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 Governor Calls For Legalizing Pot

Fox News

Puerto Rico's governor has called for the legalization of marijuana during
his last public address as leader of the U.S. territory.

Alejandro Garcia Padilla said Monday that taking such action would lower
crime and target hypocrisy. He said legislators should at a minimum approve
a bill filed in 2013 that would decriminalize marijuana. Puerto Rico's Health
Department recently adopted a regulation allowing the cultivation, manufac-
turing and distribution of medical marijuana...[CONTINUE READING]

Puerto Rico News Digest For January 26, 2016

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL SHUTS DOWN CASINO

From Caribbean Business:

"The casino at the Intercontinental San Juan Hotel, in the Isla Verde sector
of Carolina, closed down operations Monday, the hotel’s management ann-
ounced. It is the ninth casino to close in Puerto Rico in the past five years.
“The operations at InterContinental San Juan Hotel are not affected by this
decision and all aspects related to such will proceed without interruption,”
reads a short statement by the company. “It has been public knowledge that
the casino industry in Puerto Rico has declined in recent years and the casi-
no at the InterContinental San Juan Hotel has also been affected by the si-
tuation,” it added..."

PRISON INMATE MEALS AT RISK

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"New Progressive Party (NPP) Rep. Ángel Muñoz Suárez on Friday deman-
ded concrete answers from designated Corrections Department Secretary Ei-
nar Ramos regarding “the chaotic state the island’s prisons are in, including
the possibility of suspending meal services to more than 20,000 prisoners in
the system.” The NPP lawmaker added that he will be introducing legisla-
tion in the lower chamber so that an immediate investigation can take place
into how the agency’s budget is being used, “particularly regarding where
the assigned funds to purchase foods are going.” The government owes so-
me $11.8 million to Trinity Services LLC, the company that has supplied
food for the past 13 years to the island’s prisons..."

GOVERNOR PARDONS MARIJUANA CONVICT

From Fox News Latino:

"Puerto Rican authorities on Monday released the only citizen remaining 

in jail for smoking marijuana after Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla granted 

the convict a conditional pardon. Jeremy Ruiz Tomassini, 24, had been im-

prisoned for 15 months in the Guerrero de Aguadilla jail after being sen-

tenced to four years behind bars for smoking pot near a school. In October 

2014, and amid a full debate regarding decriminalizing marijuana, Ruiz's 

conviction sparked numerous protests by those arguing that his sentence 

was disproportionate to the crime and would ruin his life..."

7 ARRESTED OVER COCAINE ON CRUISE SHIP

From The Daily Star:

"U.S. authorities say they have arrested seven people after finding 24 po-

unds (11 kilograms) of cocaine aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship just 

before it was to set off on a cruise from San Juan, Puerto Rico. U.S. Cust-

oms and Border Protection said Monday that a dog doing cabin inspections 

aboard the MS Jewel of the Seas found the drugs on Sunday..."

FIRST RED LOBSTER TO OPEN IN DECEMBER

From News Is My Business:

"Puerto Rican firm Restaurant Operators Inc. announced Monday that cons-
truction on the first Red Lobster restaurant in Puerto Rico will begin in May,
through an investment of $2 million. The eatery will open in December 2016
at the Plaza Las Américas shopping center in Hato Rey. The new 7,000 square
-foot restaurant will generate 125 new jobs, ROI executives said. The future
Red Lobster will open in the area formerly occupied by Banco Santander, and
will have the capacity to host 230 guests..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For May 13, 2015

LA PLATA RESERVOIR NEXT FOR RATIONING

Besides the recent imposition of rationing for water customers served by
the Carraízo reservoir, customers served by Lake La Plata may also be
seeing rationing within two weeks, as reported this morning by El Nuevo
Dia. 70,000 water customers will likelybe affected by a rationing plan
starting in June, due to low lake levels. La Plata sat yesterday at 44.26
 meters, seven meters below its optimal level, and 75-80 gallons leave
the reservoir daily. La Plata sits between the towns of Naranjito, Toa Alta
and Bayamón. Water rationing in the San Juan area begins today for Zone
A, while Zone B will see its first rationing day on Thursday.

MEDICAL POT PRODUCER COMES TO PR

From Caribbean Business:

Growblox Sciences Inc., a biopharmaceutical research and development
company with technologies in plant biology and cultivation designed to
produce medicinal cannabis, announced Wednesday it has established
Growblox Sciences Puerto Rico LLC (GBS PR), a majority-owned
subsidiary domiciled in Puerto Rico. "As widely reported, Puerto Rico
Gov. Alejandro García Padilla recently signed an executive order autho-
rizing the production of medical cannabis. We are very excited by the
timing of this announcement as it coincides with our continuing pre-
sence in Puerto Rico and our commitment to realizing significant fun-
damental growth this fiscal year," Growblox CEO & Chairman Craig
Ellins said.

GARCIA PADILLA PUSHES FOR 13.25% VAT

From News Is My Business:

Saying it “is the best option” to solve the government’s fiscal problems,
Gov. Alejandro García-Padilla re-introduced Tuesday a proposal to es-
tablish a value added tax system he said would generate more than $2.5
billion in net revenue for the cash-strapped administration. In a meeting
with members of the Puerto Rican media, García-Padilla appealed to
lawmakers and the general population to support the proposal, which he
said is the best option over the alternatives of increasing the sales and use
tax or going back to applying an excise tax on goods and services at the
points of entry.

GOV'T COULD BE BROKE BY SEPTEMBER

From The San Juan Daily Star:

An analysis conducted by the fi rm Conway MacKenzie Inc. on the
Puerto Rico’s budget concluded that the government may run out of
cash in September unless it obtains fi nancing and starts fiscal year
2016 with a deficit of $2.4 billion. The commonwealth is evaluating
the impact of certain short-term administrative measures to deal with
the projected liquidity shortfall. Conway’s analysis indicates, however,
that in the absence of new tax and revenue anticipation notes (TRANs)
or other cash flow financing for fiscal year 2016, the implementation
of such measures would not be sufficient, by themselves, to avoid full
cash depletion in the Treasury’s Concentration Account by September
2015.

SPANISH FIRMS EXPLORE PUERTO RICO

From Fox News Latino:

Five Spanish companies from widely differing sectors including
culinary training and organic solvent recovery presently are loo-
king for investment opportunities in Puerto Rico. "We've decided.
We want to open a Mediterranean gastronomy school here for foreign
students who want to get their training in Spanish and learn about
this subject," Angel Eduardo, the head of international development
for the Centro de Superior de Hosteleria Mediterranea. His company
decided to open a higher education institute in Puerto Rico in 2016
and now he is seeking a site for the school in the area of Santurce,
the nerve center of San Juan, which this businessman already knows
well, given that he lived in the island's capital for a number of
years.

SOCCER: BERMUDA FACES PR IN FRIENDLY

From Stabroek News:

Bermuda and Puerto Rico will gear up for their respective 2018 World
Cup second-round qualifiers by meeting in a friendly international
at the National Sports Centre here next month, officials have announ-
ced. Bermuda reached the second round by eliminating Bahamas 8-0 on
aggregate and will now face Guatemala, while Puerto Rico, who had a
first-round bye, take on Grenada.

Puerto Rico Legalized Medical Pot, But You Can't Smoke It

Puerto Rico News Digest For May 6, 2015

GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS SPENDING CUTS 

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"The government is planning to reduce public workers’ hours and
cut non-essential services as part of a plan to avoid a shutdown
and a default on debt payments, House Treasury Committee Chairman
Rafael Hernández said. “We may reduce hours. … We still don’t exac-
tly know the plan because some [agencies] work 24 hours,” he said
in a radio interview. “We are also going to combine jobs to avoid
duplication, simplify the system. … We are talking about a cut that
is going to be aggressive.” Office of Management and Budget Di-
rector Luis García said there will be cuts in nonessential services,
but did not dismiss cuts in essential services such as education or
health."

TWO BURNT BODIES FOUND IN CANOVANAS CAR

As reported this morning by El Nuevo Dia, a 911 call early this
morning alerted police to a vehicle in flames under a bridge on
Road PR-951 in Canóvanas. Firefighters arrived at the scene,
and once the fire was put out, discovered two dead bodies inside
the car. One of the bodies was found in the back seat, while the
other was wedged between the two front seats of the SUV. Inves-
tigators from the Carolina jurisdiction are in charge of the case.
The victims have not yet been publicly identified.

MEXICAN AIRLINE TO FLY TO SAN JUAN

Volaris, the Mexican low-cost carrier, announced yesterday the
introduction of new international service from Cancun, Mexico to
San Juan, Puerto Rico, effective July 2nd. Volaris will be opera-
ting two flights per week. During a press conference, Volaris CEO,
Enrique Beltranena, addressed the importance of including San Juan
in the Volaris destination roster and informed the carrier is the
only one to connect Mexico with this important Caribbean island in
the last 15 years. "Volaris' arrival to Puerto Rico is part of con-
certed efforts by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to extend access
to our destination. With this flight, we are restoring direct co-
nnection from our Island to Mexico, which is the Latin American
country sending the highest number of visitors to Puerto Rico,"
said Ingrid I. Rivera Rocafort, Executive Director of the Puerto
Rico Tourism Company. "Now, arriving in San Juan will be much
easier and affordable for tourists who visit us from Mexico,"
she added.

BORICUAS HAVE WORST HEALTH AMONG HISPANICS

From ABC News:

Among Hispanic groups in the United States, Puerto Ricans appear to
have the worst health, according to a government report released
Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its
most comprehensive report on Hispanic health, drawing from earlier re-
search. But it also offered new details on differences among Hispanic
populations in the U.S. Among the findings: Puerto Ricans have higher
rates of cancer and heart disease than Mexican-Americans, Cuban-Ameri-
cans, or those with roots in Central or South America.

NO SMOKING POT FOR MEDICINAL USES

From Caribbean Business:

Smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes will not be allowed in Puerto
Rico, but cannabis derivatives could be consumed in other ways, govern-
ment officials said Tuesday as they provided more details on the gover-
nor's weekend executive order on cannabis use. Justice Secretary César
Miranda told The Associated Press that the government would allow pa-
tients access to cannabis derivatives that would be inhaled or used
orally, such as potions or pills. "Smoking marijuana is not being cont-
emplated as part of a medical treatment," he said. Advocates say mari-
juana helps with conditions like chronic pain, glaucoma, anxiety, and
nausea from chemotherapy or drugs to combat HIV. Gov. Alejandro García
Padilla issued an order late Sunday directing the island's health de-
partment to authorize the use of some or all controlled substances or
derivatives of the cannabis plant for medical use.

Puerto Rico News Digest For May 4, 2015

PUERTO RICO LEGALIZES MEDICAL POT

From RT:

The governor of Puerto Rico has signed an executive order to allow
marijuana to be permitted for medical uses. Alejandro Garcia Padilla
endorsed the move, which will come into immediate effect, following
a lengthy public debate on the US territory. Governor Padilla men-
tioned that Puerto Rico’s health secretary will have three months to
file a report about how the executive order will be implemented. The
order will also mean that some or all controlled substances that de-
rive from the cannabis plant will be permitted for medical use. "We're
taking a significant step in the area of health that is fundamental
to our development and quality of life," Garcia said in a statement,
cited by AP. "I am sure that many patients will receive appropriate
treatment that will offer them new hope."

PR SCIENTIST SAFE AFTER NEPAL QUAKE

From The San Juan Daily Star:

A young Puerto Rican scientist whose family did not know anything
about him after a strong earthquake hit Nepal last weekend was
reported alive Thursday. Secretary of State David Bernier said
Francis H. González “contacted his family and is alive and well.”
“We are very happy,” Bernier said. The family had been appealing
through social networks and the media for the past week for any
information about González. The earthquake that hit Nepal killed
thousands, with the death toll nearing 6,000 as of Thursday.

WATER CONSERVATION URGED AMID DROUGHT

From Caribbean Business:

Government officials are urging people to conserve water amid a
record-breaking heat wave. The Puerto Rico Aqueduct & Sewer
Authority president said water levels are extremely low for the
season and noted that summer has not even started.

SURVEY: JOBS ARE OFF ISLAND

From News Is My Business:

A recent survey conducted by the Universia-Trabajando.com Labor Co-
mmunity revealed that more than half, or 69 percent, of respondents
from Puerto Rico believe that there are more job opportunities out-
side the island. Of the 593 participants, 46 percent think that
those options are in North America, particularly in the U.S. main-
land, 30 percent looks to Europe, and 11 percent to South America.

SUN COUNTRY AIRLINES BEGINS PR FLIGHTS

From NBC 2:

Service from Fort Myers to San Juan began Sunday according to airport
authorities at Southwest Florida International Airport. The nonstop
service to San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in
Puerto Rico got underway officially Sunday with two weekly flights,
Sundays and Thursdays. This was supposed to be a test run, however
there was so much positive feedback, Sun Country decided to make this
a permanent run right away.