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 July 7, 2017

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE KILLS WOMAN

An as of yet unidentified 19-year-old woman was murdered by her boyfriend shortly after 6:30 this morning at the Juana Matos public housing project in Cataño. The victim had filed reports of domestic violence against her in the past, with the most recent one happening only yesterday. The 30-year-old male perpetrator attempted to commit suicide after shooting the woman, but was unsuccessful and was taken to hospital after being arrested by police. The killer had a record of previous domestic violence incidents.

PREPA RATE HIKE GETS POSTPONED

From Caribbean Business:

"The Puerto Rico Energy Commission (PREC) has granted the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s (Prepa) request to postpone until Oct. 1 a permanent rate hike that was slated to go into effect this month..."

MEDICAL POT DISPENSARY OPENS IN GUAYNABO

From News Is My Business:

"...Clínica Verde inaugurated Thursday a clinic at the Borinquen Towers on Roosevelt Ave. in Guaynabo. The 4,000 square-foot property entailed an investment of more than $1.5 million, and will provide a variety of six different cannabis-related products..."

PR FACES OFF AGAINST ANGOLA IN WORLD BASKETBALL

From AllAfrica:

"The Angolan under19 men's basketball team, third in group D in the first stage of the world championship in Cairo are playing this Friday at 1 p.m Puerto Rico, for the consolation phase from the 9th and 16th place..."

GUTIERREZ BLASTS RIVERA SCHATZ OVER LGBT SLUR

From Windy City Times:

"Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez ( D-IL ) responded to Thomas Rivera Schatz, Puerto Rican Senate President, who used the masculine pronoun "señor" repeatedly to describe Ana Matosantos, the only female member of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For July 5, 2016

GOVT MAKES PARTIAL INTEREST PAYMENT

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"The government of Puerto Rico said it would pay at least part of the interest
on bonds that came due at midnight on Friday, but in any case foresaw the grea-
test default on the debt to date. The different bonds that came due July 1 totaled
nearly $2 billion, of which some $700 million were general obligation (GO) bo-
nds, according to a CyberNews report. This type of bond is guaranteed by the
Puerto Rico Constitution, which assures that their payment has priority over any
other public expenditure that the commonwealth administration has incurred..."

PR UNVEILS FIRST LGBT MONUMENT

From The Advocate:

"Puerto Rico has unveiled its first LGBT monument, which also serves as a me-
morial to the 49 victims of the June 12 massacre at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub.
Most of the people killed were LGBT and Latino, and a majority of the victims
were of Puerto Rican descent. The monument, located in San Juan’s Third Mill-
ennium Park, is comprised of seven rectangular columns in rainbow colors, and
sits at the entrance to the Escobar the Sixth Stadium...At the base of the monum-
ent is a plaque highlighting the names of the 23 Puerto Rican victims killed in the
massacre, with the additional 26 victims listed below..."

BANKRUPTCIES REMAIN FLAT IN JUNE

From News Is My Business:

"Puerto Rico’s bankruptcy levels remained flat last month, when the total number
of companies and individuals who turned to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for help
was up by two cases when compared to the same month in 2015. So far this year,
there are 5,291 bankruptcy cases on file, representing a 5.06 percent increase from
the same six-month period last year..."

NPP HOISTS 51-STAR US FLAG

From Caribbean Business:

"The secretary-general of the New Progressive Party (NPP), William Villafañe,
on Monday, July 4, removed the U.S. flag from on its pole at party headquarters
and hoisted a new flag, with 51 stars. The event comes about as part of an initia-
tive calling for the U.S. government to “respect the will of the people and give
way to a decolonization process in which statehood is attained,” Villafañe said
...Villafañe added that during the NPP’s monthly directors’ meeting, to be held
Tuesday, a resolution will be presented so all of the party’s municipal committe-
es hoist the 51-star flag “to deliver the message of equality and statehood,” he
said...'

Puerto Rico News Digest For June 15, 2016

PUERTO RICO MOURNS ORLANDO VICTIMS

From US News/AP:

"Puerto Ricans held somber vigils and prepared to bury many of their own
after authorities said nearly half of those killed at a gay night club in Florida
had ties to the U.S. territory. Officials said that while it's still unclear how ma-
ny of the 23 Puerto Ricans killed were born on the U.S. mainland or had mo-
ved there from the island, they expect many of them to be laid to rest in Puer-
to Rico in the coming days...The shooting early Sunday at the Pulse nightclub
in Orlando that killed 49 people has shaken Puerto Rico's gay community and
shocked the U.S. territory as a whole..."

US SENATE TO CONSIDER PROMESA IN JUNE

From Caribbean Business:

"Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday the Senate will consider a
rescue package to ease Puerto Rico’s financial crisis before the U.S. territory’s
$2 billion payment to creditors is due July 1. The House overwhelmingly pa-
ssed legislation to create a new control board and restructure some of Puerto
Rico’s $70 billion debt last week. The Senate is expected to take up the same
bill “sometime before the end of the month,” McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters
Tuesday..."

FBI INVESTIGATES BANKER'S DEATH IN PR

From The New York Times:

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified possible suspects in its long-
running investigation into the murder of a banker in Puerto Rico,  but it is now
asking the public for help in solving the 2011 killing. Five years ago this week,
Maurice Spagnoletti, a top executive at Doral Financial, the holding company
that owned a Puerto Rico bank, was gunned down on his way home from work
in San Juan...The F.B.I. announced on Tuesday a $20,000 reward for information
that leads to an arrest..."

LIBERTY LAUNCHES HBO NOW IN PUERTO RICO

From News Is My Business:

"Starting [yesterday], Liberty Puerto Rico’s customers will begin to enjoy HBO
NOW, a new service from HBO for internet customers who want to watch the
network’s programming but are not subscribed to a video service. Liberty Puer-
to Rico is the only telecom provider to offer this service on the island, the com-
pany said. HBO NOW is an independent streaming service from HBO Networks
that provides unlimited access to all of HBO’s programming, including series, mo-
vies, documentaries and specials..."

The Lesson We Refuse To Learn: The Case of Orlando, Florida 2016

Commentary

Tiberiu Dianu

So, it happened again. On June 12, 2016, another Muslim militant, this time 

Omar Mateen, an American citizen of an Afghan origin, a self-declared ISIS-

inspired fighter, and a registered Democrat (a detail the press does not want 

to emphasize), opened fire in a gay club in the city of Orlando, Florida, kill-

ing 50 people and injuring other 53 (to date) in what is now being called “the 

deadliest mass shooting in the United States and the nation’s worst terror 

attack since 9/11,” according to authorities. 

In the period 2008-2016, overlapping comfortably the Obama’s two presi-

dential mandates, several mass shootings took place in the United States, 

with casualties ranging from 12 to 50 dead and 1 to 58 wounded. Let us re-

cap the most notable ones:  Binghamton, New York and Fort Hood, Texas 

(both in 2009), Aurora, Colorado and Newton, Connecticut (both in 2012), 

Washington, DC (2013), Fairfax, Virginia (2014), Charleston, South Caro-

lina and San Bernardino, California (2015), and finally, Orlando, Florida 

(2016).

Some of them were committed by people unsatisfied with their own life, 

but others were cold-blooded executions in the name of Jihad.

And again, the same sickening mass-media’s post-fact scenario repeats 

itself. The (fill in the blank with ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN or FOX) network 

anchor asks the field reporter: “So, tell me about the reactions of the people 

over there” and the reporter goes: “Well, everybody is in a state of shock!” 

After which the network anchor concludes: “Our prayers go to the victims of

...(fill in the blank with the name of the city where the massacre took place).”

I am beginning, for one, to become sick and tired of this crêpe (pardon my
French!). The same thing has been happening over and over again during the
last eight years, with us being “in the state of shock” and sending “prayers to
the victims.” Until when, if I may ask? I am not shocked any more, I am extre-
mely angry. And, no, in my outgrowing cynicism, I do not want to send prayers
to the victims anymore, but instead I want their terrorist attackers to be punished 

according to the military law. And more importantly, I want to see the leaders 

of this country admitting for once the cause of these mass killings, with no po-

liticking spins.

We are living in a perpetual state of denial, where the president of the Republic 

(the lame-duck Barack Obama) keeps on preaching us about “workplace viol-

ence” or “acts of hate,” but refuses to call the shootings for what they are, that 

is “Islamic terrorist acts” when the case applies.

When I was little, my grandmother told me a story about a donkey (not the De-

mocrat one, although it was possible) who, once lost in a dark forest, saw at a 

certain distance behind him what appeared to be the eyes of a wolf, but he refu-

sed to think it might actually be one. When the creature got closer, the donkey

saw his open jaws and rabid fangs but he reassured himself: “No, it’s not the wo-

lf, it cannot be the wolf!” And then, when the wolf planted his teeth into the poor 

donkey’s leg, the donkey yelled: “No, I don’t think it’s the wolf, it cannot be!”

But, finally, when the wolf stuck his fangs into the donkey’s neck, the donkey 

began to roar: “It’s the wooolf! Help! It’s the wooolf!” Sadly for the donkey,

there was no one around to help him anymore.

This coming November we will have to make up our minds and decide if we 

want to play donkeys or not, and who the wolf is.

Tiberiu Dianu is a legal scholar, book author, graduate of the American University Washington 

College of Law in Washington, DC, the University of Manchester Faculty of Law in Manchester, 

UK, and an exchange scholar of the Oxford University in Oxford, UK. He currently lives in Wa-

shington, DC and works for various government and private agencies. The opinions expressed

in the preceding article are those of those of the author alone and do not necessarilly represent

 the views of The Puerto Rico Monitor, its editors or advertisers.

Puerto Rico News Digest For June 10, 2016

SUPREME COURT: PR NOT SOVEREIGN

From Caribbean Business:

"The Supreme Court says Puerto Rico remains a U.S. territory without the
independent powers of a sovereign state when it comes to enforcement of
criminal law. The justices’ 6-2 ruling on the Puerto Rico v. Sánchez Valle
case says Congress is the ultimate source of the island’s legal power even
though Puerto Rico has its own constitution. “The Double Jeopardy Clause
bars Puerto Rico and the United States from successively prosecuting a sin-
gle person for the same conduct under equivalent criminal laws,” reads the
court’s decision, which was released Thursday morning..."

US HOUSE PASSES 'PROMESA' BILL

The U.S. House of Representatives passed bill HR5278, more commonly kn-

own as 'Promesa' yesterday evening by a vote of  297-127. The bill would es-

tablish an unelected financial control board which would be involved in restr-

ucturing Puerto Rico's $70 billion in debt and managing the territory's finances. 

'Promesa' now goes to the Senate, and if approved there, would go then to Pre-

sident Obama, whose signature would turn the bill into law. Puerto Rico has a 

$2 billion debt payment due on July 1, and it is hoped that the bill can be sig-

ned into law by that time. 'Promesa' has been controversial on the island, with 

supporters claiming it is necessary to avoid a complete economic meltdown, 

while opponents have expressed concerns over Puerto Rico's government sp-

ending being under the control of an unelected board.

COUPLE ARRESTED FOR CARJACKING

From US Attorney's Office:

"A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment [on Wednesday] agai-
nst two individuals for carjacking, announced United States Attorney Rosa
Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of
the investigation. The indictment alleges that on or about June 2, 2016, in the
District of Puerto Rico, Bernard Díaz-Pérez and Jessenia Salgado-Ortiz, aid-
ing and abetting each other, with the intent to cause death and serious bodily
harm, did take a motor vehicle, to wit: a red 2008 Scion, model XD, that had
been transported, shipped or received in interstate or foreign commerce, from
the presence of F.N.R., by force, violence and intimidation, resulting in serious
bodily injury, that is, sexually assaulting a female passenger, all while using a
replica gun..."

PR LURES LGBT TOURISTS DESPITE ZIKA

From PRTC:

"The Puerto Rican Tourism Company (PRTC) is currently reporting a 100%
occupancy rate for local hotel partners in Boquerón, Puerto Rico—and the su-
rrounding areas on the west coast—with no reported cancellations, as travelers
flock to Puerto Rico in celebration of LGBT Pride weekend. Dozens of hotels
in the west region are currently booked to capacity in the area where key Pride
activities are taking place from June 9-12, 2016, even with heightened Zika
awareness..."

Puerto Rico Relaxes School Uniform Rules for LGBT Students

From ABC News:

By DANICA COTO
ASSOCIATED PRESS


Students at public schools across Puerto Rico for the first time can 
choose to wear pants or skirts as part of their uniform regardless of 
their gender without being punished, a move that has unleashed a 
debate in this socially conservative island.

Education Secretary Rafael Roman said Monday that the new regu-
lation he recently signed is meant to be inclusive of gay, lesbian and 
transgender students. He added that teachers will no longer be allow-
ed to discipline students who prefer to wear pants instead of skirts or 
vice versa.

"No student can be sanctioned for not opting to wear a particular pie-
ce of clothing ... that he or she does not feel comfortable with," he told 
reporters...[CONTINUE READING]

Puerto Rico News Digest For August 14, 2015

PIERLUISI SEEKS PR DROUGHT RELIEF

From The San Juan Daily Star:

Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi on Wednesday wrote
a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter formally requesting that
the Department of Defense (DOD) review all authorities in federal law and
all available federal resources that may facilitate helping the Puerto Rico
Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) restore water service in munici-
palities aff ected by the drought. “The drought has had many adverse conse-
quences.… Households and businesses in the greater San Juan metropolitan
area must live without running water for three days for every day their taps
are turned on,” Pierluisi stated in his letter to Carter...The letter also menti-
ons multiple ideas that have been brought forward in recent days about the
kinds of assistance that the DOD might be able to provide. This includes
deploying Navy ships to Puerto Rico that have desalinization capabilities,
and activating the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to drill new water wells
or provide a supply of emergency drinking water that would supplement
PRASA resources.

GOVERNOR SIGNS PRO-TRANSGENDER LAWS

From HRC:

Governor Alejandro García Padilla signed two pro-LGBT executive orders
in Puerto Rico on Monday.The first would prohibit discrimination in hospi-
tals based on gender identity. The other would allow transgender people to
change their gender on their Puerto Rican driver’s license. “My administra-
tion is committed to the eradication of all forms of discrimination,” the go-
vernor said is a statement. “The lack of this type of regulation in these areas
limits the full development of citizens belonging to transsexual and transgen-
der communities, lacerating their dignity, their access to health and quality
of life. This type of discrimination directly affects aspects of everyday life
such as employment, family and safety; and that is no longer acceptable in
Puerto Rico."

COTTO VS CANELO SET FOR VEGAS

From LA Times:

Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto and Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez announ-
ced Thursday they will fight Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Ca-
sino in Las Vegas, renewing a rivalry expected to be a slugfest. “I feel very
happy that Cotto and I will write our own story and continue the legacy of
great fights between Mexicans and Puerto Ricans,” Alvarez (45-1-1, 32
knockouts) told The Times in Spanish during a telephone interview with
his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, translating. “I’m embracing this rivalry.”
HBO will televise the bout on pay-per-view, and the catch-weight limit
will be 155 pounds, five less than the middleweight limit.

MORE THAN 100 OFFICIALS LOBBY FOR PR

From News Is My Business:

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. on Thursday sent a letter, in
conjunction with more than 100 elected officials from across the nation,
demanding immediate action from Congress to enact legislation that will
allow Puerto Rico to enter bankruptcy. “The interests of the Puerto Rican
community, whether they are in Puerto Rico, New York, New Jersey, Ca-
lifornia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida or anywhere else are Ame-
rican interests,” the letter stated...In the letter, the officials asked Con-
gressmen Orrin Hatch, Charles Grassley and Bob Goodlatte — the law-
makers responsible for reviewing a pair of companion bills known as the
Puerto Rico Chapter 9 Uniformity Act of 2015 that seek to extend bank-
ruptcy protection to the island’s public instrumentalities — to “act imme-
diately and enact legislation.”