Thursday, June 6, 2013

Senate Plebiscite Hearing Delayed

US sends troops from Puerto Rico to Guantanamo

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... December 10, 2008 on U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (Mandel Ngan-Pool, Getty Images) SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - The guard force at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is getting reinforcements from Puerto Rico. A spokesman for the ...

Puerto Rico camp counselor accused of blackmailing Colorado teen into posing ... - Fox News

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Puerto Rico camp counselor accused of blackmailing Colorado teen into posing ...
Fox News
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A 25-year-old camp counselor in Puerto Rico is facing child pornography charges for allegedly coercing a Colorado teen into posing for sexually explicit online videos. Jimmy Caraballo Colon was arrested at his home in the Puerto ...

Senate Plebiscite Hearing Delayed 

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The U.S. Senate committee responsible for the status of the U.S. territories is delaying its hearing on Puerto Rico’s political status plebiscite last November.
The hearing had been scheduled for June 11. No new date has been set but a senior aide to the committee said that the hearing would probably be held in mid or late July.
The hearing will focus on the Obama Administration’s response to the plebiscite as well as on the vote itself.
Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) had invited the Obama Administration and Puerto Rico’s three political parties to testify June 11.
One problem with the June 11 date was that the Obama Administration’s preferred witness, President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status Co-Chair and Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West, was not available. West could not testify because his name is before the Senate for confirmation as Associate Attorney General. Nominees for Senate-confirmed jobs are normally not allowed to appear in congressional hearings other than on their confirmation.
Puerto Rico’s three parties were expected to be represented by their leaders: Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla of the “commonwealth” party; Resident Commissioner in the U.S. Pedro Pierluisi of the statehood party; and former Senator Ruben Berrios of the Independence Party.
A spokesperson for the option of nationhood in a free (non-binding) association with the U.S., which obtained a third of the vote in the plebiscite, was not invited.
Although Puerto Rico is often popularly called a “commonwealth”, it is actually a territory according to all three branches of the Federal government. The “commonwealth” party contends that it is not. So, it also does not appear that there will be an advocate for the islands’ current status, which got 46% of the vote in the plebiscite, in the hearing.
The “commonwealth” party advocates an unprecedented governing arrangement for the islands that Federal officials say is impossible. It would be permanently binding on the U.S. and give the insular government an additional subsidy and powers to veto the application of Federal laws and court jurisdiction and to enter into international agreements and organizations as if Puerto Rico were a sovereign nation. At the same time, it would continue the grant of citizenship to individuals born in Puerto Rico and current Federal assistance to Puerto Ricans.
A spokesman for President Obama said that the plebiscite demonstrated that Puerto Ricans want to resolve the question of the territory’s ultimate status, a majority of the vote was for statehood as the alternative to the current status, and the Obama Administration would work with Congress on the issue.
The Obama Administration has also responded to the plebiscite by proposing legislation for another plebiscite. Under the U.S. Justice Department proposal, the Federal government would provide $2.5 million for a vote on options proposed by Puerto Rico’s Elections Commission found by the U.S. attorney general to not conflict with the Constitution, laws, and policies of the U.S.
This would exclude the “commonwealth” party’s non-territory definition of the current status as well as its proposed new “commonwealth status.”
The Obama Administration proposed an additional plebiscite to confirm last November’s self-determination decisions of Puerto Ricans because Gov. Garcia and the Puerto Rico legislative majority narrowly elected to office at the time of last November’s plebiscite dispute the vote.
The White House feared that this would prevent action in Congress on the plebiscite. It reasoned that a plebiscite under Federal auspices could not be disputed with any credibility by ‘commonwealthers.’
The plebiscite rejected Puerto Rico’s current status by 54% and chose statehood as the alternative by 61.2%.
The Governor and ‘commonwealthers’ in the legislature contend that the status option for which they urged votes, the current status, was rejected by 51.7% instead of 54%, and that statehood won 44.4% of the vote instead of 61.2%.
The plebiscite results were determined by the Puerto Rico Elections Commission with the support of its “commonwealth” party representative. But Garcia and his legislature allies argue that Commission should have included ‘votes’ not cast in the percentage results contrary to the law for the plebiscite, Puerto Rico election law, and general election practice.
Res. Comm. Pierluisi, who serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he can only vote in committees of which he is a member, and 62 other House members have sponsored a bill that also recognizes the results of the plebiscite. It would require the president to submit legislation to enable Puerto Rico to become a State after a phase in of equal treatment in Federal tax and program laws. Puerto Ricans confirming their desire for statehood in a referendum would trigger the submission. The bill would also commit the Congress to pass statehood transition legislation.
The Senate committee’s House counterpart committeenhas also said that it will hold a hearing on the plebiscite but no plans for its hearing are known yet.
Read the whole story
 
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PR at center in rise of ‘surfonomics’

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PR at center in rise of ‘surfonomics’

Puerto Rico’s world-class waves, and a trailblazing effort to protect them, serv ...

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Gore hits Obama Administration...

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Review: Between Torture and Resistance by Oscar Lopez Rivera ... 

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Dr. Falcon goes on to write about how in 1937 antisedition legislation from the U$ Civil War started to be used against the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico and how as the political climate changed, the Cold War and current policies are ...
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2 Slain on Puerto Rican island of Vieques - GlobalPost

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2 Slain on Puerto Rican island of Vieques
GlobalPost
San Juan, Jun 5 (EFE).- Two men were murdered Wednesday in the Puerto Rican island municipality of Vieques, which is enduring a crime wave linked to drug trafficking. The Puerto Rico Police Department said that the bodies of the two men were found with ...
Puerto Rico man accused of extorting Colorado teenHilton Head Island Packet
US Sends 125 Troops To Guantanamo From Puerto RicoHuffington Post

all 21 news articles »

U.S. Supports Dialogue on Sustainable Cities and Communities in the Americas 

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City mayors, development planners, and civil society representatives met on Monday in Antigua, Guatemala on the margins of the 43rd Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly to discuss challenges linked to rapid urbanization in the Americas and exchange best practices for the sustainable development of cities and communities.

Over 200 Experts to Participate in Spanish Language Conference in Panama 

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More than 200 experts from different countries are expected to participate in the 6th International Spanish Language Congress, which will be held Oct. 20-23 in Panama City, organizers said.

Bodies of 3 Missing Activists Found in Mexico

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The bodies of three of the eight community activists reported missing last week in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero have been found, state officials said.

58 Haitian Migrants Detained in Puerto Rico

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The U.S. Coast Guard and Puerto Rican police detained 58 undocumented Haitians on Tuesday as they tried to enter U.S. territory illegally on the west coast of Puerto Rico.

Investigators Have No Leads on 11 Missing in Mexico City

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Investigators have no leads on the 11 young people who went missing late last month in Mexico City and cannot even confirm that the group was taken by force, Federal District Attorney Rodolfo Rios said.
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Rubio: Immigration Reform Lacks Enough Votes to Pass the Senate 

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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said Tuesday that the immigration reform bill doesn’t have the necessary votes to avoid a filibuster in the Senate.

Federal Police Arrests 9 Suspected Kidnappers in Northern Mexico 

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Nine suspected members of a gang involved in kidnappings, contract hits and extortion rackets were arrested by the Federal Police in La Laguna, a region in the northern Mexican state of Durango, officials said.

Roberto González Nieves: “He sobrevivido a la tormenta”

Archbishop of San Juan closed the chapter of his alleged papal resignation

Arzobispo de San Juan cierra capítulo sobre alegada renuncia pedida por el Vaticano. http://ow.ly/lKaRW

via Primera Hora : Noticias on 6/5/13
Y aseguro que los resultados lo favorecen y que nunca se le pidió la renuncia.


» Roberto González Nieves: “He sobrevivido a la tormenta”
06/06/13 00:00 from Primera Hora : Noticias
Los tiempos difíciles y el montón de acusaciones en su contra han quedado atrás. 

Borinqueneers gain ground in Congress By CB Online Staff

Borinqueneers gain ground in Congress

By CB Online Staff


The U.S. Senate appears set to join the U.S. House of Representatives in taking up legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Puerto Rican veterans of the 65th Infantry Regiment known as the “Borinqueneers.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, has pledged to sponsor such legislation in the upper chamber and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has said she will co-sponsor the bill. Both New England states have large Puerto Rican populations.
A measure filed in the House of Representatives by Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner in April has garnered 37 co-sponsors to date. Puerto Rico’s lone representative in Congress filed the bipartisan measure along with Rep. Bill Posey, a Florida Republican.
The Borinqueneers were created by Congress in 1898 as an all-Puerto Rican segregated unit, and is credited with the final battalion-sized bayonet assault in U.S. Army history.
Called upon to serve in World War I, World War II, and especially the Korean War, the Borinqueneers have consistently shown exceptional and unyielding valor on the battlefield despite the hardships they lived under such as ethnic discrimination.
...

PR at center in rise of ‘surfonomics’ By : KEVIN MEAD

PR at center in rise of ‘surfonomics’

By : KEVIN MEAD


Puerto Rico’s world-class waves, and a trailblazing effort to protect them, served as the launching pad for efforts to put an economic value on surf breaks as surfing has grown into a multibillion global industry, according to Fortune magazine.
The venerable business publication is diving into the issue of surfonomics, tracing the swell of efforts by economists to measure the impact of surfing back more than a decade to Puerto Rico.
Surfing has shed its counterculture roots and has grown into a mainstream sport practiced on virtually every coastline with waves around the world. In Puerto Rico, officials are ramping up efforts to cash in on the island’s consistent swells and varied breaks that offer something for everyone from beginners to the world’s top-ranked touring pros.

Guisan en Medio de la Crisis Irving Faccio y Pabon Roca "Amigos de AGP" Luis Anthony·



Published on Jun 5, 2013
#ChatarrazoALaVista El exdirector de campaña del gobernador de Puerto Rico Alejandro García Padilla y del Partido Popular Democrático (PPD), Irving Faccio, obtuvo tres contratos que suman $255 mil con la Administración de Seguros de Salud, la Corporación del Fondo del Seguro del Estado y la Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportación (ACT), corporación pública que precisamente está en la mira pública por su deuda multimillonaria que pone en riesgo el crédito del País.

Los contratos a nombre de Faccio & Pabón Roca Law Offices, son por concepto de asesoría legal y fueron otorgados entre los meses de marzo y abril, según el registro de contratos de la Oficina del Contralor.

El primer contrato con la Administración de Seguros de Salud tiene vigencia de tres meses y alcanza los $100 mil. Mientras, la ACT otorgó un contrato de $80 mil por tan solo dos meses a la firma de abogados. En tanto, el contrato con la Corporación del Fondo del Seguro del Estado asciende a $75 mil, fue otorgado en abril y tiene vigencia de un año.

EL VOCERO reportó la semana pasada que el presidente del Banco Gubernamental de Fomento (BGF), Javier Ferrer, aseguró que la administración García Padilla tendrá que crear nuevos impuestos a la gasolina y a los marbetes no solo para dar liquidez a la ACT, sino para evitar que arrastre consigo la solvencia del BGF, con el que la corporación pública tiene una deuda de $2,200 millones que no puede pagar.

García Padilla dijo el lunes que se evalúan alternativas para atender la de deuda en la ACT que acerca al crédito del País a la clasificación de chatarra. Aunque aseguró que no habrá un aumento en el costo de los peajes y criticó la Alianza Público Privada (APP) de la autopista PR-22, el Gobernador no detalló cuáles alternativas evalúa para atender la deuda.

En el pasado, el bufete Faccio & Pabón Roca obtuvo contratos con el Municipio de Carolina. Precisamente el lunes, Faccio visitó La Fortaleza y ayer el licenciado Luis Pabón Roca― socio del bufete― acudió al Palacio Santa Catalina.

La secretaria de la Gobernación, Ingrid Vila Biaggi, indicó mediante la Oficina de Prensa de La Fortaleza, que Faccio y Pabón Roca acudieron a reuniones de carácter privado con el Primer Ejecutivo y por lo tanto desconoce el tema que discutieron. Asimismo, indicó sobre el contrato con la ACT que al momento el bufete ha facturado $30 mil del tope de $80 mil y que las horas son facturadas a $90.
http://www.vocero.com/guisa-en-medio-...

Published on June 5, 2013
# ChatarrazoALaVista The former director of the campaign of the governor of Puerto Rico Alejandro Garcia Padilla and Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Irving Faccio, won three contracts totaling $ 255,000 to the Insurance Administration Health Corporation Insurance Fund of the State and the Highways and Transportation (ACT), a public corporation that precisely is in the public eye for its multimillion debt that threatens the country's credit.

Contracts & Faccio name Pabon Roca Law Offices, are legal concept and were awarded between March and April, according to the registration of contracts of the Office of the Comptroller.

The first contract with the Health Insurance Administration is valid for three months and reached $ 100 billion. Meanwhile, the ACT awarded a $ 80 000 for only two months to the law firm. Meanwhile, the contract with the Corporation of the State Insurance Fund is $ 75,000, was awarded in April and is valid for one year.

THE SPOKESMAN reported last week that the president of the Government Development Bank (GDB), Javier Ferrer, said García Padilla administration will have to build new gas taxes and tags not only to provide liquidity to the ACT, but to avoid to drag him GDB solvency, with which the public corporation has a debt of $ 2.200 million who can not pay.

García Padilla said Monday it is evaluating alternatives to address the debt in the ACT on the country credit rating to junk. Although assured that there will be an increase in the cost of tolls and criticized the Public Private Partnership (PPP) of the PR-22, the Governor did not specify which evaluates alternatives to address the debt.

In the past, the firm Faccio & Pabon Roca won contracts with the Municipality of Carolina. Just on Monday, Faccio La Fortaleza and yesterday visited the lawyer Luis Pabon Roca-law partner, went to Santa Catalina Palace.

Secretary of the Interior, Ingrid Vila Biaggi, indicated by the Press Office of La Fortaleza, which Faccio and Pabon Roca attended private meetings with the Chief Executive and therefore know the topic they discussed. Also indicated on the contract with the ACT that when the firm has billed $ 30,000 the cap of $ 80 billion and that the hours are billed at $ 90.
http://www.vocero.com/guisa-en-medio- ... 

Guisan en Medio de la Crisis Irving Faccio y Pabon Roca "Amigos de AGP"