Puerto Rico News Digest for December 15, 2014

GUAYNABO KILLER FIT FOR TRIAL

José Luis Bosch Mulero (right) and Christopher Sánchez Asencio (left)

El Nuevo Dia has reported today that José Luis Bosch
Mulero, one of the two men charged in the grisly Guaynabo
family massacre, has been declared competent to stand
trial by state psychiatrist Yamilka Rolón García. Mulero
has been diagnosed in the past with attention hyperactivity
disorder, mild retardation and borderline intelligence.
However, the government has found him to be coherent and
logical. Both Mulero and Christopher Sánchez Asencio face
counts of murder, weapons violations, attempted murder,
kidnapping, aggravated assault, destruction of evidence,
theft and conspiracy, all related to the November 18
multiple murder.

PR 13% MORE EXPENSIVE THAN MOST OF US

From News Is My Business:

The cost of living in Puerto Rico for a professional family
is about 13 percent more expensive than it is in more than
300 urban and rural areas in the U.S. mainland, according to
the findings of the Cost of Living Index.

Puerto Rico recently began participating in the methodology
introduced in 1968 by Virginia-based Council for Community
and Economic Research, known as the C2ER, and adopted by
the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute as a way to provide data
about the island’s economy and society for the first time.

In terms of living expenses, Puerto Rico’s statistical area
placed 41 out of 325 urban and rural areas with the highest
cost standards, behind large cities such as New York, San
Francisco, Washington, D.C., Boston, San Diego, Los
Angeles, Seattle, Hartford,  Portland, Philadelphia, and
Chicago.

NPP REP OUSTED FOR VOTING FOR OIL TAX

From The San Juan Daily Star:

Arguing that he betrayed party trust and policy, the New
Progressive Party (NPP) House delegation ousted Rep. Pedro
Julio “Pellé” Santiago permanently from the caucus and asked
House Speaker Jaime Perelló to remove his fl oor bench, for
voting in favor of the crude oil tax hike.After repeatedly
telling the minority party he was going to vote according
to the caucus decision, Santiago at the last minute Monday
voted in favor of the crude oil tax, which did not at that
time have the needed votes for passage.

“Our colleague ‘Pellé’ Santiago is not part of the NPP
delegation in the House of Representatives,” House Minority
Leader Jenniffer González said at a news conference. The NPP
met for two hours Thursday to determine what disciplinary
actions to take against Santiago.

BUSINESS PLAN FOR PREPA TO BE PRESENTED

From Reuters:

A business plan for PREPA, the troubled Puerto Rican electric
authority, is to be presented to creditors on Monday, board
president Harry Rodriguez said in a statement.

The business plan of Chief Restructuring Officer Lisa Donahue
is a working document that will present different scenarios for
PREPA, but does not propose firing employees, the statement said.

Puerto Rico News Digest for Nov. 20, 2014

PUBLIC TRANSPORT COULD HALT BY DEC. 1

As reported by El Nuevo Dia, the President of the Integrated Transport 

Authority of Puerto Rico, Alberto Figueroa,  has warned that the dire 

financial situation faced by the Metropolitan Bus Authority, the Urban 

Train and the Maritime Transport Authority could mean that mass 

transit could cease operating as soon as December 1st. The fusion of 

different transport agencies, as well as rate hikes for commuters, have 

done little to improve the situation. Figueroa also indicated that if the 

controversial oil tax hike that is currently stuck in the legislature does 

not pass, other funding alternatives will have to be found.

MASSACRE SUSPECTS FACE DEATH THREATS

The two men accused of killing a retired soldier and his family in 

Guaynabo several days ago are currently under heavy guard at the 

Bayamon regional jail, after numerous inmates have threatened to 

kill the pair. The two accused killers, Christopher Sánchez Asencio 

and José Bosch, are being constantly monitored by tactical operations 

officers, according to El Vocero. A judge has set bail for each of the
men at  $8 million. Bosch is reportedly cooperating with Police, while
Sanchez Asencio has received the most threats. Both men are expected
to be transferred to other penal facilities soon. The massacre of the
family has shaken the crime-wracked island, and may have had a
dispute over rent as its motive. Only the family's 13-year-old son
survived the killings, after being left for dead.

NO MORE FREE RUM AT BACARDI DISTILLERY

From Yahoo News:

"The drinks are no longer on the house at Casa Bacardi in Puerto 

Rico. Foreigners will now have to pay $12 and residents $6 to visit 

one of the most popular tourist attractions in the metropolitan San 

Juan region, officials said Tuesday. The seaside rum distillery was..." 

COAST GUARD UPDATING PR FLEET

From Caribbean Business:

"The U.S. Coast Guard is moving to modernize its fleet of vessels in San 

Juan over the next two years. Specifically, the Coast Guard  will replace

Sector San Juan’s six 110-foot Island Class Patrol  Boats with six new 

154-foot Sentinel Class Patrol Boats, which  are far more advanced 

and should substantially improve interdiction  capabilities. The first of 

these new cutters will arrive in Puerto Rico in the spring of 2015..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For November 18, 2014

GUAYNABO FAMILY MASSACRE

According to El Nuevo Dia, 66-year-old retired soldier Miguel Ortiz
Díaz, his wife, and another woman were found shot  to death early
this morning in a home in the Los Frailes  neighborhood of Guaynabo.
Meanwhile, Police found the body of the family's 15-year-old son
in a field in the Guaraguao area of Bayamon. The family's 13-year-
old son, who was wounded but survived, is under Police protection.
He was reportedly thrown off a bridge near where the 15-year-old
was found, but was able to get up and alert police. One person has
been detained and is being  held for questioning.  The killings may
have resulted from a dispute involving a property Ortiz Díaz was
renting to a man who he was trying to evict for non-payment of rent.

GOVERNOR TRIES TO SELL OIL TAX HIKE

From The San Juan Daily Star:


Gov. Alejandro García Padilla anticipated late last week  that he
will be convoking a special session following the  end of the regular
legislative session this week after both the lower and upper chambers
failed to pass crude oil tax hike legislation and in its place approved
alternate bills that were unable to exit the Capitol before Thursday’s
midnight deadline.

CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST DON OMAR

From Latin Post:


Don Omar is a free man now that domestic violence charges against
him have been dropped. The singer was arrested in mid-September
after his ex-girlfriend reported him for domestic abuse. He was
charged with two counts of threatening a person and two counts
of weapons violation.

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE LOOKS FOR PR WORKERS

From Caribbean Business:


Saks Fifth Avenue is holding a job fair to fill positions at its store at the
Mall of San Juan, a high-end shopping center in Puerto Rico’s capital
city that is scheduled to open in March 2015. The employee search will
be part of a San Juan-sponsored job fair at  the Plaza Convalecencia in Río
Piedras on Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Job seekers can all file resumes
through the Internet at sanjuancareers@s5a.com.