Puerto Rico News Digest For March 14, 2016

NINE MURDERS OVER THE WEEKEND

Nine people were murdered over this past weekend across Puerto Rico,
with four of the crimes occurring in the Ponce area. Carlos Joel Rodríguez,
age 21, was shot to death at around 12:34 on Sunday morning in Ponce. Ro-
dríguez lived in the Pedro J. Rosaly housing project. As it happened, two
men, Marcel Jonel Cosme Torres and Kendall Cordero Rentas, were both
shot to death at around 4:45 this morning at the nearby Happy Liquor Sto-
re, as reported by El Nuevo Dia. Cosme also lived at the Rosaly housing
project. Ponce's fourth murder for the weekend was that of José Antonio
Vargas, age 42, whose bullet-riddled body was found in the Vistamar sec-
tor of El Tuque.

In Corozal, 29 year old José Cruz Cruz was shot to death during a dispute
with an individual at a business late Sunday night. In Isabela, 24 year old
Jailián Varela Colón was shot and died in front of a Church's Chicken at the
Plaza Isabela mall on Sunday. At 3:40 AM on Saturday, Alex Manuel Báez
Rodríguez was shot to death in Puerto Nuevo, while an unidentified man
was executed at around 8:40 PM on Saturday at the Las Dalias housing pro-
ject in Río Piedras. Meanwhile, 42 year old  Miguel González Figueroa was
shot and killed as he rode a horse in the town of Florida. The weekend's first
killing was that of José Torre Ruiz, age 45, who was allegedly shot by his ne-
phew Kevin Mercado Torres on Friday night in a residence in Guánica. The
weekend's bloodshed brings the number of murders in Puerto Rico so far in
2016 to 125, 19 more than at this time last year.

TEACHER'S UNION WARNS ON PENSIONS

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"The Puerto Rico Teachers Federation on Thursday warned that the Teachers
Retirement System could be on the brink of collapse, leaving thousands of re-
tired educators in “misery while leaving active teachers in uncertainty.” “It has
been alleged that the [Teacher’s] Retirement System could collapse by 2017,”
Teachers Federation President Mercedes Martínez said...Among the situation
affecting the Teacher’s Retirement Systems, according to the union, are among
others: Law 160 of 2013, which was “the most recent effort to destroy the exis-
tence of the retirement system as we know it,” and the proposed Fiscal Control
Board, which will have “the clear intention of cutting the pensions of already
retired educators and denying retirement to active teachers, just as happened
in Detroit...”

ROSELLO PROPOSES GOV'T "CREDIT EXCHANGE"

From Caribbean Business:

"Following the news about hospitals having their electricity cut due to debts
to the Electric Power Authority, Dr. Ricardo Rosselló, gubernatorial candidate
for the New Progressive Party, has proposed a government credit exchange in
which, “if a supplier does not receive payment [by the government] within 60
days, it can use the debt as payment at another agency.” The candidate explai-
ned that “in the case of hospitals…the truth is these have not paid because the
central government has not paid them. Under my proposal, the services paid to
the hospital can be used to pay the power bill...”

PR STARTUPS TAKE PART IN SXSW

From News Is My Business:

"A delegation of five Puerto Rican startups are participating technological 

innovation event South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive in Austin, Texas 

this week, supported by Puerto Rico Trade and Export and the Small Business 

Administration. Trade and Export Executive Director Francisco Chévere the 

group will have the opportunity to present their business ideas to the audience

of this renowned event in the Innovation Latin America category on Tuesday. 

The five local companies participating  are: Campodata Inc, Celero Health So-

lutions, Digital Media Creations, Space Rhino Games and Tix.By..."

40 Individuals Charged With Drug Trafficking

Press Release

US Attorney's Office

March 8, 2016


SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today federal authorities arrested 34 mem-
bers of a drug trafficking organization which operated in the Santiago
Iglesias Public Housing Project, in the municipality of Ponce, announ-
ced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the Dis-
trict of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the
Police of Puerto Rico Ponce Strike Force are in charge of the investiga-
tion.

On March 3, 2016, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico re-
turned a six-count indictment against 40 defendants charged with cons-
piracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, aiding
and abetting in the possession /distribution of heroin, cocaine base, co-
caine and marijuana, and conspiracy to possess firearm in furtherance
of a drug trafficking crime.

The indictment charges 40 individuals for their participation in a cons-
piracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute
cocaine base (crack), heroin, cocaine and marihuana all within 1,000
feet of the real property comprising the Santiago Iglesias Public Hou-
sing Project, a housing facility owned by a public housing authority,
and other areas nearby and within the Municipality of Ponce, Puerto
Rico.

During the span of the conspiracy, in order to be able to operate a drug
point at Santiago Iglesias Public Housing Project, “rent” would be paid
to the leaders of the drug trafficking organization and their family mem-
bers. As part of the manner and means of the conspiracy, control of the
drug points at Santiago Iglesias was obtained and maintained by the use
of force, violence, and intimidation. The drug points operated twenty-
four (24) hours a day, in 2 shifts per day.

The indictment also alleges that the co-conspirators had many roles in
order to further the goals of the conspiracy.  Narcotics belonging to mem-
bers of the Santiago Iglesias drug trafficking organization were being sold
in other areas of Ponce, including but not limited to the Aristides Chavier
Public Housing Project, the Gandara Public Housing Project, and the Por-
tugues Public Housing Project.  As part of the conspiracy, armed indivi-
duals would get paid by the drug trafficking organization to provide secu-
rity at the Santiago Iglesias Public Housing Project.  Members of the drug
trafficking organization would forcibly evict individuals from their apart-
ments if they were perceived to be cooperators or if they were unwilling
to abide by the rules set by the organization.

The defendants are: Goodwin Vargas-Gonzalez, Robert J. Guzman-Cruz,
Miguel A. Rosario-Lugo, Gabriel Confesor Martinez-Cruz, Steven J. Ayala-
Martinez, Geraldo Rivera-Lugo, Steven Echevarria-Medina, Jonathan Ro-
driguez, Christopher Jusino Rodriguez, Juan Gabriel Vega-Madera, Santi-
ago Delgado-Marquez, Pedro L. Lugo-Santiago, Jan C. Camacho-Perez,
Hector Montes-Rodriguez, Leonel Sujeil Quiñones-Cruz, Gerardo Rivera-
Feliciano, Jose E. Moreau-Rosado, Alexander Ramirez-León, Josue Jorge
Rodriguez, Luis A. Rivera-Quiñones, Anthony Zorilla-Figueroa, Angel G.
 Delgado-Velazquez, Alcides Yamsell-Garcia, Kenneth Mayol-Torres, Fran-
cisco Ortiz-Torres, Hector Cintrón- Rodriguez, Eddie J. Vidal-Moran, Luis
A. Rivera-Class, Athos Vega-Vidal, Dimari Cardona-Antonetti, Ismael A-
ponte-Santos, Reynaldo Colon-Natal, Richard Ortiz-Nieves, Luz Maria San-
tiago, Natasha Colon-Natal, Jose A. Nieves-Echevarria, Yoshua D. Roman-
Quiñones, Arquelio Gonzalez-Negron, Jose I. Aponte-Santos, Carlos J. San-
tiago-Rivera. The defendants are facing a forfeiture allegation of ten million
dollars.

“Today’s arrests demonstrate our commitment to dismantle drug traffick-
ing organizations whose members are affecting the quality of life of the
law abiding citizens in our public housing projects,” said Rosa Emilia Ro-
dríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Federal and
state law enforcement agencies will continue their hard work to maintain
the peace in our neighborhoods.”

“This case involved the long-term victimization of entire communities, who
were forced to live in fear due to the nearly incomprehensible level of vio-
lence and narcotics trafficking taking place around them.  Sadly, housing pro-
jects that were designed to provide affordable living have instead become a
breeding ground for violent gangs and criminal enterprises.  The hearts of
everyone in the FBI go out to those families who were denied their basic
rights to a safe environment in which to raise children, enjoy retirement, or
even to walk safely through the streets of their neighborhoods.  As demons-
trated today, the law enforcement community will continue to make a prio-
rity of targeting for federal investigation those individuals who join together
to pray on the innocent,” said Douglas A. Leff, Special Agent in Charge,
Federal Bureau of Investigation.


Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Zapata-Valladares is in charge of the prose-
cution of the case.  If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence
of 10 years, and up to life in prison. Indictments contain only charges and
are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and
unless proven guilty.

Puerto Rico News Digest For December 29, 2015

COP KILLS THREE AT PONCE POLICE HQ

From Reuters:

"A Puerto Rico police officer shot dead three colleagues on Monday and
was in critical condition after being shot himself in the police department
building in the city of Ponce, authorities said. The suspect, Guarionex Can-
delario Rivera, was on duty when he walked into Commander Frank Roman
Rodriguez's office to speak with him, but the senior officer was unable to do
so immediately and the situation escalated, Puerto Rico police spokesman
Axel Valencia said. Candelario Rivera eventually shot Roman Rodriguez,
Lieutenant Luz Soto Segarra and agent Rosario Hernandez de Hoyos, he
added. Further details were still being investigated..."

MORE PR CHILDREN RUNNING AWAY 

From The San Juan Star:

"A commonwealth Family Department study shows that more younger chil-
dren are running away from home in Puerto Rico, and experts say the find-
ing is alarming. The most recent cases took place when two boys, ages 11
and 9, ran away, apparently together, from a foster care home in Hatillo.
They have not been found. The study shows that regardless of whether the
children are running away from the home of their biological parents or from
a foster home, the reality is that they are running away at very young ages,
younger than in prior years..."

PDP LEGISLATOR NOT TO RUN FOR REELECTION

From Caribbean Business:

"Angered at how some of his fellow Popular Democratic Party (PDP) mem-
bers manage government and political issues, Rep. José Báez has decided not
to run for reelection and thus return to his private practice as an attorney be-
cause he has no say in the party. Currently, the president of Precinct 4 in San
Juan, Báez said he is retiring because there is serious tension within the PDP
with a sector that, little by little, has broken everything in front of everybody
and no one is saying anything for fear of losing the election..."

PREPA, CREDITORS AGREE TO RESTRUCTURING

From News Is My Business:

"The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority announced early Thursday that it
has reached an agreement with creditors holding approximately 70 percent
of its financial debt on a plan to execute a restructuring that, among other
things, will reduce the utility’s principal debt burden of more than $600 mi-
llion. As part of the lengthy negotiations that took about 15 months, PREPA
amended its previously announced restructuring support agreement, or RSA,
to include an agreement with monoline insurers Assured Guaranty Corp. and
National Public Finance Guarantee Corp., as well as the Ad Hoc Group of PRE-
PA bondholders — comprising traditional municipal bond investors and hedge
funds — its fuel line lenders and the Government Development Bank for Puer-
to Rico..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For April 17, 2015

GIRL IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER SHOOTING

As reported by El Vocero, a 5-year-old girl is in critical condition at Centro
Médico after having been injured along with her mother when  they were
shot as they drove down Road 188 in the San Isidro sector of Canóvanas
last night. Police are investigating whether the shooting was an ambush or
if the vehicle drove into a shooting between other parties. The child suffered
a bullet wound in the chest, while her mother is also in the hospital with
non-life-threatening injuries. The vehicle they were in was being driven by
a female friend, who was uninjured.

PREPA TAPS RESERVE FUND FOR PAYMENT

From Reuters:

Puerto Rico's troubled utility, PREPA, made another withdrawal from
its reserve account to make a quarterly bond payment on April 1,
according to a regulatory filing posted by the utility. While the  with-
drawal amounted to just $8.8 million, the filing posted on Wednesday
shows the utility is remaining current on it debt payments  ahead of a
much larger bond payment of around $400 million which comes due
on July 1 and that some analysts expect PREPA to miss.

PIERLUISI SEEKS SSI PARITY FOR PR

From The San Juan Daily Star:

Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced on the floor of the  U.S. 

House of Representatives on Wednesday the filing of legislation to extend 

the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI) to Puerto Rico -- as well

as to the other territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin  Islands and American 

Samoa. “Of all the disparities that Puerto Rico  faces because it is a territory 

and not a state, few are as morally egregious and practically damaging as 

its exclusion from SSI,” Pierluisi said. “SSI provides monthly cash assis-

tance to blind, disabled or elderly individuals who have limited or no inco-

me. We are talking about the most vulnerable members of our society.” 

The resident commissioner said SSI applies in all 50 states and the District 

of Columbia. However, since the program’s inception in 1974, it has not 

been extended to Puerto Rico. 

USVI PESTICIDE ALSO FOUND IN PR

From The Daily Mail:

The toxic pesticide that poisoned a U.S. family on vacation in the Virgin 

Islands has also been improperly used in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency said Thursday after a federal investigation. Officials said 

documents suggest methyl bromide may have been improperly applied in 

various locations in Puerto Rico.  EPA regional administrator Judith Enck 

said the agency and Puerto Rico's Department of Agriculture are investigating 

where and when the pesticide was used and how much was applied.

PONCE SEES REVENUE SPIKE BEFORE JUSTAS

From Caribbean Business:

Ponce Mayor María Meléndez said municipal licenses and permits increa-

sed revenue for the municipality ahead of "Las Justas de la Liga Atlé

tica Interuniversitaria" intercollegiate sports competition (Las Justas), 

which kicked off Thursday. Meléndez said Ponce was ready to welcome the 

more than 180,000 people.

Things To Do In Ponce, Puerto Rico

By Bill Alvarez

The town of Ponce is Puerto Rico’s second city, and is located on the island’s southern coast. Ponce is considerably smaller than San Juan, with a population of about 166,000. From San Juan, Highway PR-52 will take you to Ponce in about one and a half to two hours. There are enough things to do in Ponce that it could easily fill up a day. Some of the highlights are below.

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A Roy Lichtenstein piece in front of the Ponce Museum of Art.

Ponce Museum of Art

The Museo de Arte de Ponce is the island’s (and the Caribbean’s) largest and most prestigious art museum, housing a large permanent collection of largely European art. However, it also hosts several different exhibits throughout the year, showcasing such artists as the Cuban-born Emilio Sanchez, as well as artists from Puerto Rico and around the world. Their flagship piece seems to be Flaming June, by the English painter Fredric Leighton. The museum grounds also have a couple of well-kept gardens, a gift shop and a research library.

The Ponce Museum of Art is open every day except for Tuesdays, and admission for adults is $6. Seniors, students and kids pay $3. Some parking is available next to the museum, but it is limited. The museum is located at 2325 Avenida Las Americas (PR-133). Their phone number is 787-840-1510, and their website is at http://www.museoarteponce.org/.

Castillo Serralles

The Serralles family is better known as being behind Don Q rum, and this stately early 20th-century mansion used to be the home of the Serralles patriarch. It is now a museum, showcasing the family’s history, as well as their involvement with rum. The mansion was built up on a hill, and the views of the city from up there are excellent. That being said, while this structure is an important part of Ponce history, I wouldn’t classify it as a must-do attraction. Other than a film about rum, the admittedly impressive-looking interiors and gardens, there isn’t much to do here. It’s a worthwhile stop if you’re having a slow day, or really want to see the view from here or the Cruceta del Vigia, which is next door.

Castillo Serralles is open from Thursday to Sunday, from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with the last tour starting at 5:15PM. Admission for adults ranges from $7.00, if all you want to see is the gardens, to $12.30 if you want to see everything (the castle gardens plus the museum, Cruceta del Vigia and Japanese Gardens). There are a couple of other ‘packages’ in between; prices for kids are lower. You can visit their webpage here: http://www.castilloserralles.org/ The Serralles complex is located at 17 El Vigia, Ponce. You will have to drive uphill through a dicey-looking neighborhood of narrow streets to get to it

Cruceta Del Vigia

The Cruceta del Vigia is a large, concrete and glass cross standing about 100 feet high. You can go up to the top in an elevator, and it offers some amazing views of the city of Ponce and the Caribbean Sea beyond it. While it is part of the Serralles Castle complex, I list it separately, as I consider it an attraction of its own, as you may want to do this with or without a visit to the Castle itself. Admission for the Cruceta is $5.50 and includes access to the Japanese Gardens. Hours are the same as the Castle, and information can be found at the same webpage.

Hacienda Buena Vista

This is a recreation of a 19th century Puerto Rican coffee plantation. The original hacienda was built in 1833, during the period when coffee was a huge part of the Puerto Rican economy. The attention to detail is noticeable, and they have even rebuilt the water-powered mechanisms that were used to transport and mill the coffee back in the day (one of the hydraulic turbines on site was even named a Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers). The restored buildings, machines, mills and exhibits make it all well worth it, although keep in mind that coffee is no longer actually grown here.

Two-hour tours are available only on Saturdays and Sundays, and run several times a day. Group tours can be arranged for Wednesdays and Thursdays. Reservations are required for all tours, so call 787-722-5882 or 787-722-5834before going. Tours are available both in English and Spanish, so make sure to specify which you prefer when you call. Admission is $10 each. To get there, take Avenida de las Americas west until you hit Route 500. Take that to Route 123, on which you will make a left. You should run into the Hacienda close to kilometer 16.8. The actual address is PR 123, Ponce PR 00728. A Spanish-language webpage is available here: https://reservaciones.fideicomiso.org/eventDetails.jsf

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Parque De Bombas

This historic firehouse was built in 1882 as Puerto Rico’s very first fire station, and now serves as a museum showcasing the city’s firefighting history. The museum houses an antique fire engine, along with many firefighting artifacts and pictures of Ponce’s firefighters of decades ago. Parque de Bombas is one of Ponce’s most distinctive looking buildings, and it’s hard to miss. Admission is free, which is good, since you will probably cover it pretty quickly. A bus tour of historic Ponce leaves from here and only costs a couple of bucks, so you may want to take advantage of that. Parque de Bombas is located at Plaza Las Delicias, flanked by Reina Isabel, Villa, Marina and Concordia Streets.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Tibes Ceremonial Park

This ancient Taino indian ceremonial and sports complex was uncovered by flood waters in the mid-1970s, and has been partially rebuilt to more closely resemble what it would’ve looked like before the European “discovery” of Puerto Rico in the 15^thcentury. When visiting, you will first be directed to a museum, where artifacts (such as old Taino pottery, utensils and bones) are displayed, and where the obligatory educational film is shown. Your guide will then take you to the outside exhibits: recreated sports fields (or “bateys”) in which the Tainos played their game of “pelota”, burial sites, rock carvings, recreated ceremonial fields and even gardens in which the plants and trees the Tainos originally used are grown. Straw Taino huts have also been recreated.

Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for kids under 12 and $1.50 for seniors, although kids under 5 and seniors over 75 get in free. Tibes is open every day except Monday, 8AM to 4PM. Call ahead if it’s a Monday holiday, because they might be open. To get there from San Juan, take PR-1 going south, then exit onto Expreso Jose De Diego/PR-22 West. You will then take PR-52 south, then west, all the way to Ponce. Exit onto PR-10 and head west, then exit onto PR-503 and make a left. You’ll see the park about half a mile further down. You can call them at (787)840-5685 or (787)840-2255, and you can learn more about the park athttp://ponce.inter.edu/tibes/tibes.html, although the site does not provide visitor information such as times, admission, etc. If you have any interest in archeology or pre-columbian cultures, this place is a must see. The guides are excellent as well and English language tours are available.

Ponce Facts

Ponce, Puerto Rico
Population	166,327
Time Zone	Atlantic (UTC -4)
Language(s)	Spanish (main), English
Area Code(s)	787, 939

Puerto Rico News Digest For March 25, 2015

PR LOSES 80K MANUFACTURING JOBS IN 15 YEARS

From Fox News Latino:

Puerto Rico lost nearly 80,000 manufacturing jobs between 1997 and
2012, according to the latest Economic Census compiled by the Uni-
versity of Puerto Rico's Center for Census Information. Jose Cara-
ballo Cueto, the director of the center, told Efe that most of the jobs
were lost as a result of the expiration of a provision in the U.S. tax
code known as Section 936. That regulation offered U.S. companies
the prospect of tax-free income if they established operations in
Puerto Rico.

DOUBLE MURDER ON MARTINEZ NADAL EXPRESSWAY

As reported by El Nuevo Dia, a double murder took place last night
at midnight on Rafael Martínez Nadal Expressway, near the exit for
the Tren Urbano. Unknown assailants shot two men to death and left
a third in critical condition. The victims were in a green 1997 Geo
Tracker. Police are investigating, and are looking into whether the
incident started as a car to car shooting.

HIGLER KILLER OUT, WEARING MONITOR

Gerardo De La Paz, the man accused of killing Dutch globetrotter Laurens

Higler in a hit and run accident, has been released by the authorities after

he posted bail, which had been set at $20,000. De La Paz has to wear a

monitoring bracelet. The 49-year-old Puerto Rican man resides in the

continental U.S. and had been visiting the island since December. De La

Paz has been charged with negligent homicide and leaving the scene of

an accident.

GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE SEEKS UFO SUPPORT

From The San Juan Daily Star:

Ufologist Reynaldo Ríos, who is running for governor of Puerto Rico
in the next election, said he wants to build a “UFO landing strip”
on the island, something he believes is the solutionto Puerto Rico’s
economic problems. In that sense, he acknowledged that while he has
been mocked because of his ideas, other countries take the idea of
the existence of aliens seriously. “I want to create the UFO airport,
the project that was ignored in 2005, and I think it will help the
island get out of the economic crisis,” he told Foro Noticioso. “If
I run for elective office, the idea will be taken more seriously.”

PONCE DEFENDS WORK HOUR CUTS

From Caribbean Business:

Faced with the possibility of dismissing 1,200 employees, Ponce
administrator Eliezer Velázquez defended measures taken by the Mayor
María "Mayita" Meléndez in light of Puerto Rico’s economic condition.
"I want to make it clear that, given the economic situation facing
the island, in the town of Ponce we have done what we have had to
do," Velázquez said. He explained that, like Ponce, other municipa-
lities have reduced working hours, contracts and salaries as well as
municipal expenditures to bring finances into order.


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Puerto Rico News Digest For March 5, 2015

PROTESTS AGAINST IVA AT CAPITOL

Video: Maria Rivera/YouTube

People from dozens of educational and community organizations are
protesting this morning in front of the Capitol in San Juan against the
proposed 16% Value Added Tax (or IVA, by its Spanish initials).
Schools and colleges have been particularly vocal in their opposition
to the idea of applying the new tax to educational expenses. Governor
Alejandro Garcia Padilla announced last week that the tax proposal
would be ammended to spare private education from the IVA, but
representatives from several organizations opposed to the tax have
expressed skepticism regarding that promise, as reported by El Nuevo
Dia.

DECOLONIZATION PROTEST MAR. 22 IN SAN JUAN

The pro-independence organization Comrades United For The De-
colonization of Puerto Rico ("Compañeros Unidos Para La Desco-
lonizacion de Puerto Rico") will be holding a protest march on
Slavery Abolition Day, March 22nd, at 2:00 PM. The protesters will
demand the release of Puerto Rican "political prisoner" Oscar Lopez
Rivera, as well as the decolonization of the island. The "2nd Oscar-
Mandela March" will start at the Capitol building in Old San Juan
and make its way towards the Federal Court building.

OIL SUPPLIER TO FACE JUSTICE DEPT

From The San Juan Daily Star:

The Special Senate Committee investigating the so-called “oil
cartel” at the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA)
referred Petro West Inc. to the Justice Department on Tuesday
after accusing it of aggravated illegal appropriation for vir-
tually stealing $1.4 million from the public utility.Petro West
is a local company with offices in Mayagüez and Hormigueros
that supplied bunker six fuel to PREPA, but it was not imme-
diately known if they still do. The probe found that the alleged
illegal appropriation took place between 2009 and 2011.

SINGAPORE COMPANY TO OPERATE PONCE PORT

From Fox News Latino:

Portek International, a Singapore-based services company, was
selected to develop infrastructure at Puerto de las Americas in
Ponce, the largest city in southern Puerto Rico, officials said.
"We have carefully evaluated offers from different companies that
showed interest in the project," Secretary of Economic Development
and Commerce Alberto Baco, who serves as chairman of the Puerto
de Ponce Authority board, said.

EMBASSY SUITES BEGINS MAJOR RENOVATION

From News Is My Business:

Embassy Suites hotels in Puerto Rico announced Wednesday the
completion of the first phase of a renovation campaign at the
Isla Verde and Dorado properties. The overhaul included a full
makeover of all 299 suites at the San Juan hotel and bathroom
upgrades in all suites at the Dorado resort. The investment made
to reboot the properties was not disclosed.

Visiting Puerto Rico's Second City: Ponce

The town of Ponce is Puerto Rico’s second city, and is located
on the island’s southern coast. Ponce is considerably smaller
than San Juan, with a population of about 166,000. From San
Juan, Highway PR-52 will take you to Ponce in about one and a
half to two hours. There are enough things to do in Ponce that
it could easily fill up a day. Some of the highlights are below.

Ponce Museum of Art

The Museo de Arte de Ponce is the island’s (and the Caribbean’s)
largest and most prestigious art museum, housing a large permanent
collection of largely European art. However, it also hosts several
different exhibits throughout the year, showcasing such artists
as the Cuban-born Emilio Sanchez, as well as artists from Puerto
Rico and around the world. Their flagship piece seems to be
Flaming June, by the English painter Fredric Leighton. The
museum grounds also have a couple of well-kept gardens, a gift
shop and a research library...[CONTINUE READING]