Puerto Rico News Digest For March 25, 2015

PR LOSES 80K MANUFACTURING JOBS IN 15 YEARS

From Fox News Latino:

Puerto Rico lost nearly 80,000 manufacturing jobs between 1997 and
2012, according to the latest Economic Census compiled by the Uni-
versity of Puerto Rico's Center for Census Information. Jose Cara-
ballo Cueto, the director of the center, told Efe that most of the jobs
were lost as a result of the expiration of a provision in the U.S. tax
code known as Section 936. That regulation offered U.S. companies
the prospect of tax-free income if they established operations in
Puerto Rico.

DOUBLE MURDER ON MARTINEZ NADAL EXPRESSWAY

As reported by El Nuevo Dia, a double murder took place last night
at midnight on Rafael Martínez Nadal Expressway, near the exit for
the Tren Urbano. Unknown assailants shot two men to death and left
a third in critical condition. The victims were in a green 1997 Geo
Tracker. Police are investigating, and are looking into whether the
incident started as a car to car shooting.

HIGLER KILLER OUT, WEARING MONITOR

Gerardo De La Paz, the man accused of killing Dutch globetrotter Laurens

Higler in a hit and run accident, has been released by the authorities after

he posted bail, which had been set at $20,000. De La Paz has to wear a

monitoring bracelet. The 49-year-old Puerto Rican man resides in the

continental U.S. and had been visiting the island since December. De La

Paz has been charged with negligent homicide and leaving the scene of

an accident.

GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE SEEKS UFO SUPPORT

From The San Juan Daily Star:

Ufologist Reynaldo Ríos, who is running for governor of Puerto Rico
in the next election, said he wants to build a “UFO landing strip”
on the island, something he believes is the solutionto Puerto Rico’s
economic problems. In that sense, he acknowledged that while he has
been mocked because of his ideas, other countries take the idea of
the existence of aliens seriously. “I want to create the UFO airport,
the project that was ignored in 2005, and I think it will help the
island get out of the economic crisis,” he told Foro Noticioso. “If
I run for elective office, the idea will be taken more seriously.”

PONCE DEFENDS WORK HOUR CUTS

From Caribbean Business:

Faced with the possibility of dismissing 1,200 employees, Ponce
administrator Eliezer Velázquez defended measures taken by the Mayor
María "Mayita" Meléndez in light of Puerto Rico’s economic condition.
"I want to make it clear that, given the economic situation facing
the island, in the town of Ponce we have done what we have had to
do," Velázquez said. He explained that, like Ponce, other municipa-
lities have reduced working hours, contracts and salaries as well as
municipal expenditures to bring finances into order.


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