Puerto Rico News Digest For April 7, 2016

DEBT MORATORIUM SIGNED INTO LAW

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"Gov. Alejandro García Padilla on Wednesday rebuked those who have ex-
pressed opposition to the Emergency Moratorium and Financial Rehabilita-
tion of Puerto Rico Act, which will enable him to declare a comprehensive 
moratorium on the commonwealth’s debt payments while providing a new
receivership process to deal with the financially battered Government De-
velopment Bank (GDB). Having signed the legislation into law Wednesday 
after it was approved by the island House of Representatives, the governor 
will be able to declare a moratorium on the payments of debts including ge-
neral obligations (GOs) and Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corp. (COFI-
NA by its Spanish acronym) bonds..."

US APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS PR GAY MARRIAGE

From Caribbean Business:

"A U.S. appeals court has ruled that Puerto Rico can’t prohibit gay marriage.
The court overruled a federal judge who said a U.S. Supreme Court decision 
allowing gay couples to marry anywhere in the United States does not apply 
on the island because it is a U.S. territory, and not a state. The appeals 
court said Thursday that the district court misconstrued the law and directly
contradicted its mandate..."

SEXUAL ASSAULTS FALL MORE THAN 50%

From Fox News Latino:


"The number of cases of sexual aggression in Puerto Rico has declined
by more than half over the past five years, in large part thanks to the gro-
wing awareness among women of their rights. "We're observing a greater
resistance on the part of women," clinical psychologist Maria Ward, the
director of the Rape Victims Aid Center, told EFE coinciding with the
celebration of Sexual Assault Awareness Month on the island. According
to Ward, 2,467 women in Puerto Rico suffered some kind of sexual assault
in 2010, a figure that in 2015 had been reduced by 57 percent to 1,057..."

URBAN OUTFITTERS TO OPEN AT MALL OF SJ

From News Is My Business:

"Lifestyle and fashion apparel retailer Urban Outfitters Inc. will be ope-
ning its first store in Puerto Rico in September at The Mall of San Juan,
this media outlet has learned. While mall officials would not comment on
the chain’s fall arrival, Liz Witty-Freet, field talent manager for Urban
Outfitters, confirmed the date.Urban Outfitters joins Anthropologie and
Free People — which also belong to Urban Outfitters Inc. — and are al-
ready present at The Mall of San Juan..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For December 11, 2015

BHATIA CONDEMNS GOP FISCAL BILL

From Caribbean Business:

"If Congress does not approve Chapter 9 protections for Puerto Rico
before the end of the year, Bhatia said that the commonwealth will
have to default on Jan. 1 and deal with the legal consequences.“The
proposals set forth by Republicans are not acceptable to anyone at
the moment. I think we have to reject them or amend them,” Bhatia
said in a radio interview. “There is a lot of work to be done during
this week and the next to amend that [bill], and obtain acceptable
proposals for Puerto Rico,” he added. The Puerto Rico Assistance
Act provides short-term tax relief to workers and makes $3 billion
in funds available to the commonwealth, but stops short of granting
the commonwealth access to Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection..."

PR SHOPLIFTING LOSSES AT $490M

From News Is My Business:

"Puerto Rico retailers and the government are losing some $490 million
in annual revenue as a result of shoplifting and organized crime, mem-
bers of the Puerto Rico Marketing, Industry and Food Distribution Cham-
ber said Wednesday. The problem also affects consumers, who pay higher
prices as businesses attempt to compensate for the costs. A portion of tho-
se losses are also attributed to uncollected sales and use tax revenue that
the Puerto Rico Treasury Department is failing to receive..."

PREPA RESTRUCTURING EXTENSION EXPECTED

From San Juan Daily Star:

"As the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) secured another
extension from bondholders to get insurance companies to sign onto an
agreement to restructure the agency’s $8.2 billion of debt and for comm-
onwealth lawmakers to approve the proposal, financial analyst Daniel
Hanson said Wednesday that he is not surprised by the news. The agree-
ment extends termination dates on an earlier accord between PREPA and
investors owning about 35 percent of the agency’s bonds to Dec. 17, the
utility said in a statement. The pact, which was set to expire Thursday,
was extended for a third time since being signed last month..."

FIRST SAME SEX ADOPTION APPROVED

From Latin Correspondent:

"A court in Puerto Rico has allowed adoption by same-sex couples for
the first time in the country’s history. Judge Ladi Buono De Jesús today
answered Ángeles Judith Acosta Rodríguez’s request to adopt her partner
Carmen Milagros Vélez Vega’s biological child Juliana. The minor will
remain in the national registry under both women’s surnames, according
to Vanguardia.  This was the second time that the couple attempted the
claim..."

COMERIO TWITTER TROLL ARRESTED

From Fox News Latino:

"A Puerto Rico man accused of creating 300 Twitter accounts to harass
people online has been arrested in the first case of its kind for the U.S.
territory, authorities said Tuesday. The island's Justice Department said
27-year-old Omar Falcon Torres is suspected of operating under the na-
me "MedeaBot" for two years. He faces charges that include stalking,
misappropriation of identity and intimidating witnesses in part by send-
ing people "violent sexual imagery" and using violent language, authori-
ties said..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For August 17, 2015

WEEKEND RAINS RAISE RESERVOIR LEVELS

The rains that soaked much of Puerto Rico over this past weekend helped
raise the levels of several of the island's water reservoirs, including emba-
ttled Carraízo, which saw a rise of 31 centimeters. users of the Carraízo
reservoir, which serves much of the San Juan metro area, are still under
a water rationing plan which only gives them running water two days a
week, and which is expected to continue, according to the President of
AAA, Alberto Lázaro. The reservoir that made the biggest gains over the
weekend was Guajataca, which increased by 74 centimeters. However, La
Plata reservoir did not see any level rises during the period of rain. La Plata's
users are currently under a 48-hour water rationing plan, which may soon be
extended.

DOZENS TIE THE KNOT AT MASS GAY WEDDING

From Caribbean Business:

More than 60 same-sex couples are marrying Sunday in Old San Juan,
the first time an event of this nature takes place on the island after the
recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage, fo-
llowed by Gov. Alejandro García Padilla’s executive order to change
local laws accordingly. “It’s a historic day for Puerto Rico, since we
show diversity,” lawyer Ada Conde, a long-time civil rights advocate,
told Inter News Service. Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision
in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage throughout the na-
tion, including Puerto Rico, where Article 68 of the Civil Code defined
marriage as the union “between a man and a woman.”

TREASURY COLLECTS $626.5M IN JULY

From News Is My Business:

The Puerto Rico Treasury Department announced Friday that General Fund
net revenues totaled $626.5 million in July 2015 — the first month of Fiscal
2016 — representing a $2.3 million increase when compared to July 2014.
Collections were $21.1 million above estimates, Treasury Secretary Juan Za-
ragoza said. Sales and Use Tax (SUT) collections totaled $154.3 million in
July 2015, a $40.6 million, or 35.7 percent, year-over-year increase and the
highest amount of revenues for any month since the inception of the SUT.

TURTLE EGG DESTRUCTION INVESTIGATED

From Fox News Latino:

Environmental agencies in Puerto Rico are investigating the destruction of 99
eggs of the endangered leatherback turtle that were found in a nest on a beach
in San Juan, activist Deborah Feliciano told EFE Friday. Feliciano, a member
of the government-sponsored 7 Quillas group that is charged with keeping wa-
tch on the beaches of Condado and Ocean Park, found that the eggs were rotten,
the nest was inundated with water, and there was a distinct smell of excrement
in the air. She said the group reported the situation to Puerto Rico's Natural Re-
sources Department, or DRNA, and to the Board of Environmental Quality.

Puerto Rico News Digest for August 13, 2015

CARRAIZO ALMOST OUT OF SERVICE

As a long drought continues to punish Puerto Rico, the Carraízo water
reservoir -- which serves much of the San Juan metro area -- has dropped
26 centimeters today, leaving it  3.34 meters away from being rendered as
inoperable. The La Plata reservoir went down 11 centimeters since yester-
day. Carraízo water customers are currently being subjected to three-day
water rationing due to the low levels. Levels for all major reservoirs are
shown in the above graph. Carraízo is on the far left.

GOV'T LAWYERS CONSIDER JANUARY SCENARIOS

From The San Juan Daily Star:

Government lawyers are analyzing all the possible scenarios to determine
which debt can be left unpaid and which can not. The recent default on a
$58 million debt of the Public Finance Corporation on Aug. 1 was actually
a calculated move because the government knows that bondholders had li-
ttle legal recourse because it is a moral obligation that depends upon a leg-
islative appropriation, sources said. Regarding other types of debt, bond-
holders can expect a recovery rate between 35 to 65% on a series of diffe-
rent bonds traded by Puerto Rico in the event of a default, according to in-
formation compiled by Bloomberg. The publication reported on data conta-
ining the most recent trading prices of bonds that aren’t insured against
default.

USDA: 13 CITIES DECLARED DISASTER AREAS

From Caribbean Business:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 13 municipali-
tiesin Puerto Rico as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and lo-
sses caused by a recent drought. Those municipalities are Arroyo, Fajardo,
Patillas, Canovanas, Las Piedras, Río Grande, Carolina, Luquillo, Trujillo
Alto, Cayey, Maunabo, Yabucoa and Cidra. Farmers and ranchers in the fo-
llowing municipalities in Puerto Rico also qualify for natural disaster assis-
tance because their municipalities are contiguous. Those municipalities are
Aguas Buenas, Comerio, Loiza, Aibonito, Guayama, Naguabo, Barranquitas,
Gurabo, Salinas, Caguas, Humacao, San Juan, Ceiba, Juncos and San Loren-
zo.

PR PREPARES FOR MASS GAY WEDDING

From US News & World Report:

More than 60 gay couples are preparing to exchange vows at a mass wedding
in Puerto Rico, celebrating a U.S. Supreme Court ruling affecting the socia-
lly conservative U.S. territory, organizers said Wednesday.Most of the cou-
ples are Puerto Ricans, but others from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba
and Venezuela also are participating in the event scheduled for Sunday in
San Juan's colonial district. "This is a historic event for all of Puerto Rico,"
said organizer Ada Conde, an attorney who had filed a federal lawsuit seek-
ing to have her gay marriage recognized in the U.S. territory prior to the Su-
preme Court decision. "This is not a show. This is not a parade. This is a so-
lemn event to celebrate the fruit of our sacrifice." Conde said she anticipated
protests and noted that police officers would be posted at the ceremony.

Puerto Rico News Digest For June 26, 2015

LA PLATA RATIONING ZONE EXPANDS

Puerto Rico's water utility, Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AAA),
announced yesterday that additional areas will be added to the La Plata Sur water
rationing zone effective immediately. In the town of Naranjito, the following areas
have been added: Achiote 1, 2 & 3, Barrio Nuevo, Bunker Hill, El Cerro, Guadia-
na, Jardines de Naranjito, Lomas del Viento, Lomas García, Los Cuadrados, Mu-
litas, Sector Los Hoyos, Valle Verde Villa Embroya and Zona Urbana. In Corozal:
Abras, Barrio Pueblo, María del Carmen, Mavilla and Monterrey. Hacienda de
Dorado in the town of Dorado has also been added, along with Marzán in Vega Alta.
Most areas in Toa Alta which were not under rationing before will now join the La
Plata Sur zone as well. To verify if your area is now under rationing, check the in-
teractive La Plata rationing zone map above.

GAY MARRIAGE LEGAL IN ALL US, INCLUDING PR

This morning, the Supreme Court of the United States reached a decision which

effectively legalizes same-sex marriage in all of the United States, including any

territories under its jurisdiction. This means that gay marriage is now also legal

in Puerto Rico. Religious leaders on the island have been quick to express their

disappointment at the court's decision, while many members of the gay commu-

nity are expressing their joy at this milestone ruling. Governor Padilla has ex-
pressed his support for the Court's decision, and is expected to sign an execu-
tive order soon to facilitate the ruling's enforcement on the island.

2:30 PM Update: Governor Padilla has just signed an executive order to faci-
litate the issuing of marriage licences without distinction in 15 days.

DATA POINTS TO DROPPING SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"Puerto Rico Statistics Institute President Mario Marazzi on Wednesday made pu-
blic the Annual Statistics of the Puerto Rico Educational System 2012-2013 which
reveals, among other things, a reduction in the number of students enrolled in the
public school system. The statistics also highlight a rise in the enrollment of stu-
dents in the Special Education Program. “This annual report presents a statistical
profile of all educational levels (pre-primary, primary, secondary, post-secondary,
and university), both for the public sector and for the private sector and non-profits,”
Marazzi said. The data off ered by Marazzi indicates that in the public school sys-
tem the number of schools under the island Education Department during the sta-
tistical period increased from 1,451 to 1,466, while the number of students atten-
ding public schools went down from 452,740 to 434,609..."

GUN LAWS COULD CHANGE AFTER COURT CASE

From Ammoland:

"A surprising victory for gun rights in Puerto Rico has eliminated the firearms re-
gistry and licensing requirements to purchase and carry in the Commonwealth, the
Second Amendment Foundation has confirmed. As of now, according to Sandra
Barreras with Ladies of the Second Amendment (LSA), the group that brought the
lawsuit, “there is no regulation to purchase or carry (and) all purchases will be han-
dled in accordance with federal firearms regulations.” LSA is affiliated with SAF
through the International Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights
(IAPCAR). The class-action lawsuit challenged various articles in Puerto Rico’s
gun law, which the court declared unconstitutional. Because of the ruling, Barre-
ras said, Puerto Ricans may now carry openly or concealed without a permit, and
they do not need to obtain a permit before purchasing a firearm..."

NEW SEA STAR CRANES ARRIVE IN PUERTO RICO

From Caribbean Business:

"Sea Star Line's newly acquired cranes arrived Thursday morning to the Port of San
Juan, as part of the shipping company's $400 million investment for the Puerto Rico
trade. Iván Burgos, chief operating officer for Sea Star, along with Ingrid Colberg
Rodríguez, executive director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority, were at the port's
terminal to receive the equipment..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For April 30, 2015

TAX REFORM FAILS IN HOUSE 

From Caribbean Business:

After a session that ran past 3 a.m. Thursday, the Puerto Rico
House of Representatives voted down the tax reform bill after
failing to secure enough votes from the Popular Democratic Party
(PDP) majority.Along with the New Progressive Party minority
delegation, PDP Reps. Luisa Gándara, Manuel Natal, Carlos Var-
gas, Ángel Matos, Luis Raúl Torres and Luis Vega Ramos all
voted against the measure. The final vote count was 22 in favor
and 28 against.

JUDGE STOPS GAY MARRIAGE RULING

From The San Juan Daily Star:

San Juan Superior Court Judge Ángel Pagán Ocasio paralyzed a ru-
ling on a lawsuit filed by several New Progressive Party (NPP)
lawmakers who are demanding that the governor defend current law
that declares gay marriage illegal. Pagán Ocasio said he wants to
wait for the U.S. Circuit of Appeals in Boston, which paralyzed
another lawsuit seeking to legalize gay marriage in Puerto Rico
pending a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the matter. The government
decided that it was not going to defend the island’s anti-gay ma-
rriage laws as part of a lawsuit fi led by civil rights activist Ada
Conde and her wife, who were married in the mainland U.S. As
a result, several NPP lawmakers went to court to demand that the
government defend current law.

$1.9M IN COCAINE SEIZED NEAR PR

From Yahoo! News:

Authorities in Puerto Rico have seized nearly 150 pounds (68 kilo-

grams) of cocaine near an uninhabited island just west of the U.S. 

territory. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement 

Wednesday that the drugs are worth an estimated $1.9 million. 

INVESTORS OFFER PREPA 30-DAY EXTENSION

From Bloomberg:

Investors in the debt of Puerto Rico’s power utility have offered 

a 30-day extension of a creditor agreement that expires Thursday, 

according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Prepa, as 

the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority is known, has $8.6 billion 

of securities. Under the bondholder offer, the electricity provider 

would give creditors a restructuring plan by June 1, said the person,

who requested anonymity because an agreement hasn’t been reached.

Puerto Rico News Digest For April 15, 2015

JEB BUSH TO RAISE FUNDS IN PUERTO RICO

As reported today by El Nuevo Dia, former Florida Governor and potential
Republican Presidential candidate Jeb Bush will visit Puerto Rico on April
28. Bush will participate in a $1,000-a-plate fundraising luncheon at a Repu-
blican Party delegate's house in Caparra, as well as a public town hall meet-
ing in Bayamón. The former Governor is a Spanish speaker, and is married
to a Hispanic woman, which is expected to help him in the island's Republican
primaries next year. Bush has yet to officially announce his 2016 presidential
candidacy.

PUERTA DE TIERRA HOUSING PROJECT DEMOLISHED

From The San Juan Daily Star:

The demolition of seven buildings that housed 336 residential units in the
former Puerta de Tierra public housing project in San Juan kicked off Monday
morning, Housing Department Secretary Alberto Lastra and Public Housing
Administrator Gabriel López announced in a joint statement. “The final stage
of  the transformation of Puerta de Tierra community begins today,” Lastra
said. “This demolition makes way for the construction of new housing units
that will enable the integration of diff erent social components to create new
spaces according to contemporary demands. With this new concept, residents
will be empowered in their own urban environment.”

COURT DELAYS PR GAY MARRIAGE CASE

From The Washington Blade:

A federal appeals court has delayed oral arguments in a lawsuit challen-
ging Puerto Rico’s same-sex marriage ban. A one paragraph  ruling the
1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston released  on Tuesday states
“it is premature to set an oral argument date  at this time” because of the
four marriage cases that are currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.

COAST GUARD SEARCHES FOR CRUISE PASSENGER

From Yahoo! News:

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a missing cruise ship passenger
from Ireland suspected of going overboard near Puerto Rico. Spokesman
Ricardo Castrodad said Tuesday that 67-year-old Dominic William O'
Carroll is believed to have gone missing just south of the Puerto Rican
island of Vieques.

PREPA: EXTEND FORBEARANCE AGREEMENTS

From Caribbean Business:

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa) announced Tuesday that
it has offered to extend the existing forbearance agreements by another
15 days pending ongoing discussions. Late Monday, after canceling a dili-
gence meeting scheduled among Prepa and the bondholders’ advisers, a group
of bondholders proposed a 30-day extension of the forbearance agreements.
Among other things, this extension would have required Prepa to set aside
$122.5 million from its debt service reserve fund and also pay a $1 million
amendment fee to the forbearing bondholders. In addition, Prepa would have
been required to work on a plan to pay the bondholders’ obligations, and
to appoint a third-party monitor to review and process the bondholders’
information requests and publish confidential information that would allow
the forbearing bondholders to buy and sell Prepa bonds.

PUERTO RICO TO RECOGNIZE GAY MARRIAGE

From ABC News:

Puerto Rico's Justice Department says it will not defend the territory's
laws banning gay marriage in a major turnaround for the socially
conservative island. Justice Secretary Cesar  Miranda said Friday that
the government can no longer continue to discriminate against the gay
community...

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.

Puerto Rico News Digest For Nov. 6, 2014

MORE YOUNG PEOPLE CONSIDER LEAVING PR

El Nuevo Dia has reported today on results of its recent poll of

Puerto Rico residents that indicate that an increasing number of

Puerto Ricans, especially the young, are considering leaving the

island. The paper found that when it asked whether respondents

might leave the island in the next four years, 34% said yes, 

compared to 27% last year. Among the 18-34 age group, the 

percentage of respondents saying that they see it as 'somewhat 

likely' or 'very likely' that they'll leave Puerto Rico increases to a 

staggering 45%. If the people who have expressed a desire to leave 

were to indeed leave the island over the next four years, it would 

lead to a population drop of about 1 million inhabitants. 

2.9 TREMOR FELT 14 MILES FROM SAN JUAN

According to the US Geological Survey, a magnitude 2.9 tremor

was registered today at approximately 2:35PM AST. The epicenter

was located about 14 miles west of San Juan, with a depth of 63.4

miles. Coordinates are 18.493°N 66.315°W. No damages have

been reported, and are unlikely to have occurred. 

TEXAS CITES PR GAY MARRIAGE DECISION

From The Houston Chronicle:

"Texas officials are citing a federal judge’s decision 

to uphold Puerto Rico’s gay marriage ban in their own 

legal battle over the issue. In a brief filed to the Fifth Circuit 

Court of Appeals on Oct. 28, Texas Solicitor General Jonathan 

F. Mitchell says the judge was right when he ruled Puerto 

Rico’s ban on same-sex marriage should remain intact..."

TRUCKERS PROTEST OIL TAX IN SAN JUAN

From Caribbean Business:

"Traffic was snarled along the rain-soaked streets of San Juan 

on Wednesday morning as hundreds of truckers staged a rolling 

protest against legislation to surge the tax on petroleum.

The caravan, which was centered in a wide area around Capitol

building, also was in protest of an incoming law requiring 

trucks to have double cabins..."

3,000 FEDERAL INMATES MAY WALK FREE

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"The Federal Bureau of Prisons is slated to grant early 

release to more than 46,000 inmates with drug convictions 

in the mainland U.S. and in Puerto Rico after the U.S. 

Sentencing Commission earlier this year agreed to reduce 

draconian drug sentences..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For October 23, 2014

POWER CO. EMPLOYEES SUSPENDED 

El Nuevo Dia reports that three employees of the
island's electrical utility, the Autoridad de Energia
Electrica, have been suspended without pay due to
negligence related to the explosion at the Central
San Juan Power Station on July 13 of this year.
AEE worker Sergio Hernández Muñiz was killed in the
explosion, and three others were injured. Besides
the three suspended workers, three others are under
review and may be penalized as well. The employees
have the option to appeal the disciplinary measures,
and face the possibility of permanently losing their
jobs.

COAST GUARD: PORTS SAFE FROM EBOLA

Gabe Somma, a spokesperson for the US Coast Guard,
has stated that protocols are in place to avoid
infectious diseases such as Ebola from entering US and
Puerto Rican ports. Ships at sea are obligated by law
to inform their destination port at least 96 hours before
arrival as to whether any sick people are on board or if
anyone has died on board in the last 15 days. If a ship
with a person suffering from Ebola symptoms were to
come to port, the Coast Guard would have to notify the
Centers For Disease Control, as well as the island's
Department of Health, according to El Vocero. Hefty
fines would be imposed on violators.

STUDENT WHO DIED IN MEXICO STABBED

Noticel reports that authorities in the state of Jalisco,
Mexico have confirmed that Puerto Rican medical student
Christoffer Ney Ayala Báez died due to stab wounds in
the thorax. The 33-year-old student's body was found
in his Guadalajara apartment on October 11. The Jalisco
Prosecutor General's office is carrying out an investigation
to find those responsible for the man's death. Ayala Báez
was buried in Guaynabo this past Monday.

TWO KILLED IN SAN LORENZO

Two people were murdered at around 11:05 PM last night
on Road PR-181 in the Roosevelt neighborhood of San
Lorenzo, according to Metro.PR. One of the victims was
identified as Ernesto Quiñones, age 30, while the other
victim is still unidentified. Both people were inside a
white Nissan Altima, and a .40 caliber Glock handgun
was recovered nearby by Police. An investigation is
ongoing.

GAY COUPLES TO APPEAL MARRIAGE BAN

From ABC News/Associated Press:


A federal court judge has rejected an attempt to end a
ban on same-sex marriages in Puerto Rico, saying political
order itself depends on traditional marriage and deriding
the logic of courts that have overturned such bans. The
five gay couples who filed the suit will appeal, their
attorney said Wednesday.