Puerto Rico News Digest For June 30, 2016

PROMESA PASSES SENATE, GOES TO OBAMA

From Caribbean Business:

"Congress delivered relief to debt-stricken Puerto Rico on Wednesday,
sending President Barack Obama a last-minute financial rescue package
to help the U.S. territory of 3.5 million Americans. The Senate passed the
bill on a bipartisan 68-30 vote..."

35 PEOPLE CHARGED WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING

From US Attorney's Office:

"On June 23, 2016, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico retur-
ned an indictment against 35 defendants charged with conspiracy to distrib-
ute controlled substances, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United
States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Drug Enforcement Ad-
ministration and the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), Ponce Strike
Force Unit, are in charge of the investigation. The indictment alleges that be-
ginning in 2012, the organization distributed heroin, crack, cocaine, and ma-
rihuana, at the Rafael López Nussa, Ernesto Ramos Antonini and the Dr. Ma-
nuel De La Pila Iglesias Public Housing Projects in Ponce; and the El Pino
Ward in Villalba, Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit. The
thirty-five defendants acted in different roles in order to further the goals of
their organization, to wit: leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, se-
llers, and facilitators. Ten defendants are facing one charge of possession of
firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime..."

PREPA TO ENACT PROVISIONAL RATE HIKE

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority government power company will
impose a provisional rate increase of 1.299 cents per kilowatt-hour on clients
in the coming weeks after winning approval from the Puerto Rico Energy Co-
mmission. The rate hike is among several requirements the utility must fulfill
as part of a proposed deal with creditors to restructure nearly $9 billion debt..."

AC HOTEL BREAKS GROUND IN CONDADO

From News Is My Business:

"The groundbreaking ceremony for the first AC Hotel by Marriott in San Juan
took place Wednesday for what will be a $45 million investment by Ashford
1369 Hospitality, LLC, an affiliate of Interlink, which acquired the former Am-
bassador Plaza & Casino property in Condado. The investment includes a com-
prehensive renovation of the property to convert it into the Marriott brand..."

Renace Condado Summer Mixer Event May 25

Renace Condado Town Hall Meeting on Crime

"An opportunity to discuss plans for Crime Prevention. Join in efforts to improve our 
community. Neighborhood groups are welcome to join us!"

https://www.facebook.com/events/884499458340034/

Puerto Rico News Digest For March 11, 2015

PLANE RECOVERED FROM CONDADO LAGOON

As reported by Noticel, a Piper PA-23 aircraft that crashed into
Condado Lagoon in San Juan on Monday afternoon has been re-
covered.   Pilot Rafael Pesquera, age 49, and co-pilot Ramón
Garida, also 49, were not seriously injured. Authorities dragged
the fallen aircraft to the shore of the lagoon yesterday, and it will
be taken to Isla Grande airport once fuel and the wings are remo-
ved. The exact cause of the accident is unknown, but apparently
the plane's engines stopped functioning not long after takeoff
from Isla Grande.

SOME INMATES TO LOSE VOTING RIGHTS

As reported today by El Vocero, the Chamber of Representatives
passed a bill last night that would strip prison inmates convicted
of major offenses of the right to vote in Puerto Rican elections.
Representative Carlos Vargas was behind the measure, and was
ableto get the votes to pass it as part of a deal in which he would
vote for the proposed oil tax increase, or "crudita". It is unknown
whether Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla will sign the bill.

LOWERING IVA ON SOME ITEMS CONSIDERED

From The San Juan Daily Star:

After meeting for several hours with House leaders, Gov. Alejandro
García Padilla is now accepting the idea of amending Tax Reform to
possibly introduce reduced rates of the value-added tax to certain
products and services and obtain needed votes in the House to pass
the bill. House Speaker Jaime Perelló and Majority Leader Charlie
Hernández met with the governor hours before he was slated to go
to the airwaves in support of his tax reform.

PR JOINS DIET SUPPLEMENT PROBE 

From The Chicago Tribune:

Dietary supplements are facing more scrutiny from U.S. regulators
as two states and Puerto Rico joined New York in a probe of the
$33 billion industry after testing showed some products didn't
appear to contain key ingredients advertised. Attorneys general in
Connecticut and Indiana and the Puerto Rico Department of Consumer
Affairs will investigate industry business practices and whether
claims of authenticity and purity are valid, Attorney General Eric
Schneiderman said Tuesday in a statement.

CLARO EXTENDS BROADBAND IN YAUCO

From News Is My Business:

Telecommunications company Claro announced Monday it has extended
broadband services to eight sectors in the town of Yauco, where a
combined 965 families will have access to the benefits associated
with high-speed Internet. The sectors of Algarrobo, Caimito,
Collores, Rancheras, Cotuy, Diego Hernández, Aguas Blancas, Naranjo
and Carrizales in Yauco join the initiative being bankrolled by the
Federal Communications Commission to boost rich broadband across
regions.