36 Hours in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Laura Magruder for The New York Times
Sunday, February 10, 2013
The Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles held a press conference last week to educate people about why statehood is a conservative issue
Conservatives Press for Puerto Rican Statehood
Some people have claimed that Puerto Rico’s desire for statehood will be ignored by Republicans in Congress because they believe that statehood is a liberal cause or that new Puerto Rican voters will be too liberal for Republicans. Current thinking in the Latino conservative network, however, is to the contrary.
The Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles held a press conference last week to educate people about why statehood is a conservative issue. The roster of Latino and conservative leaders was impressive:
Another point that appeals to conservatives is the need for equality. “Being for Puerto Rican statehood is like being against Plessy v. Ferguson,” the Baptist Press quoted Dr. Land as saying in remarks after the conference. “The same court that gave us Jim Crow gave us a new judicially created territorial status for Puerto Rico that was different… only because they were Hispanic.”
“It’s well past time for us to correct the racist, segregationist creation of a long-forgotten Supreme Court,” Land continued, “and to live up to the promises of our founding documents and redeem those promises for the people of Puerto Rico.”
Dr. Padilla expressed the same sentiments, saying, “The unprecedented category of “unincorporated territory” was created by a segregationist Court to prevent a territory inhabited by people of Hispanic origin from becoming a part of the United States.” He went on to say that “in 1922 a U.S. Supreme Court that upheld racial segregation determined that Puerto Rico was still an unincorporated territory because its Justices could not conceive of a faraway island inhabited by Hispanics, rather than Anglo-Saxons, to be a part of this Nation.”
Calling on conservatives to support the Constitution while rejecting the racist errors of a century ago, the LPCPP emphasized the need to respect the vote taken in Puerto Rico in November of 2012 in which 54% of voters rejected the current territorial status of the island and 61% chose statehood as their preferred relationship with the United States. Ignoring this vote, the speakers said, is not acceptable behavior for a nation based on the principles of democracy.
The Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles held a press conference last week to educate people about why statehood is a conservative issue. The roster of Latino and conservative leaders was impressive:
- Former Governor Luis Fortuno (R-PR)
- Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform
- Dr. Richard Land, President, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention
- Niger Innis, National Spokesman, Congress of Racial Equality
- Dr. Hernan Padilla, Former Mayor of San Juan, PR
- Alfonso Aguilar, Executive Director, Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles
Another point that appeals to conservatives is the need for equality. “Being for Puerto Rican statehood is like being against Plessy v. Ferguson,” the Baptist Press quoted Dr. Land as saying in remarks after the conference. “The same court that gave us Jim Crow gave us a new judicially created territorial status for Puerto Rico that was different… only because they were Hispanic.”
“It’s well past time for us to correct the racist, segregationist creation of a long-forgotten Supreme Court,” Land continued, “and to live up to the promises of our founding documents and redeem those promises for the people of Puerto Rico.”
Dr. Padilla expressed the same sentiments, saying, “The unprecedented category of “unincorporated territory” was created by a segregationist Court to prevent a territory inhabited by people of Hispanic origin from becoming a part of the United States.” He went on to say that “in 1922 a U.S. Supreme Court that upheld racial segregation determined that Puerto Rico was still an unincorporated territory because its Justices could not conceive of a faraway island inhabited by Hispanics, rather than Anglo-Saxons, to be a part of this Nation.”
Calling on conservatives to support the Constitution while rejecting the racist errors of a century ago, the LPCPP emphasized the need to respect the vote taken in Puerto Rico in November of 2012 in which 54% of voters rejected the current territorial status of the island and 61% chose statehood as their preferred relationship with the United States. Ignoring this vote, the speakers said, is not acceptable behavior for a nation based on the principles of democracy.
Right now is high time for you to avoid the impending freezes of next month and book your flight to San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
No Passport? No Problem: Puerto Rico - FENUXE
Magazine - Saturday, February 02,
2013
Berlin Sylvestre, Staff Writer
Right now is high time for you to avoid the impending freezes of next month and book your flight to San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. Why? Three reasons: One, to flee the cold (Puerto Rico’s average high in February is in the high 80s); two, you don’t need a passport (it’s a U.S. commonwealth) or changing money (they use our dollar); and three, not only is it beautiful, but the food is savory and authentic, and the historic sites will transport you back to the days of Ponce de León and his battle with the British. OK, there’s a fourth: The happening gay scene, with its super-sexy and “down to party” Latin men, is more than enough to keep you constantly dipping into all the island has to offer.
With Spirit Airlines offering a roundtrip ticket (as in there and back, pal) at $385 for flights booked mid-February, it’s a no-brainer: Get your gorgeous selves to Puerto Rico.
The first thing you’ll notice stepping out of airport is that PR is balmy. Incredibly balmy. The blanket of humidity and defrosting properties of tropical heat sap the Georgia winter clean out of your bones. Then, it’s the smell. Salt and sea are carried on aqueous breezes as you wait for a rental car to pull around. Opting out of a rental car? Don’t — you’ll be doing yourself an impractical disservice, as they’re phenomenally cheap. Trust me: You’re not going to want to stay in San Juan the entire time.
Once you take the wheel, head toward the vibrant district known as Old San Juan (which is similar to New Orleans’ French Quarter, actually). It’s historic, full of architecture from the 16th and 17th centuries, and located on a small island full of fortresses in the semblance of Spanish castles. The food, music, boutiques, and updated (wildly affordable) hotels that are older than America itself will blow your mind.
For $80 a night, Da House Hotel is an art gallery/hotel that provides incredibly tasteful rooms with shiny hardwood floors, a four-poster bed, and French doors that open to your own giant balcony offering clear views of the Castillo de San Cristóbal. Want lodging with a deeper, darker past? Try El Convento, a hotel that started out as a convent in the 1650s, was transformed into a dance hall, then served as a flophouse rumored to be a brothel, and converted to a hotel in the 1960s when it settled into its current luxury lodging purpose — a sinful and sexy legacy.
Like history? Tour the two fortresses — Castillo de San Cristóbal and Castillo de San Felipe del Morro — and discover not only why the foundations are slanted (think horse “leavings”) but also how dark, despondent, and medieval the internal prisons were. Ghosts are rumored to roam the forts night and day and with a quick tour within their cold and gloomy interiors, you’re bound to feel the chill of their haunted pasts.
But don’t dawdle too long in Old San Juan. Fight the compulsion and hop back in the car, mi amigo.
There’s a literal rush to driving through the often-hectic traffic of Puerto Rico. Thankfully, the country drives on the same side of the road as we do, but the style of maneuvering the streets and narrow byways requires a bit of aggression.
Not into breakneck driving? That’s quite all right.
It’s easy to get away from the city and into the Great Wide Open of Puerto Rico, where smoother, quieter roads lead you toward the slower pace of non-tourist coastal roaming. Even if you don’t speak (or read) a lick of Spanish, road signs are pretty obvious (highway numbers are the same in Spanish) and most rental companies provide an English-compatible GPS that’ll guide you.
Head toward Fajardo, another oceanside city an hour to the west that, along the way, gives you fringe views of El Yunque, PR’s most famous, lush jungle territory. Fajardo is where, for $2.50, a ferry takes you on a gorgeous two-hour ride to Culebra, a crescent-shaped island consistently ranked as having one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world. There, you’ll be able to walk on the relatively deserted beaches and set up camp (literally, as tents rent for $8 a night) and get down to the most soothing and serene of island basics. After some world-class snorkeling that gives you VIP access to Culebra’s submerged marine metropolis, you can enjoy dinner at the small island’s only town, Dewey, whose “mami y papi” restaurants provide fresh seafood and native dishes you’ll never find in the U.S. Rent one of the abundant and affordable Jeeps or golf carts Dewey offers and wind around the mountains for sublime views of Culebra’s paradisiacal landscape.
Sleeping in a tent in the tropical weather of Culebra is only “camping” in a literal sense. Outdoor freshwater showers are provided (and it’s damn near deserted, but if you’re shy, just shower in your undies), and you don’t wake swatting gnats and mosquitoes from your face. Waking means that rain-like clicking of palm fronds overhead and distant calls of exotic birdsong has lulled you into an almost unreal consciousness. Softly crashing waves, an ocean breeze, silky white sand, and gentle sun beg you to come out and play.
Catching a ride back to the ferry in one of the copious Dewey taxis that frequent the island won’t run you more than $8 and another blissful boat ride back to Fajardo lets you finish off that sun-kissed look you can’t wait to show your friends back home.
Because of the “move move move!” nature of San Juan, expediting the return of your rental car is something at which the locals are adept. Toss your keys on the counter, watch the hasty inspection of the vehicle, jump into an airport-bound taxi and in no time, you’re boarding the plane.
With (most likely) a travel budget surplus still in your wallet, you’ve seen more history offshore as a U.S. citizen than you could have whilst traveling on the mainland.
Felicidades!
Gay Hotspots:
Batucada: Calle Carlos Chardon #15 San Juan, P.R. 00918 (4 out of 5 stars)
facebook.com/batucadasportbargrill
A gay bar with occasional karaoke, the dance floor stays hopping until the lights come on. Local hits are intertwined with worldwide favorites, proving ample entertainment for townies and visitors alike. The bar is notorious for its cheap drinks and rowdy Sunday night scene. Compare it to Mary’s.
Tia Maria Jose de Diego: 326 Av. José de Diego San Juan, P.R. 00920 (4 out of 5 stars)
The oversized drinks are fantastically underpriced. If you’re looking to escape the tourist traps for a safe and gay-friendly setting, Tia’s is a local favorite. According to locals, get there early — it gets packed after 10 p.m., but it’s well worth it! Compare it to Blake’s on the Park.
Scandalo The Club: 613 Calle Condado San Juan, P.R. 00907 (3.5 out of 5 stars)
Down for a good drag show? If it’s Thursday, pop into Scandalo. (Nina Flowers, who is from Puerto Rico, has caved in the roof on many an occasion.) In the mood for hot naked strippers of the Latin persuasion? Sunday is your night. DJs pride themselves on house music and Latin rhythms which, in short, means you can shake that ass. Compare it to Burkhart’s Pub, featuring naked Ricky Martin clones.
SX: 1204 Ponce de León San Juan, P.R. 00907 (3 out of 5 stars)
Boasting the hottest male strippers in San Juan, this scintillating gay bar offers two floors of dance-centric hotness, a video bar, and VIP lounge. The modelesque dancers are known to be incredibly laid back and down to please their clients. Compare it to Swinging Richards.
Places to Avoid: La Perla, a slum known for its high rate of illegal activities has seen a boom of criminal activity that has attracted international drug traders, arms dealers, and narcotics distributors. It is highly advised that tourists avoid the seaside shantytown little more than a mile east of Old San Juan, as it is a haven for criminals who prey on tourists and locals alike.
PR in the News: Because of its terrible education system, crime rates, and struggling economy, Puerto Rico’s legislature sent a formal request to Obama and the U.S. Congress in December 2012 to end the current form of “territorial status” and to begin the process of admitting Puerto Rico to the Union as the 51st state.
Berlin Sylvestre, Staff Writer
Right now is high time for you to avoid the impending freezes of next month and book your flight to San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. Why? Three reasons: One, to flee the cold (Puerto Rico’s average high in February is in the high 80s); two, you don’t need a passport (it’s a U.S. commonwealth) or changing money (they use our dollar); and three, not only is it beautiful, but the food is savory and authentic, and the historic sites will transport you back to the days of Ponce de León and his battle with the British. OK, there’s a fourth: The happening gay scene, with its super-sexy and “down to party” Latin men, is more than enough to keep you constantly dipping into all the island has to offer.
With Spirit Airlines offering a roundtrip ticket (as in there and back, pal) at $385 for flights booked mid-February, it’s a no-brainer: Get your gorgeous selves to Puerto Rico.
The first thing you’ll notice stepping out of airport is that PR is balmy. Incredibly balmy. The blanket of humidity and defrosting properties of tropical heat sap the Georgia winter clean out of your bones. Then, it’s the smell. Salt and sea are carried on aqueous breezes as you wait for a rental car to pull around. Opting out of a rental car? Don’t — you’ll be doing yourself an impractical disservice, as they’re phenomenally cheap. Trust me: You’re not going to want to stay in San Juan the entire time.
Once you take the wheel, head toward the vibrant district known as Old San Juan (which is similar to New Orleans’ French Quarter, actually). It’s historic, full of architecture from the 16th and 17th centuries, and located on a small island full of fortresses in the semblance of Spanish castles. The food, music, boutiques, and updated (wildly affordable) hotels that are older than America itself will blow your mind.
For $80 a night, Da House Hotel is an art gallery/hotel that provides incredibly tasteful rooms with shiny hardwood floors, a four-poster bed, and French doors that open to your own giant balcony offering clear views of the Castillo de San Cristóbal. Want lodging with a deeper, darker past? Try El Convento, a hotel that started out as a convent in the 1650s, was transformed into a dance hall, then served as a flophouse rumored to be a brothel, and converted to a hotel in the 1960s when it settled into its current luxury lodging purpose — a sinful and sexy legacy.
Like history? Tour the two fortresses — Castillo de San Cristóbal and Castillo de San Felipe del Morro — and discover not only why the foundations are slanted (think horse “leavings”) but also how dark, despondent, and medieval the internal prisons were. Ghosts are rumored to roam the forts night and day and with a quick tour within their cold and gloomy interiors, you’re bound to feel the chill of their haunted pasts.
But don’t dawdle too long in Old San Juan. Fight the compulsion and hop back in the car, mi amigo.
There’s a literal rush to driving through the often-hectic traffic of Puerto Rico. Thankfully, the country drives on the same side of the road as we do, but the style of maneuvering the streets and narrow byways requires a bit of aggression.
Not into breakneck driving? That’s quite all right.
It’s easy to get away from the city and into the Great Wide Open of Puerto Rico, where smoother, quieter roads lead you toward the slower pace of non-tourist coastal roaming. Even if you don’t speak (or read) a lick of Spanish, road signs are pretty obvious (highway numbers are the same in Spanish) and most rental companies provide an English-compatible GPS that’ll guide you.
Head toward Fajardo, another oceanside city an hour to the west that, along the way, gives you fringe views of El Yunque, PR’s most famous, lush jungle territory. Fajardo is where, for $2.50, a ferry takes you on a gorgeous two-hour ride to Culebra, a crescent-shaped island consistently ranked as having one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world. There, you’ll be able to walk on the relatively deserted beaches and set up camp (literally, as tents rent for $8 a night) and get down to the most soothing and serene of island basics. After some world-class snorkeling that gives you VIP access to Culebra’s submerged marine metropolis, you can enjoy dinner at the small island’s only town, Dewey, whose “mami y papi” restaurants provide fresh seafood and native dishes you’ll never find in the U.S. Rent one of the abundant and affordable Jeeps or golf carts Dewey offers and wind around the mountains for sublime views of Culebra’s paradisiacal landscape.
Sleeping in a tent in the tropical weather of Culebra is only “camping” in a literal sense. Outdoor freshwater showers are provided (and it’s damn near deserted, but if you’re shy, just shower in your undies), and you don’t wake swatting gnats and mosquitoes from your face. Waking means that rain-like clicking of palm fronds overhead and distant calls of exotic birdsong has lulled you into an almost unreal consciousness. Softly crashing waves, an ocean breeze, silky white sand, and gentle sun beg you to come out and play.
Catching a ride back to the ferry in one of the copious Dewey taxis that frequent the island won’t run you more than $8 and another blissful boat ride back to Fajardo lets you finish off that sun-kissed look you can’t wait to show your friends back home.
Because of the “move move move!” nature of San Juan, expediting the return of your rental car is something at which the locals are adept. Toss your keys on the counter, watch the hasty inspection of the vehicle, jump into an airport-bound taxi and in no time, you’re boarding the plane.
With (most likely) a travel budget surplus still in your wallet, you’ve seen more history offshore as a U.S. citizen than you could have whilst traveling on the mainland.
Felicidades!
Gay Hotspots:
Batucada: Calle Carlos Chardon #15 San Juan, P.R. 00918 (4 out of 5 stars)
facebook.com/batucadasportbargrill
A gay bar with occasional karaoke, the dance floor stays hopping until the lights come on. Local hits are intertwined with worldwide favorites, proving ample entertainment for townies and visitors alike. The bar is notorious for its cheap drinks and rowdy Sunday night scene. Compare it to Mary’s.
Tia Maria Jose de Diego: 326 Av. José de Diego San Juan, P.R. 00920 (4 out of 5 stars)
The oversized drinks are fantastically underpriced. If you’re looking to escape the tourist traps for a safe and gay-friendly setting, Tia’s is a local favorite. According to locals, get there early — it gets packed after 10 p.m., but it’s well worth it! Compare it to Blake’s on the Park.
Scandalo The Club: 613 Calle Condado San Juan, P.R. 00907 (3.5 out of 5 stars)
Down for a good drag show? If it’s Thursday, pop into Scandalo. (Nina Flowers, who is from Puerto Rico, has caved in the roof on many an occasion.) In the mood for hot naked strippers of the Latin persuasion? Sunday is your night. DJs pride themselves on house music and Latin rhythms which, in short, means you can shake that ass. Compare it to Burkhart’s Pub, featuring naked Ricky Martin clones.
SX: 1204 Ponce de León San Juan, P.R. 00907 (3 out of 5 stars)
Boasting the hottest male strippers in San Juan, this scintillating gay bar offers two floors of dance-centric hotness, a video bar, and VIP lounge. The modelesque dancers are known to be incredibly laid back and down to please their clients. Compare it to Swinging Richards.
Places to Avoid: La Perla, a slum known for its high rate of illegal activities has seen a boom of criminal activity that has attracted international drug traders, arms dealers, and narcotics distributors. It is highly advised that tourists avoid the seaside shantytown little more than a mile east of Old San Juan, as it is a haven for criminals who prey on tourists and locals alike.
PR in the News: Because of its terrible education system, crime rates, and struggling economy, Puerto Rico’s legislature sent a formal request to Obama and the U.S. Congress in December 2012 to end the current form of “territorial status” and to begin the process of admitting Puerto Rico to the Union as the 51st state.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Boxer Orlando Cruz finally finds happiness after telling the world that he's gay - New York Daily News
via Gay Puerto Rico's Facebook Wall by Gay Puerto Rico on 2/9/13
Boxer Orlando Cruz finally finds happiness after telling the world that he's gay - New York Daily News
New York Daily News
Boxer Orlando Cruz finally finds happiness after telling the world that he's gay
New York Daily News
You are a 5-5, …
Boxer Orlando Cruz finally finds happiness after telling the world that he's gay - New York Daily News
New York Daily News
Boxer Orlando Cruz finally finds happiness after telling the world that he's gay
New York Daily News
You are a 5-5, …
Boxer Orlando Cruz finally finds happiness after telling the world that he's gay - New York Daily News
Saturday, Feb 09 2013
Puerto Rican Orlando Cruz reveals the moment he realized he was a homosexual as he faced the choice of coming out in the macho world of boxing
|
Featherweight boxer Orlando Cruz has revealed the moment he realized he was a homosexual man as a 19-year-old after he competed in the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
The Puerto Rican native, the first openly gay man in the sport's history, reveals a painful, decade long journey after he discovered the truth about himself and the internal battle he fought as he feared the consequences of revealing his sexuality in the testosterone dominated field.
Cruz says that he kept his identity a secret but decided to open up to his family and close friends in 2010. He came out to the public in October 2012.
Puerto Rican boxer Orlando Cruz has become boxing's first and so far only openly gay man
The 31-year-old told the New York Daily News that though he had a girlfriend in 2000, he experienced his first sexual encounter with a man at the age of 19 - after he had competed in the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
The boxer debuted as a professional following the games.
The experience was disorienting for the athlete, who struggled to come to terms with how to face the truth.
'I was wondering, "What is wrong with me? Am I crazy? What is going on?"' Cruz told the News.
He did reveal the truth to his mother, Dominga Torres, and faced the fury of his girlfriend when she discovered the truth.
He didn't think coming out in the field of boxing was even a viable option for him because when rumors began to spread that he was gay, he feared even entering the ring for fear of harassment by fans.
Boxer Orlando Cruz (right), battles Alejandro Delgado during a fight at the Palm Bay Community Center in Palm Bay, Fla. Describing
'He was afraid to fight, afraid of the reaction people would have,' Juan De Leon, Cruz’s longtime trainer, said.
'He kept on giving me excuses why he couldn't fight, and (even when he did fight), I could see it in his face that he wasn’t all there. He would be in the ring, but his mind was completely outside the ring.'
He finally revealed his identity to the public and fans in October 2012.
Cruz said he met with psychologists and others before making the announcement, adding he has the full support of his family, trainer and manager.
Few active professional athletes have come out. There has yet to be an openly gay player in Major League Baseball, the NBA or NFL.
Cornelius Lock (left) of the US knocks down Orlando Cruz of Puerto Rico during his NABO Featherweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 19, 2009 in Las Vegas
Pedro Julio Serrano, spokesman for the US-based National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, praised Cruz for his decision and said it breaks stereotypes that gay people are not involved in sports like boxing.
'It also gives a lot of hope to young gays who can see in him the integrity and bravery to be who you are and face a society that is often intolerant, especially in this type of sport,' he said.
Reaction to Cruz's announcement was largely positive across social media, with many praising him for taking what they called a brave step given the sport's violent history.
Among those who sent messages of support was Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, who announced he was gay in 2010.
Cruz, began boxing at the age of seven, holds the WBO NABO featherweight title.
'I am free. I feel so free,' Orlando Cruz now says about his state of mind in the aftermath of his decision to be open about his identity.
Boxer Orlando Cruz poses for pictures after a training session at a public gym in San Juan, Puerto Rico in Oct. after coming out as the first openly gay man in boxing
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261609/Puerto-Rican-Orlando-Cruz-reveals-moment-realized-homosexual-faced-choice-coming-macho-world-boxing.html#ixzz2KRjrCyx4
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Friday, February 8, 2013
The U.S.–Caribbean border is the often ignored “Third Border,” which the Department of Homeland Security has referred to as an “open door for drug traffickers and terrorists.” - nacla
via puerto
rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/8/13
 NACLA (blog) |
The
Drug Trade and the Increasing Militarization of the
Caribbean
NACLA (blog) It has been revealed that the drones will be operating out of bases in Corpus Christi, Texas, Cocoa Beach, Florida and potentially the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The shift towards the use ... Information has emerged which reveals that a U.S ... |
February 8, 2013
Given the current controversy surrounding the extent of the U.S. drone program and targeted killings, it is important to revisit that in the summer of 2012, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency announced that unmanned drones would begin patrolling Caribbean airspace as an expansion of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). This is only one aspect of how the War on Drugs in the Caribbean is increasingly looking like the War on Terror.
The U.S.–Caribbean border is the often ignored “Third Border,” which the Department of Homeland Security has referred to as an “open door for drug traffickers and terrorists.” A recent study by the National Defence University has stated that “the region's nexus to the United States uniquely positions it in the proximate U.S. geopolitical and strategic sphere. Thus, there is an incentive, if not an urgency, for the United States to proactively pursue security capacity-building measures in the Caribbean region.”
While the drones are unarmed for the time being, they will be primarily used to locate drug traffickers operating fishing boats, fast boats, and semi-submarines and would relay information to the Coast Guard, Navy or Caribbean authorities to carry out the interception and arrests. It has been revealed that the drones will be operating out of bases in Corpus Christi, Texas, Cocoa Beach, Florida and potentially the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
The shift towards the use of drones in the region is largely based off of an unconvincing pilot program carried out over 18 months in the Bahamas, in which “During more than 1,260 hours in the air off the southeastern coast of Florida, the Guardian (drones) assisted in only a handful of large-scale busts.” That said, the Caribbean governments increased militarization in the region when they implemented the never-ending War on Drugs without any public consultation or debate. This erosion of regional sovereignty may be a slippery slope to a dangerous future in which Caribbean nationals may very well find themselves on kill lists instead of facing a trial.
Such a conclusion is not baseless, as a November 2012 report by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security recommended that Latin American drug cartels be classified as terrorist organizations “so there is increased ability to counter their threat to national security.” Furthermore, in 2009, the U.S. Military drew criticism for placing 50 suspected Afghani drug traffickers on a “kill list” as part of their ongoing efforts to cut off finance stream of the Taliban. The controversy arose due to the fact that drug traffickers (generally classified as civilians) had now been placed into the same legal category as the Taliban “insurgents” and thus became legitimate targets.
This is especially important in light of how the extradition of Jamaican kingpin Christopher “Dudus” Coke was handled. In September 2009, the United States requested his extradition to face drug trafficking charges, but Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding blocked the request due to his deep political connections with Coke. It was only after months of intense pressure that Golding caved in May 2010. Jamaican Police and the Jamaican Defense Forces led the bloody operation to arrest Coke, which resulted in the deaths of more than 70 civilians—the vast majority of which were unarmed.
The resulting scandal led to the downfall of Golding as Prime Minister but highlighted the power that drug traffickers and gang leaders have had in Jamaican government and politics. It has since been reinforced that the operation was “assisted by the U.S. government and carried out, to a large degree, at its behest.” Information has emerged which reveals that a U.S. spy plane participated in the raid of Coke’s stronghold of Tivoli Gardens, and a Freedom of Information Act action has recently been levied against the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) by a group of law students to reveal the extent of U.S. involvement.
To prevent such explosive outcomes in the future, there has been a call for closer integration between Caribbean police forces and the U.S. DEA in a clear escalation of the War on Drugs. A September 2012 Senate Report revealed that Jamaica has been floated as a target for a Sensitive Investigative Unit, which consists of a highly trained police that collaborate with the DEA. A similar program exists in Kandahar, where U.S. and British troops have created and participated in a task force made up of Afghan police officers and U.S. DEA agents to disrupt the drug trade and investigate corrupt Afghan officials.
According to a seemingly benign Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release announcing the drone program, the “DHS is partnering with Caribbean nations to enhance border security in the region through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) . . . . The DHS is conducting border security training in conjunction with CBSI to increase partner nation capacity to secure their borders.” The problem with such statements is that there is always more shady business going on behind the scenes. Given the direction of U.S. policy in the region, it will only be a matter of time until the War on Drugs becomes eerily similar to the War on Terror.
It is impossible to argue against the protection of the Caribbean people against the ravages of the drug trade—concrete steps must be taken to combat it. However, the militarization of the region should not be considered the only way to move forward. Preventative programs to tackle youth crime and general unemployment must be instituted and supported by Caribbean governments and their international partners. Despite what the previously mentioned National Defence University thinks about the militarization of the Caribbean, such actions are not preventative, but reactionary and ultimately futile. Like anywhere else, it is the overall lack of opportunity which creates foot soldiers for the drug trade. The determination to create a real alternative is what is needed—not the deployment of more drones or more special police task forces.
Kevin Edmonds is a NACLA blogger focusing on the Caribbean. For more from his blog, "The Other Side of Paradise," visit nacla.org/blog/other-side-paradise. Edmonds is a former NACLA research associate and a current PhD student at the University of Toronto, where he is studying the impact of neoliberalism on the St. Lucian banana trade. Follow him on twitter @kevin_edmonds.
2.8.13 - Puerto Rico Law Enforcement and Police News
Puerto Rico Law Enforcement and Police News
via puerto rico governor - Google News on 2/8/13
California to sell about $7 bln bonds in 2013 -Treasurer
Reuters Earlier this week, Moody's Investors Service said Governor Jerry Brown's proposed budget reflected a "significant improvement" in California's finances, but it decided to hold the state's credit rating at A1 with a stable outlook. The ratings moves ... and more » |
via fbi puerto rico police - Google News on 2/6/13
4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid probe
WRAL.com SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man's car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon. Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after he ... |
via puerto rico police - Google News on 2/6/13
 NPR |
4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid probe
U-T San Diego SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man's car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon. Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after he ... 'Don't Give Up On Us': Puerto Ricans Wrestle With High CrimeWGBH NEWS all 9 news articles » |
via puerto rico fbi - Google News on 2/6/13
4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid probe
WRAL.com SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man's car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon. Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after he ... and more » |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/6/13
 Washington Post |
4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid evidence-planting probe
Washington Post SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man's car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon. Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after he ... and more » |
via alejandro garcia padilla - Google News on 2/6/13
Puerto Rico Climbs Most in Year as Redemptions Rise: Muni Credit
Bloomberg The gains in the island's bonds, which are tax-exempt in all U.S. states, greeted Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla as he took office Jan. 2. The 41-year-old Democrat faces a pension system that's able to meet less than 7 percent of promised ... and more » |
via alejandro garcia padilla - Google News on 2/2/13
Polémico el primer mes de García Padilla
El Nuevo Dia.com A un mes de haber asumido la gobernación, la polémica por la alianza público-privada (APP) del aeropuerto internacional Luis Muñoz Marín parece opacar los aciertos que ha tenido Alejandro García Padilla en sus primeros 30 días de gestión. Asimismo, el ... and more » |
via alejandro garcia padilla - Google News on 2/6/13
Señalan a Lázaro como responsable
El Nuevo Dia.com Lázaro, sin embargo, ha indicado que sí lo discutió con el gobernador Alejandro García Padilla. “Aquí lo importante es que nosotros, en la Junta, no vamos a atender ningún aumento de tarifa hasta que se presente un plan de cómo la agencia va a ser más ... and more » |
via fbi puerto rico police - Google News on 2/6/13
Body of NYC woman killed in Turkey to return to US
Salon 21, and her body was found 12 days later near the remnants of the city's ancient walls. She was still wearing her jewelry, but her iPhone and iPad were missing. Turkish police and the FBI are investigating her death. Prosecutors on Monday got a court ... |
via puerto rico police department - Google News on 2/8/13
NACLA (blog) |
The Drug Trade and the Increasing Militarization of the Caribbean
NACLA (blog) It has been revealed that the drones will be operating out of bases in Corpus Christi, Texas, Cocoa Beach, Florida and potentially the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The shift towards the use of drones in the region is largely ... A similar ... |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/8/13
NACLA (blog) |
The Drug Trade and the Increasing Militarization of the Caribbean
NACLA (blog) It has been revealed that the drones will be operating out of bases in Corpus Christi, Texas, Cocoa Beach, Florida and potentially the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The shift towards the use ... Information has emerged which reveals that a U.S ... |
via puerto rico police corruption - Google News on 2/8/13
NACLA (blog) |
The Drug Trade and the Increasing Militarization of the Caribbean
NACLA (blog) It has been revealed that the drones will be operating out of bases in Corpus Christi, Texas, Cocoa Beach, Florida and potentially the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The shift towards the use of drones in the region is ... of a highly trained ... |
via puerto rico police corruption - Google News on 2/7/13
All Share Services
Salon KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The United Nations says the cost of corruption rose sharply last year, and half of all Afghans bribed public officials for services. The U.N. says that while the number of people paying bribes actually declined by 9 percent ... and more » |
via puerto rico police department - Google News on 2/8/13
IRS vows crackdown on ID theft, fraudulent tax returns
Orlando Sentinel In January, federal authorities targeted 389 people in 32 states and Puerto Rico, arresting and charging suspected identity thieves. Eighty-eight of those were in Florida. The scheme offers a chance at easy money. For example, Kerly Joseph, 33, in ... and more » |
via puerto rico fbi - Google News on 2/7/13
'Don't Give Up On Us': Puerto Ricans Wrestle With High Crime
KUHF-FM Before he ran the police force, which is responsible for the entire island of more than 3.5 million people, Pesquera spent years leading the FBI bureau in Miami. The picture wasn't pretty when he returned to Puerto Rico. He came home to a fleet of ... and more » |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/6/13
2 Puerto Ricans cleared in Macho Camacho's death
The Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the killing of popular boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho. Police spokesman Alex Diaz told The Associated Press on Wednesday that evidence also ... |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/8/13
IRS vows crackdown on ID theft, fraudulent tax returns
Orlando Sentinel In January, federal authorities targeted 389 people in 32 states and Puerto Rico, arresting and charging suspected identity thieves. Eighty-eight of those were in Florida. The scheme offers a chance at easy money. For example, Kerly Joseph, 33, in ... and more » |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 1/10/13
Puerto Rico governor has activated the National Guard to help fight drug ...
VOXXI MAY 11, 2010 – DEA Caribbean Division, ATF and Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) agents executed 70 arrest warrants while targeting a violent drug trafficking organization in Operation Tower Kings. DEA and PRPD agents restrain a defendant who ... |
via puerto rico police corruption - Google News on 2/4/13
 Salon |
John Lindsay, Ed Koch and the end of liberalism
Salon That was the year of Selma, but also of Watts. (Harlem had endured its own riots a year earlier, triggered, like the Watts eruption, by police brutality.) Lyndon Johnson launched his “War on Poverty” early that year, but ended 1965 with a federal “War ... and more » |
via puerto rico police department - Google News on 2/7/13
NPR |
'Don't Give Up On Us': Puerto Ricans Wrestle With High Crime
WGBH NEWS Before he ran the police force, which is responsible for the entire island of more than 3.5 million people, Pesquera spent years leading the FBI bureau in Miami. The picture wasn't pretty when he returned to Puerto Rico. He came home to a fleet of ... 4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid probeCharlotte Observer all 9 news articles » |
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Who is Alejandro García Padilla? - Suffragio | Last Update: 2.8.13
Last Update: 2.8.13
via alejandro garcia padilla - Google News on 2/2/13
Polémico el primer mes de García Padilla
El Nuevo Dia.com A un mes de haber asumido la gobernación, la polémica por la alianza público-privada (APP) del aeropuerto internacional Luis Muñoz Marín parece opacar los aciertos que ha tenido Alejandro García Padilla en sus primeros 30 días de gestión. Asimismo, el ... and more » |
via alejandro garcia padilla - Google News on 2/6/13
Señalan a Lázaro como responsable
El Nuevo Dia.com Lázaro, sin embargo, ha indicado que sí lo discutió con el gobernador Alejandro García Padilla. “Aquí lo importante es que nosotros, en la Junta, no vamos a atender ningún aumento de tarifa hasta que se presente un plan de cómo la agencia va a ser más ... and more » |
Who is Alejandro García Padilla?
| Suffragio |
Posted on November 7, 2012 by Kevin Lees
Although voters in the United States chose to retain a Republican House of Representatives, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic president in Barack Obama, it wasn’t as good a night for incumbents in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Alejandro García Padilla (pictured above), a Puerto Rican senator, narrowly defeated Puerto Rico’s governor Luis Fortuño in Tuesday’s Puerto Rican gubernatorial election and Fortuño conceded the race earlier this afternoon – with over 96% of the votes counted, García Padilla leads with 47.85% to just 47.04% for Fortuño.
The result will cap what was generally a good night for García Padilla’s Partido Popular Democrático de Puerto Rico (the PPD, Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico), which also took back control of Puerto Rico’s Asamblea Legislativa (Legislative Assembly) from Fortuño’s Partido Nuevo Progresista de Puerto Rico (the PNP, New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico), and which also won the mayoral race in San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital and largest city.
So who is García Padilla? And how will García Padilla will his administration differ from Fortuño’s?
García Padilla, age 41, an attorney and former law professor, was elected to Puerto Rico’s Senate in 2008 as the PPD’s most popular vote-winner. He previously served as the secretary of consumer affairs under former PPD governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá from 2005 to 2008.
García Padilla’s victory first and foremost likely means an end to the austerity policies of his predecessor.
As governor, Fortuño has essentially eliminated Puerto Rico’s $2 billion budget deficit, but he’s done so by cutting public sector jobs and reducing spending on higher education, even while he reduced taxes 50% for individuals and 30% for business. The implementation of his economic program has drawn considerable attention in the United States, and Fortuño himself is somewhat of a star within the Republican Party — he and his wife had primetime speaking roles during the Republican National Convention in August. If Mitt Romney had won Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election, it seemed likely that Fortuño could even be elevated to a cabinet position in a Romney administration.
Fortuño, already on the ropes after losing two referenda earlier in the summer to reduce the number of legislators in Puerto Rico’s legislative assembly and to give judges the right to deny bail in certain murder cases (Puerto Rico, uniquely, entitles everyone to bail regardless of the crime), was never quite a favorite for reelection.
García Padilla ran a stinging campaign against the harshness of Fortuño’s austerity measures in the face of an economic climate even more troubling than on the U.S. mainland — the economy has been in recession for six years, unemployment remains relatively high at 13.6% and the poverty level has reached a staggering 45.6%. Meanwhile, crime is rising steadily, with over 1,000 murders in 2011 alone. Puerto Rico’s GDP per capita of just around $24,000, about half that of the United States, makes it already much less prosperous than the mainland.
That’s in spite of the fact that the wider Caribbean economy is otherwise growing. Puerto Rico is one of the largest islands in the Caribbean — if independent, it would be the fourth-largest country in the region after Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Moreover, its $96.3 billion economy is larger than either Cuba’s ($60.8 billion) or the Dominican Republic’s ($55.6 billion).
Despite Fortuño’s ties to the Republican Party, the PNP in the past has allied with both the Republican and Democratic parties on the mainland; the PPD, however, has always typically supported the Democratic party and García Padilla campaigned in Florida on behalf of Obama’s presidential campaign. As such, the gubernatorial election took on a more ideological contrast than normal, with García Padilla accusing Fortuño of running an ideological experiment with Puerto Rico’s finances.
Politics on the island typically have less to do with traditional U.S. ideological divides than with the Puerto Rico’s status vis-a-vis the United States. Puerto Rico is essentially a U.S. territory, known as a ‘commonwealth’ since 1952, and Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Fortuño’s PNP supports statehood, while García Padilla’s PPD essentially favors the status quo as a commonwealth. The much smaller, pro-independence Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP, Puerto Rico Independence Party) has not historically attracted much support.
As such, despite a qualified victory for statehood in Tuesday’s referendum, García Padilla’s victory further complicates an already cloudy path for Puerto Rico’s eventual statehood hopes. García Padilla has in the past called for a constitutional assembly to address Puerto Rico’s status, and it seems unlikely that García Padilla will spend much time taking up the PNP’s pet cause when voters will be looking to him to create jobs and reduce crime.
It seems much likelier that García Padilla will turn to reversing some of the harshest budget cuts by raising spending on education and public safety, given the PPD’s newly-won control of the legislative assembly. The PPD will now control both Puerto Rico’s Cámara de Representantes (House of Representatives), where it will hold 28 seats to just 23 seats for the PPD, and Puerto Rico’s Senado (Senate) with 18 seats to just eight seats for the PPD and one seat for the PIP.
Aside from the gubernatorial and legislative elections and the referendum, the PNP major of San Juan, Jorge Santini, was defeated after 12 years in office by the PPD’s Carmen Yulín Cruz, a member of Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives since 2009.
In the gubernatorial election, the PIP’s Juan Dalmau Ramírez won just 2.53%.
Fortuño came to office after winning a landslide victory in the 2008 election — he defeated Acevedo Vilá, by around 53% to 41% amid a corruption scandal — Acevedo Vilá was tried on federal charges relating to illegal campaign contributions after leaving office. Although he was found not guilty, the allegations severely hurt Acevedo Vilá and the PPD in the 2008 election.
Filed under: Puerto Rico, United States Tagged: | acevedo vila, asamblea legislativa, boricua, commonwealth, democrat, fortuno, garcia padilla, obama, PIP, PNP, PPD, puerto rico, referendum, republican, romney, san juan, santini, statehood
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