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..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For April 8, 2015

PR GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN POSSIBLE 

From The San Juan Daily Star:

The possibility of a government closing like the one that took place
in 2006 in Puerto Rico is real because of falling revenues, Treasury
Secretary Juan Zaragoza said Monday. “The turning point is April.
That is when we will know,” he said. “So far, we are positive. We co-
llect through tax withholdings over the course of the year, but the
important part of the year is April.” Zaragoza said in a radio inter-
view that the budget is expected to end in deficit. The revenues ob-
tained by April 15 through income taxes will be crucial in determi-
ning  if the government will have to close or not before the end of
the current fiscal year in June.

AUTOEXPRESO FINE AMNESTY STARTS TOMORROW

The Transportation and Roads Authority will begin an amnesty program

on April 9th for drivers who have incurred fines for non-payment of tolls

on AutoExpreso lanes. Fines will be reduced to $15 for each violation,

plus the cost of the toll that was originally unpaid. The program will be 

available until October 5 of this year. Payments can be made at CESCO

or AutoExpreso offices across the island. For questions, call 787-494-0935 

or email autoexpresoact@dtop.gov.pr.

MALL OF SAN JUAN LOOKS FOR NEW GM

From Caribbean Business:

Manuel Vázquez, the general manager of The Mall of San Juan, a nearly
half-billion-dollar high-end shopping center recently opened in the
Puerto Rico capital, has reportedly left the company. Vázquez, a retail
industry veteran, was responsible for all shopping center operations
as well as retailer and community relations, marketing, sponsorship
and grand opening preparations for Taubman Centers’ only mall in the
Caribbean.

FAKE NAVY SEAL CAUGHT IN PUERTO RICO

From WFAA:

Carlos Luna-Gonzalez wore a Navy lieutenant junior grade uniform with
a SEAL trident, a Purple Heart, and jump wings. He was arrested on
charges of impersonating a ranking officer and theft in a sting operation
in November 2014 after he accepted a "firearm of appreciation" for his
allegedly false service. But police say Gonzalez jumped bond and took off
for Puerto Rico. "That's a touchy subject with a lot of us vets," said
Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler on Tuesday. Sheriff Fowler asked
Puerto Rico police for help. Monday night, he got word they had his man.

PR RESIDENTS GET DISABILITY FOR NO ENGLISH

From ABC News:

A federal audit has found that some Puerto Ricans living in the U.S.
territory have received disability benefits in part because they could
not speak English. The Office of the Inspector General for the Social
Security Administration said in a report issued this month that there
were 218 cases from 2011 to 2013 in which benefits were granted under
those circumstances.

AEROSTAR PUMPS $800M INTO LMM AIRPORT

From News Is My Business:

In its first two years as the operator of the Luis Muñoz Marín Inter-
national Airport, Aerostar Airport Holdings has pumped $800 million
into the facility that is already showing an improved and more modern
look and feel, and saw a 3 percent increase in passenger traffic last
year. During a meeting with members of the media, Aerostar CEO Agustín
Arellano offered a rundown of the projects completed since the company
took over the management of the LMM in February 2013.