BLACKOUT

From Caribbean Business:

"Despite the lengthy lines thousands of Puerto Ricans did on hotels and restaur-
ants after the island remained partially dark for more than 40 hours, the final bal-
ance of the incident isn’t necessarily positive for Puerto Rico’s tourism industry,
much less for the general economy. While hundreds of hotels saw a significant in-
crease in their occupancy since Wednesday, others have had to cancel reservations
due to the outage or have had to send guests to a different accommodation because
their electric plants didn’t work, exploded, or simply couldn’t tolerate the emergen-
cy usage, revealed economist Jorge Elguera to Caribbean Business. Similar incide-
nts occurred at some restaurants that didn’t have electric generators or hadn’t given
them maintenance..."

PPT CANDIDATE CALLS FOR PLACITA AGREEMENT

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"Puerto Rican Working People’s Party (PPT by its Spanish initials) candidate for
the San Juan municipal assembly Jorge Farinacci Fernós on Thursday proposed
reaching a “consensual agreement” that will allow the harmonization of the inter-
ests of the diff erent sectors at the Placita de Santurce. “We have to recognize that
we are all part of the same community, so we have to try a reach a consensual agr-
eement,” Farinacci Fernós said, referring to the public dispute between the reside-
nts and business owners in the area. Farinacci Fernós noted that certain issues need
to be cleared up regarding the aff ected parties and the interests involved, such as the
fact that residents of the area have a right to be able to rest and to the “tranquility they
deserve after a long day at work;” the businesses and their staff s, which are trying to
make a living, and the people who visit the establishments to enjoy one of the only
open public spaces remaining in Puerto Rico..."

UNITED WAY: ECONOMY STRANGLING NON-PROFITS

From News Is My Business:

"In Puerto Rico’s embattled economy, everyone is at risk. Nonprofit organizations
are no exception.To survive, organizations are cutting staff, services and administra-
tive costs, maxing out their credit cards and even borrowing from their board mem-
bers. Those are among the findings of a recent informal survey conducted by United
Way of  Puerto Rico, a coalition of 131 charitable organizations. “There was nothing
surprising [in the survey] since we constantly receive financial reports and do moni-
toring. What does worry us is that there is too much dependence on government fun-
ds,” said United Way President Samuel González..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For April 18, 2016

COPS SUSPENDED OVER WHEELCHAIR INCIDENT

From The Daily Mail:

"Authorities in Puerto Rico have suspended two police officers after one was
caught on video throwing a man in a wheelchair to the ground while the other
looked on without intervening. Police say Victor Muniz Martinez and Juan Ri-
vera Zayas were notified Saturday of their immediate suspension with intention
to expel them from the force. Police Superintendent Jose Caldero says the offi-
cers could also face criminal charges once the internal investigation has conclu-
ded..."

CAROLINA MAYOR BACKS FISCAL BOARD

From Caribbean Business:

"Carolina Mayor José Carlos Aponte justified the implementation of a
federal fiscal control board on Puerto Rico amid what he called the ine-
fficiency of the commonwealth government in providing solutions to
the island’s problems or in channeling efforts toward economic growth.
“I think controls are needed; I believe the debt must always be paid,” the
mayor said as an aside during the the celebration of Children’s Day in Ca-
rolina. While agreeing with the establishment by the U.S. Congress of “a
regulating entity that intervenes in with the composition, approval and im-
plementation of the budget of Puerto Rico,” the municipality’s leader stre-
ssed that “the central government has failed to solve the island’s fiscal cri-
sis..."

CLARO FINED $155K FOR CRAMMING

From News Is My Business:

"The Puerto Rico Telecommunications Regulatory Board has issued a fine
against carrier Claro de Puerto Rico of more than $155,000 for apparent “cra-
mming” practices in its wireless and bundled Internet services. By definition
“cramming” is the practice of adding unauthorized charges to a customer’s
phone invoice, a practice that is prohibited by both the Federal Communica-
tions Commission’s “Truth-in-Billing” rules and the Puerto Rico Telecommu-
nications Act of 1996..."

PIERLUISI SAYS NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi said a New York Times report about
the income earned by the company owned by his wife María Elena Carrión
since he arrived in Congress will not affect his candidacy for governor of Puer-
to Rico. He said the Times report, which appeared in the April 13 edition of the
STAR, will not affect him in the least because it does not contain complaints a-
gainst him and experts in congressional ethics have found no violation. Pierluisi
denied any conflict of interest between his work and that of his wife, who dedi-
cates herself to advising on financial matters..."

Individual Sentenced For His Participation In Extortion Scheme

Press Release

US Attorney's Office

SAN JUAN, P.R. – On March 1, 2016, defendant Diomedes Joshua
Alcantara-Troche was sentenced by United States District Court Judge
Jay A. Garcia-Gregory to serve a term of imprisonment of 2 years, and
3 years of supervised released, for his participation in an extortion sche-
me, announced today Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attor-
ney for the District of Puerto Rico.  

On December 1, 2014, the victim received a telephone call from two un-
identified males. The individuals, who were later identified as inmates cu-
rrently incarcerated in a state prison, advised the victim that they had kid-
napped her son, and would harm him unless the victim provided them with
$6,000.00 US Dollars (USD). The inmates later agreed to lower the request
to $1,000. The inmates also warned the victim not to contact the police or
they would harm her son. Upon receiving the initial extortion telephone call
from the inmates, the victim went to withdraw the money and with the assis-
tance of a bank employee she managed to contact her son, who is a federal
agent.  Her son confirmed that he had not been kidnapped. The victim agreed
to assist federal law enforcement agents and proceeded to comply with the
instructions provided by the inmates to make the payment of $1,000.00 USD.

The inmates instructed the victim to bring $1,000.00 USD, to an area in Ca-
rolina. Upon receiving the money, the inmates stated that they would release
her son without incident. After arriving at the location the federal agents spot-
ted Alcantara-Troche driving a car that belonged to his girlfriend, Lorenly Gar-
cia-Echevarria. Alcantara-Troche was detained by federal agents. Alcantara-
Troche indicated that his girlfriend, Lorenly Garcia-Echevarria provided him
the cellular telephone and the vehicle used to pick up the extortion money. Al-
cantara-Troche and Garcia-Echevarria were going to earn approximately $300.
00 USD for their participation in the extortion scheme. Co-defendant Lorenly
Garcia was also sentenced to 2 years for her participation.

“This is a very common extortion scheme used by inmates in state prison in
order to make some easy money from victims who fear their loved ones are in
danger. We urge the public to contact law enforcement if they receive threats
similar to this one,” said U.S Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez.


The case was investigated by HSI and the FBI and prosecuted by Special
Assistant United States Attorney Normary Figueroa.

Puerto Rico News Digest For February 19, 2016

MAN KILLED IN ISLA VERDE HIT & RUN

A 43-year-old Nebraska man identified by police as Justin Zakrzewski was killed
last night as he attempted to cross Román Baldorioty de Castro Expressway in Isla
Verde. Zakrzewski was struck by a car in the San Juan-bound lanes of Baldorioty
de Castro shortly after 4:00 AM. The driver did not stop. The Expressway was shut
down by police at around 7:30 AM. Anyone with information which could lead to
the driver who struck Zakrzewski is encouraged to call Puerto Rico Police at 787-
343-2020.

HOUSE HEARINGS ON PR SCHEDULED FOR FEB. 25

From Caribbean Business:

"On Feb. 25, the eighth and ninth congressional hearings on Puerto Rico
will be held. The first hearing, entitled “Puerto Rico’s Debt Crisis and
Its Impact on the Bond Markets,” will be held by the House Committee on
Financial Services, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, at 10
a.m. Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi has been invited to participate
in the hearing. The witnesses for the hearing are expected to be announced
in the coming days. The second hearing, “The U.S. Department of the Trea-
sury’s Analysis of the Situation in Puerto Rico,” will be a full committee hea-
ring before the House Natural Resources Committee, and is currently also
scheduled for 10 a.m. Pierluisi will also be participating in the discussion."

PR DUE TO IMPORT ALL BLOOD DUE TO ZIKA

From Reuters:

"New guidelines barring the collection of blood in areas with outbreaks of the
 mosquito-borne Zika virus will be put to the test first in cash-strapped Puerto
Rico, where health officials have two weeks to start importing the island’s su-
pply. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said earlier this week that areas
with active domestic transmission of Zika virus should stop collecting blood
locally. Puerto Rico has reported  a small number of cases of local transmission,
and U.S. health officials expect many thousands of residents to be infected once
the mosquito season reaches its peak this summer..."

FEDS CAPTURE 14 CUBANS ON MONA ISLAND

From Breitbart:

"The Air and Marine unit of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
service along with agents of the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 14 Cuban
refugees on Mona Island, Puerto Rico. The Cubans had recently completed
a very dangers boat trip from Cuba through the treacherous Mona Passage...
Puerto Rican park rangers notified the Border Patrol station about the landing
of the boat with a group of illegal immigrants on-board. The boat was carrying
12 males and 2 females who all claimed to be Cuban nationals..."

T-MOBILE GROWS 10% IN 2015 IN PUERTO RICO

From News Is My Business:

"T-Mobile Puerto Rico executives said Thursday the wireless carrier experien-
ced a 10 percent growth on the island in 2015, while the industry as a whole
shrank by 2 percent. During the last quarter of the year, the carrier claims to
have achieved twice the sales of its nearest competitor...Washington-based pa-
rent company announced quarterly results this week, reporting a 1.1 percent in-
crease in total revenue during the fourth quarter of 2015, and an 8.4 percent jump
year-over-year for the 12-month period. The carrier reported adjusted EBITDA
of  $2.3 billion during the last quarter of 2015, and $7.4 billion for the year..."

Three Day Rationing For Carraízo Starts Next Week

Reservoir levels for today. Carraízo is on the left.

SAN JUAN (PRM) -- Amid Puerto Rico's worst drought in decades, the
water levels at the Carraízo  reservoir -- which serves a large part  of the
San Juan metro area -- continue to fall to dangerously low levels. This has
prompted the island's water utility, Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantari-
llados, to extend the water rationing plan that Carraízo users have been
under for several weeks. According to AAA management, the Carraízo
reservoir level is now so low, that it may soon be rendered inoperative.

Starting next Wednesday, August 13th, running water will be shut off
for three days rather than the current two days, and will then be on for
one day. Of the two rationing zones the Carraízo service area is divi-
ded into, Zone B will be the first to be subjected to the three-day ratio-
ning, with Zone A following suit two days later. A map of the Carraí-
zo zones can be found below. No significant rainfall over the area is
expected for the time being, although the government announced yes-
terday that they will soon begin a program of cloud seeding, in hopes
of generating rain over the dwindling reservoirs of Carraízo, La Plata
and Cidra.

Puerto Rico News Digest For June 8, 2015

48-HOUR WATER RATIONING IS HERE

From Caribbean Business:

Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (Prasa) President Alberto
Lázaro announced Sunday that the water-rationing plan has been ex-
tended to two days for customers supplied by the Sergio Cuevas fil-
tration plant, whose source is the Carraízo dam, as well as the addition
of 2,000 customers in the Carolina area designated as Zone  B. The uti-
lity director said 2,000 customers have been included in  areas of Caro-
lina, which represents 600,000 gallons of water, including Paseo del
Prado, Martín González Industrial Zone, San Fernando Village, Jardi-
nes de San Fernando, Buenaventura, Estancias de Tierra Alta, Puerto
Rico Industrial Park, Veredas del Río, Río Vista and Parque Juliano.

MAN SHOT WHILE DRIVING IN RIO PIEDRAS

As reported this morning by El Nuevo Dia, 49-year-old Carlos Madera
Segarra was shot to death while driving down José Celso Barbosa Ave-
nue in Río Piedras at 2:40 AM Monday morning. The victim was a mar-
keting manager for Caribbean Cinemas, and was well-liked by friends
and colleagues. Segarra was driving a 2006 Honda Civic near the inter-
section of Celso Barbosa and Ramon Lopez Avenue. After being shot,
Segarra struck a traffic light pole and died at the scene. No motive for
the  killing is yet known.

TEACHER'S UNION FIGHTS SCHOOL CLOSINGS

From The San Juan Daily Star:

Teachers Association President Aida Díaz announced Thursday that
the organization that she heads will go to court against the Edu-
cation Department in order to paralyze implementation of the school
closing plan. In a radio interview, Díaz said the Association’s act-
ions respond in particular to the fact that Education excluded school
councils -- which include the teachers,parents, students and the co-
mmunity where the school is located -- from the school consolidation
process. “The Education Department left out the school communities,”
Díaz said. “There was no participation off ered, and those changes
will provoke emotional damages in these communities, because they
see how their link to their school is now disintegrating.”

SUMMIT TO FOCUS ON MEDICAL TOURISM

From News Is My Business:

Puerto Rico is moving quickly to position itself as a leading medical
tourism destination in the Caribbean and Latin America, looking to be-
come the preferred choice of potential patients from the U.S. mainland.
During the first “Caribbean Health Summit” taking place at the Caribe
Hilton Hotel on Thursday, Puerto Rico hospitals and service providers
will present their services and benefits to potential buyers, investors
and healthcare executives interested in the potential of the island as
a destination in this medical market.

Puerto Rico News Digest For March 23, 2015

WEEK STARTS OFF WITH THREE MURDERS

As reported this morning by El Nuevo Dia, three murders were reported
overnight. A man who is as of yet unidentified was found lying dead on
401st Street in Country Club, Carolina. He had apparently been shot to
death, and 20 shell casings were found nearby. Peter Santos Quiñones,
age 26, was gunned down in front of a business in Guayanilla at 5:15
this morning, while an unidentified man was found dead in the Adelaido
Collazo sector of Rio Grande at 6:40 AM. The latter victim was also
seemingly shot to death.

ILLINOIS SURFER DIES IN RINCON

From Pantagraph.com:

A Bloomington man has been identified as the 35-year-old tourist
who drowned while surfing in Puerto Rico. Police say Bryan Wright,
35, of Bloomington, formerly of  Heyworth, died Wednesday while
on vacation last week with  friends in Rincon, Puerto Rico. He lost
his life while surfing, but officials did not release specifics about the
accident, except to acknowledge the surfer fell off his  board in rough
seas.

MUNITION FOUND ON CULEBRA BEACH

From Yahoo! News:

Authorities say residents of an outlying Puerto Rican island have found
an unexploded munition on a beach once used as a bombing practice area
by the U.S. Navy. Island police say they were alerted Sunday to a 2-foot-
long munition found on a rocky stretch of popular Zoni Beach in Culebra.

PIERLUISI CONVENES JONES ACT FORUM

From  Caribbean Business:

Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced that, given the
increased concerns being expressed by his constituents about the
Jones Act in light of Horizon Lines’ withdrawal from the Puerto
Rico market, he will convene a forum in Puerto Rico to discuss
the situation. For that reason, Pierluisi sent a letter to the Customs
and Border  Protection (CBP) commissioner and the Maritime
Administration (Marad) administrator, inviting senior officials
from each agency to attend. The resident commissioner will also
invite representatives from each of the Jones Act carriers that pro-
vide service to Puerto Rico. Officials from the local government,
business leaders, manufacturers, farmers, economistsand others
have  been invited as well.

Puerto Rico News Digest For January 28, 2015

MASTURBATING COP HAS BEEN SUSPENDED

From The Daily Mail:

Police in Puerto Rico have suspended a female police officer  after photos
of her performing a sex act in uniform ended up being leaked to fellow
officers. According to a police insider,  the images were taken by a male
colleague at the police station and were posted onto social media. They
said that the young woman, Cynthia Marrero Pomales, 29, was serving in
Carolina. She reportedly uploaded the pictures herself on social media
although it is understood that she had not intended for them to be shared
outside of a small private circle of friends.

PR EXPANDS TAX DEAL TO OWN EMIGRANTS

From Forbes:

Puerto Rico’s Acts 20 & 22, tax incentive laws aimed at luring wealthy
American investors to move there and at reviving the Island’s economy,
are celebrating their third anniversary this month. Now, the Island is
trying to build on this momentum by expanding who can use the tax
breaks; one amendment  is aimed at enticing successful Puerto Ricans
who have left the Island to return.

Puerto Rico Senate Bill 864 increases the potential impact of Act 22
by expanding who qualifies for the tax break. Prior to this legislation,
Act 22 was only applicable to new migrants to Puerto Rico who had
not been residents for the 15 year period before the Act went into
effect in January 2012. That period has now been reduced from 15
to 6 years. That means anyone who left the Island before 2006 can
now apply for the Act 20/22 tax breaks.

COURT URGED TO REVERSE GAY MARRIAGE RULING

From SDGLN.COM:

Lambda Legal on Monday filed a brief urging the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the First Circuit to overturn a lower court ruling
dismissing Conde-Vidal v. Garcia-Padilla, the lawsuit seeking to
end the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s discriminatory ban on
marriage for LGBT couples.

“The District Court ruling in October was contrary to Supreme
Court precedent and stands in stark contrast against the avalanche
of court rulings over the past 18 months finding marriage bans
like Puerto Rico’s to be discriminatory and unconstitutional,”
said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, Staff Attorney for Lambda Legal.

LEGISLATURE TO REDUCE TOLL FINES

From The San Juan Daily Star:

The island House and Senate passed diff erent versions of a bill
Monday that will reduce thefi nes imposed on drivers for passing
through highway toll plazas without paying and establish an
amnesty that will allow drivers who owe large sums in fines for
doing so to pay them. Puerto Rico’s Department of Transportation
and Public Works (DTOP) began this year to enforce the law that
imposes $100 fi nes for passing through the toll plazas without
paying. Citizens were given 30 days to pay the amount they owe in
tolls to erase the fi ne. Nonetheless, many citizens have com-
plained that they were not informed in writing as required by law
that they have fines. Others said they did not deserve the fines
because they recharge their AutoExpreso accounts every month.
AutoExpreso is the name of the island highway toll collection
system.

PR LABOR FORCE SHRINKS FURTHER IN DECEMBER

From News Is My Business:

Puerto Rico’s labor force had 25,000 fewer members in December,
when compared to the same month in 2013, which could account for
the lower unemployment rate announced by the Labor Department
Tuesday. According to the agency, the December jobless rate stood
at 13.7 percent, representing the “lowest rate for that month  since
2008,” when the unemployment rate stood at 15.5 percent.