Tuesday Sep 23, 2025

Hiriko Masuike/The

investigation into revolving door at PRITS

By THE STAR STAFF

The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) minority delegation in the Senate held a press conference Monday “on a matter that deserves follow-up by us, the press, and the country,” namely the turmoil at the Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service (PRITS).

“As you know, during the past few days a series of controversies have been publicly aired surrounding PRITS, which is the agency in charge of preparing, managing, developing, and coordinating all matters related to the technological infrastructure of the government of Puerto Rico,” PDP Senate minority leader Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz said.

Last Friday, Hernández Ortiz introduced Senate Resolution 306, requesting that the upper chamber initiate an investigative process into the controversies, particularly the allegations surrounding the removal of several directors appointed to PRITS, as well as contracts within the government, particularly those related to technology and technological infrastructure.

La Fortaleza had no immediate comment.

“... [W]e want to provide you with more information regarding the measure and publicly discuss how the Puerto Rico Senate should proceed regarding this matter,” Hernández Ortiz added. “With this legislative bill, we hope that the Committee on Innovation, Reform, and Appointments will conduct an investigation into the functions, powers, and duties of PRITS and the chief innovation and information officers of the government of Puerto Rico.”

Sen. Marially González Huertas, the PDP alternate minority leader, noted that “similarly, PRITS’ evaluation of all contracts for professional and advisory services and/or those related to the government’s innovation, computing, and technology agenda from January 2025 to the present [must be reviewed].”

“And why does this need to be investigated in depth?,” she said. “In recent months, PRITS has been the subject of public controversy, and the agency currently does not have a permanent chief innovation and information officer.”

Sen. Josian Santiago Rivera reminded those present that on Jan. 12 of this year, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón appointed Antonio Ramos Guardiola to fill the position; however, the appointment was withdrawn on April 28.

“The following day, April 29, 2025, Mr. Luis Javier Rodríguez Vega was appointed. This appointment was also withdrawn on June 20, 2025, just days before the end of the first regular session, stripping the Senate of its power to grant advice and consent or reject the appointment,” Santiago Rivera said. “More recently, Mr. Martín Jiménez Morales was appointed to the position. This appointment was made during recess, specifically on July 1, 2025. On September 9, the Senate of Puerto Rico received a letter dated September 2, in which the [latest] chief executive also withdrew the appointment. Since then, the governor has publicly stated that her administration is considering integrating PRITS under the Office of Management and Budget.”

Santiago Rivera added that the González Colon govern-

The Popular Democratic Party minority delegation in the Senate is calling for an investigation into “a matter that deserves follow-up by us, the press, and the country,” namely the turmoil at the Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service.

ment “is at its worst.”

“Barely nine months into her administration, there are serious questions about possible acts of corruption, and the serious thing about the matter is that the allegations are openly pointed out by leaders of her own party, implying the intervention of officials she trusted in La Fortaleza,” he said. “Particularly for me, who was mayor [of Comerío], eight years after [Hurricane] Maria, the reconstruction reflects an unacceptable and unjustifiable delay, the electricity bill continues to rise and now they surprise us by taking us until 2050 to have a properly restored system.”

Former Senate President José Luis Dalmau Santiago noted that recent public reports have revealed administrative misconduct that should influence the Senate’s investigative powers. A recent report by the Center for Investigative Journalism alleged that on April 25, 2025, days before Ramos Guardiola’s appointment was withdrawn, he had denied -- within the broad powers he held as chief information officer -- the contracting of a technology company.

While the appointment of an official is the prerogative of the executive branch, the public accusations that have emerged raise concerns that cannot go unnoticed, Dalmau Santiago said.

“This is a shuffling of chairs in an agency -- in this case, PRITS -- to somehow seek to ensure that the person who occupies the position responds to private interests,” he said. “Since the withdrawal of Ramos Guardiola’s appointment and up to the present, the agency has not had a permanent person occupying the position. Furthermore, the Governor recently imputed to the Senate the reasons behind the withdrawal of the last nominee, Mr. Martín Jiménez Morales. She alleges that he did not have the endorsement of the legislative body, when the appointee had not even been evaluated in public hearings and no member of the body had publicly commented on the appointment.”

Río Piedras Campus student council demands removal of UPR president

By THE STAR STAFF

University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Río Piedras Campus general student council demanded on Monday the immediate removal of UPR President Zayira Jordán Conde, whom they accuse of leading with “opacity, lack of transparency, and a toxic management style,” less than 100 days after she assumed office.

“She has misrepresented financial data, marginalized the participation of various sectors in the University Board, and ordered the arbitrary closure of academically valuable programs with significant social impact,” the student organization said in a written statement. “Furthermore, she has delegated strategic decisions to external advisers with conflicts of interest.”

The Student Government Council (CGE) accused Jordán Conde of adopting as official policy false statements made by political analyst Jorge Colberg Toro regarding the UPR’s financial health and

retirement system. They asserted that those statements exaggerated the extent of the debt, despite the fact that audited financial statements and representatives of the university community present a different picture.

The students emphasized that the UPR is an essential public service that goes beyond its academic offerings, with contributions such as the Seismic Network, the University Hospital, legal clinics, and programs providing psychological and legal support to victims of gender-based violence, as well as agricultural and scientific projects that impact the island as a whole.

According to the CGE, keeping Jordán Conde in the UPR presidency “endangers the university’s accreditation, financial stability, and its historical mission as a driver of social mobility and research.” They called upon the UPR community and the general public to join them in demanding her immediate removal to ensure the stability and strengthening of the public university.

Firefighters union denounces public policy regarding first responders

By THE STAR STAFF

United Firefighters Union of Puerto Rico President José Tirado charged on Monday that Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, Public Safety Secretary Arthur Garffer and Firefighters Bureau Commissioner Josué Piñeiro Torres “maintain a public policy against first responders.”

“We are still waiting for the payment of overtime for firefighters, compliance with the $100 contribution to the health insurance plan, and a fair solution for the retirement of our colleagues,” Tirado said in a written statement. “Requesting that the needs of our firefighters be addressed is not a minor issue, and it must be handled seriously and urgently. This neglect in resolving urgent matters reveals the indifference

of this government.”

The union leader criticized the governing administration’s inaction despite the efforts made by the union to address the grievances. He asserted that Garffer’s repeated refusals to meet with firefighters’ representatives reflect a lack of commitment.

“Firefighters are asking themselves: What exactly does Garffer do?” he said.

Tirado also maintained that the government’s actions are purely “for show.”

“The evidence is clear. Garffer, the governor, and the fire commissioner are only pretending to do something, solely to be documented in photos and videos,” he said. “It’s just a show for social media, nothing more.”

House lawmaker seeks probe into channelization project

By THE STAR STAFF

San Juan District 2 Rep. Ricardo Rey Ocasio Ramos announced Monday the filing of a planned probe into the proposed Piedras River channelization project.

“Regardless of the project’s feasibility, what is concerning is the lack of a communication and participation process that addresses residents’ concerns,” Ocasio Ramos said. “A project of this magnitude requires transparent spaces for exchanging information, evaluating alternatives, and addressing the worries of those directly affected.”

The House measure aims to address the concerns of communities such as Villa Nevárez, Reparto Metropolitano, Jardines Metropolitanos and University Gardens in San Juan. Residents, many of whom are senior citizens, have reported a lack of clear and consistent information about the scope of the project, which is being undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“These residents have lived in these areas for decades and deserve access to accurate information regarding any project that impacts their safety, health, and quality of life,” the legislator said. “Their concerns are valid and diverse, and what is needed is an inclusive and transparent forum that allows citizens to participate in decisions affecting their environment. I visited these communities with Mayor Miguel Romero and heard from several concerned residents.”

Numerous environmental and community organizations, including the Alliance for the Piedras River Basin, have cautioned that the project’s technical studies date back to the 1980s and have not been updated with current economic or hydrological data. They warn that channeling over 17 kilometers of concrete could adversely affect local flora, fauna, and ecosystem services, as well as exacerbate urban heat in San Juan.

The resolution requires both committees to submit a report to the House of Representatives with their findings, conclusions, and recommendations within 180 days of its approval.

“This issue is not just technical; it is a human issue,” Ocasio Ramos said. “The residents of District 2, particularly our seniors, deserve to be heard and included in this process. Channeling the Piedras River can significantly alter the lives of these communities, and the least we can do is ensure they receive clear information and the opportunity to participate.”

United Firefighters Union of Puerto Rico President José Tirado

Rep. Ricardo Rey Ocasio Ramos

UPR President Zayira Jordán Conde

Puerto Rico to host NBA game & FIBA women’s qualifying tourney

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, along with Puerto Rico Tourism Company Executive Director Willianette Robles Cancel, announced on Monday two significant sporting events that the officials said solidify the island as a sports tourism destination and project an economic impact of $11.8 million.

“These two important basketball events that we are bringing to the enjoyment of our fans and which have an impact of over $11 million are the result of several months of negotiation and work to attract world-class events to Puerto Rico,” González Colón said at a press conference. “These are not the only ones, as we will be making other announcements later. We are investing in sports tourism, which generates significant economic impact, showcases our welcoming culture, and places our island on the map of major international venues. We also seek to combine the attendance of these world-renowned events with interactions with our youth in Puerto Rico, so that they can serve as a tool for development and learning.”

The first event will be an NBA preseason game between the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat, on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Puerto Rico Coliseum in Hato Rey. The game, which is sold out, will bring together some 16,000 fans, and will generate $8.3 million in economic impact, in addition to media exposure valued at $18 million. Among the players expected to be on the court are Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner for the Magic, as well as Andrew Wiggins and Bam Adebayo for the Heat.

and promote gender equality in sports. These events serve as a global showcase for Puerto Rico, reaching diverse audiences, which in turn represents a great opportunity to attract more visitors to the island.

Puerto Rico Basketball Federation President Yum Ramos stressed that the siting of the FIBA tournament on the island “recognizes the organizational capacity of our federation and the country, as well as the passion and support of our fans.”

“We are a great showcase for both our men’s and women’s basketball and an inspiration for the next generation of players,” he said. “Puerto Rico has already proven to be a top-tier venue for international competitions. In 2024, we hosted the Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where the [Puerto Rican] national team achieved a historic qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after a 20-year absence. Now […] we are convinced that this event will mark another historic chapter for Puerto Rican basketball, especially for our female players and for women’s sports in general.”

The second event will be the FIBA Women’s World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament, which will be held March 1117, 2026, at the coliseum. The international tournament will feature six national teams, will contribute some $3.5 million to the local economy, and will generate more than 2,000 hotel room nights. “Both the FIBA women’s qualifying tournament and the NBA preseason game are examples of how Puerto Rico is establishing itself as a host for world-class events,” Robles Cancel said. “In addition to boosting our economy, they foster community involvement, celebrate the talent of our athletes,

The impact of the NBA game will also include sports clinics on Friday, Oct. 3 at the Llorens Torres housing complex for more than 300 young people, in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, the Department of Housing and the Department of Recreation and Sports. The Heat-Magic game marks the NBA’s return to Puerto Rico after 20 years, thanks to the efforts of VRDG Entertainment and the support of former NBA player Carlos Arroyo.

“We are very excited to return to Puerto Rico on October 4th […]” said John Vidalin, chief commercial officer of the Miami Heat. “The fans in Puerto Rico are passionate, and the event sold out quickly.”

New laws aim to streamline citizen-agency interface, recognize scientific contributions

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón has signed two bills into law: one to recognize the contributions of Puerto Ricans to science and another aimed at enhancing government efficiency by utilizing technology to streamline citizen interactions with agencies.

The governor enacted Act 116-2025 (Senate Bill [SB] 545, authored by Sen. Brenda Pérez Soto from the Arecibo District) last Friday to designate Nov. 15 of each year as “Puerto Ricans in Science Day.” The commemoration aims to celebrate both historical and contemporary figures in science and to encourage students to engage in scientific pursuits from an early age. It will enable public agencies, educational institutions, professional organizations and private entities to organize events and campaigns that promote research, innovation and critical thinking.

The Puerto Rico Department of Education already recognizes Nov. 15 as “Puerto Ricans in Science Day” in its official academic calendar. By signing SB 545, the governor seeks to elevate the significance of that celebration, ensure its continuity, and foster collaboration among educational

institutions, government agencies, scientific organizations and the private sector.

González Colón on Monday also signed into law SB 117-2025, a measure authored by Sens. Héctor Joaquín Sánchez, Brenda Pérez Soto, Luis Daniel Colón La Santa, Wilmer Reyes and Rafael Santos to enact the Electronic Identity Online Access System (IDEAL).

IDEAL is an advanced information system designed to consolidate all documentation and certifications issued by the executive branch of the island government that agencies require for various procedures. The system can be utilized for any government transaction or procedure, including permits, requests for assistance or services, and contracting, among others.

All executive branch agencies will be required to share any documentation or certification requested by a citizen with the agency handling the request, as mandated by law. Once the IDEAL system is operational, agencies will no longer need to ask citizens or corporations to provide specific documents or certificates; instead, they will access the database to verify that the requested document is current and valid.

The chief executive of government innovation and

informatics will be responsible for establishing the IDEAL system, which will encompass requests for documents and certifications needed for routine government transactions while ensuring interoperability among government agency systems, allowing them to communicate through an integrated cloud-based platform.

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón and Puerto Rico Tourism Company Executive Director Willianette Robles Cancel (Facebook via Jenniffer González Colón)

Sen. Brenda Pérez Soto

Tuesday, September 23, 2025 5

In assault on free speech, Trump targets speech he hates

By PETER BAKER

As President Donald Trump threatens a wide-ranging crackdown on mainstream media institutions and political opponents, his aides and allies have cast the administration’s moves as critical to stanching misinformation and hate speech that could lead to political violence.

But Trump himself has repeatedly made clear in recent days that he has a different goal. For him, it’s not about hate speech, but about speech that he hates — namely, speech that is critical of him and his administration.

He has suggested that a clutch of protesters who yelled at him in a restaurant be prosecuted under laws targeting mobsters. He demanded that multiple late-night comics who mocked him be taken off air. He threatened to shutter television broadcasters that he deemed unfair to him. He sued The New York Times for allegedly damaging his reputation. And that was just last week.

When threatening government action against those who anger him, Trump can be strikingly transparent about what is driving him. He talks regularly about how journalists, commentators and political actors should not be “allowed” to be so harsh toward him. Having installed a partisan ally to run the FBI, he muses openly about which political critics he would like to see investigated.

(Eric Lee/The

the owner of ABC, complied and suspended Kimmel’s show.

But Trump then made clear he has a broader, more personal goal.

Trump is not the only president to bristle at opposition or news coverage, nor the first to try to punish those who angered him. But in modern times, no president has gone so far in using his power to pressure media figures and political opponents, historians say.

At the end of a week dominated by a fraught national debate over free speech that followed the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Trump summed up his view Friday in a remark that would have been shocking if made by any previous president.

“They’ll take a great story and they’ll make it bad,” he told reporters in the Oval Office, referring to network newscasts. “See, I think that’s really illegal.”

The president’s outbursts undermine the rationales offered by his own officials. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who initially claimed she had the right to investigate businesses that refused to print memorial vigil posters for Kirk, later emphasized that the government is focused on hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence. Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, has argued that many broadcasters have a liberal bias and do not meet the agency’s standard for serving the public interest.

Last week, Carr threatened consequences if ABC did not take action against late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for his comment that “the MAGA gang” was trying to characterize the suspect in Kirk’s killing “as anything other than one of them.” The comment was factually wrong, the FCC chair argued, and part of a “concerted effort to lie to the American people.” Disney,

In a social media post, the president celebrated Kimmel’s removal and demanded that two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, meet a similar fate. “That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC,” the president wrote. “Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”

Thomas Berry, director of the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, said the president effectively refuted Carr’s attempt to maintain that punishing ABC for Kimmel’s statement would be a fair and neutral application of FCC guidelines.

“This continues a pattern of Trump being his own lawyers’ worst enemy with his public statements,” Berry said. “Whereas Carr focused on the alleged falsity of the statement, Trump simply admits that he wants the FCC to go after stations that are unfriendly to him.”

Asked about the disparate justifications offered by Trump and administration officials, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said, “President Trump is a strong supporter of free speech, and he is right — FCC-licensed stations have long been required to follow basic standards.” She added that “the Biden administration actually attacked free speech by demanding social media companies take Americans’ posts down.”

Vice President JD Vance likewise pointed to allegations of censorship lodged against President Joe Biden to defend the Trump administration’s actions. “The bellyaching from the left over ‘free speech’ after the Biden years fools precisely no one,” he wrote on social media Friday.

The Biden administration urged social media companies to prevent the proliferation of what it deemed misinformation

about COVID-19. Republicans contended that amounted to unconstitutional coercion to censor unpopular views and a judge issued an injunction, but the Supreme Court rejected a challenge, saying the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue.

Other presidents sought to pressure news organizations in less expansive ways. President Richard M. Nixon tried to block publication of the Pentagon Papers, which detailed the U.S. government’s failures in the Vietnam War, and his allies challenged the licenses of television stations owned by the publisher of The Washington Post, whose Watergate coverage infuriated him.

President George W. Bush’s White House barred the Times from Vice President Dick Cheney’s plane for a time out of pique at a story. President Barack Obama’s administration conducted more leak investigations than all his predecessors combined and once tried to exclude Fox News from a joint interview for television reporters, only to back down when other networks protested.

But Trump’s campaign against news media outlets has gone far beyond those of his modern-day predecessors, taking form long before the Kirk assassination. Even before his latest lawsuit against the Times, he sued ABC, CBS and The Wall Street Journal. He slashed federal funding for PBS and NPR. He moved to dismantle government broadcasters including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Martí, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

He threw The Associated Press out of the White House press pool because it refused to call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.” And the White House seized control of the press pool altogether, determining which news organizations would be permitted into the Oval Office or on Air Force One to question him, something no other president attempted.

This past week brought more examples. On Monday, Trump said that he had asked Bondi to consider “bringing RICO cases against” the protesters who yelled at him in the restaurant, referring to the racketeering statute used to prosecute the Mafia.

On Tuesday, Trump erupted at Jonathan Karl of ABC News for asking about Bondi’s plan to target “hate speech.” She would “probably go after people like you,” he snapped, “because you treat me so unfairly.” When Karl revisited the subject in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump berated him again. “You’re guilty, Jon,” he said.

During his flight home from London on Thursday night, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that his administration should curtail broadcasters that air coverage that is excessively negative toward him. “I would think maybe their license should be taken away,” he said.

Asked if he really thought the restaurant protesters should go to jail, he doubled down. “When you take a look at the way they acted, the way they behaved, yeah, I think they were a threat,” the president said.

A “Gulf of America” poster sits below a portrait of former President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office at The White House in Washington, on Tuesday, Feb.11, 2025. The president’s complaints about negative coverage undermine the rationales offered by his own officials.

New York Times)

Trump remembers Kirk as a martyr while attacking political opponents

By TYLER PAGER

President Donald Trump remembered conservative activ-

ist Charlie Kirk as a “martyr” on Sunday in remarks at his memorial in Arizona, but he pivoted swiftly to blunt politics by saying that he hated his political opponents and that they “cheated like dogs.”

Striking a far different tone from that of Kirk’s widow, Erika, who spoke immediately before him, Trump said he disagreed with Charlie Kirk’s view of wanting the best for one’s opponent.

“I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them,” he said.

He added: “I am sorry, Erika.”

Just minutes before, Erika Kirk publicly forgave the man who killed her husband. “I forgive him because it is what Christ did,” she said. “The answer to hate is not hate.”

Trump’s speech, which stretched on for roughly 45 minutes, capped a more than five-hour memorial service for the conservative activist, who was assassinated less than two weeks ago while speaking on a college campus in Utah.

Many members of Trump’s Cabinet and senior White House staff — including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff — also spoke at the event, which drew tens of thousands of people to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The president, in his remarks, oscillated between honoring Charlie Kirk’s life and promoting his own political agenda.

President Donald Trump takes the stage at the memorial service for Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

Trump teased an announcement Monday about autism, discussed sending in federal agents to Chicago to reduce crime and boasted about the tariffs he has slapped on foreign countries.

But Trump also shared memories of his interactions with Kirk, telling the story of Kirk’s rise from a high school graduate with $1,800 in his pocket to building a multimillion-dollar political juggernaut with chapters around the country. That work, Trump said, was critical to Republicans making inroads with younger voters in the last presidential election.

The president also credited Kirk for being among the first to tell him about Vance, when he was running for Senate in Ohio, and for uniting Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now the health secretary, at an event in Arizona last year.

Since Kirk’s death, Trump and top administration officials have promised a broad crackdown on their political opponents, leveling a baseless argument that there is a broad ecosystem of Democratic individuals and groups violently opposing the Republican Party and its values.

As Trump’s speech veered increasingly into politics Sunday, hundreds of people started leaving the arena. Many of the attendees woke up at 3 a.m. and stood in line for hours to make it into the venue, with organizers setting up multiple overflow areas.

Most of the speakers before the president talked extensively of Kirk’s faith, and they vowed to carry on his mission to implement a conservative Christian vision of the United States.

“We always did need less government,” Hegseth said. “But what Charlie understood and infused into his movement is, we also needed a lot more God.”

Top administration officials also credited Kirk and his organization, Turning Point USA, for helping Republicans win elections, saying their work was invaluable to their success.

“Our whole administration is here, but not just because we love Charlie as a friend, even though we did, but because we know we wouldn’t be here without him,” Vance said. “Charlie built an organization that reshaped the balance of our politics.”

At the end of his remarks, Trump welcomed Erika Kirk back to the stage. The two hugged and stood together as “America the Beautiful” played. They then clasped hands and walked off together.

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Trump also recognized Kirk’s role as a father, son and friend — and his dedication to his faith and his work.

“He’d make me feel very guilty,” he said. “As president, many people ask me for things, but Charlie was one of the few who always gave more than he took.”

The president, who had already announced that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, promised to Erika Kirk that he’d do “everything we can to ensure that your children grow up in a land where their father is honored and revered as a great American hero.”

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And though Erika Kirk said she forgave her husband’s killer, Trump called him “a radicalized, cold blooded monster.”

The president also took aim at Charlie Kirk’s critics and once again blamed liberal politics for his death. Kirk spent much of his time engaging with those who disagreed with him, as he sought to win them over. But Trump assailed those critics, saying that most of them were “paid agitators,” and he vowed that the Department of Justice was “investigating networks of radical-left maniacs who fund, organize, fuel and perpetrate political violence.”

“But law enforcement can only be the beginning of our response to Charlie’s murder,” he said.

Attendees pray during the memorial service for Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

I look at the US and I see a stranger

By M. GESSEN

When your country strips you of rights and protections, it tells you that it no longer recognizes you. Other times, you realize that you no longer recognize your country. People leave; families rupture along political lines; friendships shatter; people and institutions that used to be widely admired are vilified, and yesterday’s villains are sainted; familiar faces disappear from the public sphere; an aggressive conformity takes hold; the material conditions of life change.

The indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show signaled just such a shift in landscape. The news tells us that we are moving from one country to a different, autocratic one. The television shows us: This country looks different, sounds different and feels different. A familiar face and a familiar voice vanish. Some people turned on their televisions Friday night to see a memorial to Charlie Kirk when they expected to see a comedian welcoming his next guest.

What unites the many actions of the Trump administration, from the sledgehammer it has taken to government programs to the demonstrative cruelty it has built into immigration raids, is that they transform the daily physical, economic and psychic experience of life. President Donald Trump is remaking the country in his image: crude, harsh, gratuitously mean. The ongoing attack on civil society, which his administration plans to intensify in the name of Kirk, is a part of this program. Civil society makes life more livable. The administration’s message is

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that the work of civil society no longer belongs in this country.

And neither do trans people. The government’s official policy is that we do not exist — and yet, somehow, we constitute a danger to the country. The fact that Kirk was killed while he was answering a question about the purported prevalence of trans mass shooters (a fiction he had helped promulgate) and the news that the suspect in Kirk’s killing apparently has a romantic partner who is trans have hypercharged this process of disowning.

On Monday morning, before returning from a weekend away, I entered the following words into the search bar on my phone: “famous trans people.” Then I tried “transgender journalists,” “transgender professors” and a few similar queries. My name did not come up. This was my inexact way of measuring the risk that someone would target me. It appeared to be low, even after a weekend of Trump and his prominent allies blaming the left in general and trans people in particular for Kirk’s assassination. OK, I thought, I could go home, for now.

The feeling that I am on borrowed time in my own home is a familiar one. Twelve years ago, I was forced to leave Russia to protect my family from a campaign to take children away from LGBTQ+ parents. In the years since, Russia has been adding LGBTQ+ people to a list of “terrorists and extremists.” Other lists — of “foreign agents,” “undesirable organizations” — are for journalists, academics, media outlets and universities. For a while after Russia issued the arrest warrant that resulted in my being sentenced in absentia to prison, I had a recurrent nightmare: I am on a plane to Moscow, which is exciting, until I remember that I will be arrested as soon as I land.

Ece Temelkuran, a prominent Turkish political columnist, who now lives in exile, described a moment of realization: “I was standing at a gate in Tunis airport after talking to my lawyer, who had said: ‘They’re arresting journalists by the dozen today. Take a vacation or something. I don’t know, go away somewhere.’ I looked at the passengers boarding the plane to Istanbul, then down at my boarding pass. While trying to change my ticket from home to somewhere else, it was the first time I felt that Turkey was hardly my country.” This quote is from a book called “How to Lose a Country.”

learned how such lists are used: to exile students and professors from the university or from the country — and to put others on notice that they are living or working on borrowed time. That they are, to borrow a term from a previous era of lists, unAmerican.

A friend of mine is in the crosshairs of the administration. I asked her if her world had gotten smaller. Not exactly, she said. “It’s like what happens when somebody dies. There will always be people who will disappoint you. And other people show themselves, having been through what you’ve been through.”

Something is dying: the sense that we know our country. Butler told me that when they got the email notification from UC Berkeley, they had trouble believing the university would so badly violate its own procedure and fail in its obligation to protect academic freedom. They had trouble believing it even though they have studied autocracies. Even though they are currently writing a book on Franz Kafka and the law. In Kafka’s novel “The Trial,” the protagonist is arrested but never learns what his crime was. The letter Butler received from the university counsel did not specify for what offense, if any, they might be investigated.

I have been thinking of historical, rather than fictional, antecedents, in particular the assassination in 1938 of a Nazi diplomat in Paris by a Polish-German Jewish teenager named Herschel Grynszpan. I’ve been thinking about it because it’s an assassination; because, like most public violence, it was committed by a young man; and because it was an act of despair. Grynszpan’s family, rejected by both Germany and Poland, was stuck in borderland hell between those two countries, along with some 12,000 other people. Staying with an uncle in Paris, Grynszpan was unable to help them. He decided to kill someone he saw as a representative of the force that was immiserating his loved ones. If the information released by the Utah investigators so far proves accurate, Tyler Robinson might have felt a similar desperate fury.

Grynszpan’s action served as a pretext for Kristallnacht, “the Night of Broken Glass,” a two-day state-sponsored pogrom in Nazi Germany. During the course of it, authorities rounded up nearly 30,000 Jews, marking the first time the regime conducted mass arrests and put people in concentration camps because of who they were and not what they had ostensibly done.

But what makes this parallel feel most apt is how nervous I am about drawing it. The comparison seems straightforward: The person who was murdered was a representative of a hateful ideology, the person thought to have killed him was a deluded young man who may have tried to oppose that hatred in the most destructive manner imaginable. And yet something in the transformed landscape of this country tells me I’m not supposed to say so. Dr. Ricardo Angulo Founder PO BOX 6537 Caguas PR 00726

María de L.

The price of admission to Trump’s America is aggressive compliance, the sort demonstrated by more and more universities. Columbia and Williams College, for example, have been voluntarily flying flags at half-staff in honor of Kirk. Meanwhile, the University of California, Berkeley, has notified about 160 students, faculty members and staff that it has given their names to the federal government in connection with “alleged antisemitic incidents.” Philosopher Judith Butler and Middle East historian Ussama Makdisi are perhaps the only two notified people who have spoken publicly about the email they received. Butler sees the silence of the others as a sign of fear.

These people have good reasons to be frightened. Over the last eight months, we have all

El Sistema de Salud Menonita logra la primera acreditación en Puerto Rico de un Centro Comprensivo Avanzado de Stroke y Neurociencias

POR EL STAR STAFF

SAN JUAN – El Sistema de Salud Menonita anunció el lunes que su Hospital Menonita Caguas ha sido distinguido con una acreditación sin precedentes en Puerto Rico como Centro Comprensivo Avanzado de Stroke y Neurociencias, otorgada por la Comisión Conjunta (Joint Commission). Esta certificación incluye el prestigioso Gold Seal of Approval®, así como el Heart-Check mark de la American Heart Association y la American Stroke Association, reconociendo el compromiso del hospital con los más altos estándares en el manejo y tratamiento de eventos cerebrovasculares, y se une a la acreditación como Primary Stroke Center otorgada en mayo de este mismo año al Hospital Menonita Ponce. Esta acreditación, que es la más avanzada en el renglón de atención de stroke, es otorgada a hospitales capacitados para recibir y tratar los casos más complejos de ataques cerebrovasculares y enfermedades cerebrovasculares. Con dicha acreditación, el Hospital Menonita Caguas marca un hito como institución, así como para la salud en Puerto Rico, reafirmando su compromiso con ofrecer servicios y medicina de calibre mundial. El Hospital Menonita Caguas forma parte del menos de 1% de los hospitales y centros acreditados en la nación americana que logran esta prestigiosa acreditación.

Los ataques cerebrovasculares son la primera causa de incapacidad y la quinta causa de muerte en Puerto Rico. Según la American Heart Association, en promedio, en Estados Unidos una persona muere de un ataque cerebrovascular cada 3 minutos

y 11 segundos. Esto equivale a 453 muertes diarias. En Puerto Rico, datos recopilados por el Centro Comprensivo Avanzado de Stroke del Hospital Menonita Caguas indican que solo un porcentaje bajo de los pacientes de stroke llegan dentro de la ventana de tratamiento de 4.5 horas desde el comienzo de los síntomas. En ese sentido, el hecho de que un paciente no llegue a tiempo para poder recibir el tratamiento adecuado impacta directamente el pronóstico del paciente, ocasionándole discapacidad y hasta la muerte.

Ricardo Hernández, principal oficial ejecutivo del Sistema de Salud Menonita, expresó que “esta acreditación es un extraordinario logro para nuestra institución y para Puerto Rico, porque confirma que seguimos ofreciendo medicina de calibre mundial y avanzando en nuestra misión de poner atención altamente especializada a la disposición de nuestra gente y nuestras comunidades. Este logro, que se suma a la acreditación del Hospital Menonita Ponce como Centro Primario de Stroke en el pasado mes de mayo, reafirma que en Menonita seguimos impactando de forma positiva el cuidado de la salud en Puerto Rico, en un área sub-atendida y crítica como lo es la neurología”.

Por su parte, Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, vicepresidente ejecutivo de Operaciones de Acreditación y Certificación y director de enfermería de la Comisión Conjunta, afirmó que “la certificación como Centro Comprensivo de Stroke reconoce a las instituciones de salud comprometidas con la excelencia y con fomentar la optimización continua en la seguridad del paciente y la calidad del cuidado. Felici-

tamos al Hospital Menonita Caguas por utilizar el proceso de certificación para fortalecer su programa clínico y ofrecer un cuidado más seguro, de mayor calidad y más compasivo a la población que sirve”. Asimismo, Nancy Brown, principal oficial ejecutiva de la American Heart Association y de la American Stroke Association, indicó que “extendemos una felicitación al Hospital Menonita Caguas por este importante logro. Esta certificación demuestra su compromiso con brindar atención de excelencia a los pacientes que sufren un ataque cerebrovascular”.

El Hospital Menonita Caguas fue sometido a una rigurosa evaluación durante el mes de septiembre. Como parte de este proceso, un equipo de examinadores de la Comisión Conjunta revisó el cum-

plimiento con los requisitos y estándares necesarios para la acreditación. Entre los aspectos evaluados se encuentran la disponibilidad de especialistas altamente capacitados, incluyendo neurólogos vasculares, neurólogos generales, neurocirujanos, neurocirujanos endovasculares y neuro radiólogos intervencionales, además de un equipo multidisciplinario; las capacidades de imágenes avanzadas; y la atención continua las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana, en una unidad de cuidados intensivos neurológicos con camas dedicadas para pacientes con ataques cerebrales. Además, se evaluó el manejo real de casos, la educación y capacitación única del personal clínico para atender a pacientes con los casos más complejos de ataques cerebrales.

Culpable mujer por declaraciones falsas que llevaron al arresto de un hombre en Comerío

AIBONITO – Un jurado del Tribunal de Primera Instancia de Aibonito declaró el lunes culpable a Jeanette Escribano Madera por violación al Artículo 268 del Código Penal, al emitir declaraciones falsas que resultaron en la privación de libertad de un hombre en Comerío.

Según el Departamento de Justicia, los hechos se remontan al 11 de marzo de 2024, cuando Escribano Madera alegó que Juan Delgado había violado una orden de protección al presentarse frente a su residencia, proferir palabras soeces y amenazarla de muerte. Con base en esa denuncia, Delgado fue arrestado y permaneció bajo custodia por más de 12 horas.

Sin embargo, la pesquisa del agente Edwin Luna,

adscrito a la Policía de Puerto Rico, concluyó que las alegaciones nunca ocurrieron. Como resultado, la fiscal Lourdes Lorraine de la Fiscalía de Aibonito presentó cargos criminales contra la mujer.

La secretaria de Justicia, Lourdes Gómez Torres, destacó que este veredicto reafirma la importancia de proteger la credibilidad del sistema judicial y evitar el uso indebido de los recursos de seguridad y justicia.

Being a high-profile comedian right now is no joke

By JASON ZINOMAN

You can’t joke about anything anymore.

It’s a refrain we’ve been hearing from certain comedy circles for the last decade. The danger of cancel culture is a running theme of “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Dave Chappelle has repeatedly spoken up for free speech in the face of fierce criticism over his jokes about trans issues or the politics of Israel. The world’s richest comedy nerd, Elon Musk, told us comedy had become illegal.

Now that the talk shows of Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel — two late-night hosts who made jokes about President Donald Trump the centerpiece of their programs — have been canceled and suspended, respectively, what are the heavy hitters of the comedy community doing? Would you believe they are heading to Saudi Arabia?

Starting next week, many of the most popular American stand-up stars (Chappelle, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart) will perform at a huge new festival in Riyadh, hosted by a government not exactly known for its openness to dissent. The optics were never great, but the timing is now especially awkward.

Tim Dillon, a comic and podcaster with an aggressively nihilistic sensibility who boasted on Rogan’s show about getting paid $375,000 to perform at the festival, announced yesterday that he was fired from the event for comments on his podcast. In a grim echo, he also addressed the crackdown on comedy in this country, criticizing the suspension of Kimmel.

“It’s wrong to pretend it’s because the show sucked or because it was losing eyeballs or money,” Dillon wrote, likely aiming his comments at right-leaning comedians who didn’t like Kimmel. “Clearly it was a politically motivated hit job.”

Credit to him for straightforward bluntness.

It’s easy to roll your eyes at late-night comedians getting applause for mocking the president. Many people, myself included, found some of those jokes pandering. But that now seems a little glib. When Kimmel joked about the president, he knew that a target was on his back. Trump, who has already effectively mounted pressure campaigns against universities, law firms and media networks, had made this clear, calling for Kimmel’s show to be canceled long before ABC’s decision Wednesday to pull him off the air.

In his first monologue after “The Late Show” was canceled by CBS, which cited a “purely financial” decision in an explanation that looks less and less credible, Colbert responded to the president’s social media reference to his fellow talk show host (“I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next,” Trump posted) by waving his finger at the screen: “No, no, absolutely not Kimmel,” he said. “I am the martyr. There’s only room for one on this cross.”

Apparently not. At this point, no one can say for sure the size of the cross. We are living in unprecedented times and comedians are going to have to adjust to new challenges. What is a network comic to do when faced with threats like these? What will Lorne Michaels do with the cold open of “Saturday Night Live” when it returns in two weeks? How will Jimmy Fallon steer “The Tonight Show”?

On Thursday night’s “Late Show,” Colbert called what happened to Kimmel “blatant censorship,” but Fallon adopted a more evasive approach. Before praising Kimmel and expressing hope that he returns, Fallon said: “To be honest with you all, I don’t know what’s going on — no one does.”

As I watch comedians navigate this thorny moment, I’ve been thinking about parallels from the recent past. This hasn’t led me to any American late-night controversies, but it did immediately bring to mind a trip to Moscow for one of the first articles I wrote for the Times. It was a 2003 feature about a spate of Russian artists introducing American musicals to their country for the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Vladimir Putin had been president for a couple of years, but the government had not cracked down on free expression to the extent that it has since. But I heard hints of caution from talking to many Russian artists, including a wildly famous and flamboyant pop singer named Philipp Kirkorov, who was producing the giddily cynical Kander and Ebb musical “Chicago” and playing the slippery lawyer Billy Flynn to packed houses. Interviewing him backstage after a show, Kirkorov stopped me when I referred to him as a star. “I am not a star,” he corrected me, through a translator. “I am a Kremlin star.”

This confused me. At the time, I had no idea what it meant. But now I think what he was doing was playing it safe. He was making sure that his loyalties to the regime were clear. In the two decades since, after Russia annexed Crimea and invaded Ukraine, all the artists I talked to for the piece have either died or left the country — except Kirkorov. He remained, and refrained from criticizing the government. But it’s not easy to be a Kremlin star.

In 2023, he drew fierce criticism from legislators and pro-government bloggers for the transgression of attending a private party filled with scantily clad celebrities during a time of war. Once photos of the event circulated, attendees were jailed and fined. Perhaps because of his fame, Kirkorov was made an example of. His concert dates were canceled. In embarrassing acts of penance, he publicly apologized and, last year, visited wounded Russian soldiers in a hospital in the Donbas region, where he sang them two songs. Kirkorov tried to work within the system, avoid commenting on the war and steer clear of politics. But in a country run by strongmen, politics has a way of finding you.

In an unexpected culture clash, Fallon did a comic bit on “The Tonight Show” about Kirkorov this May, responding to a fan letter saying he looked like the singer. After showing his crowd a photo of Kirkorov, known for wearing glittery costumes and bushy hair, Fallon put on a wig and handlebar mustache in an attempt to look like him.

In imitating Kirkorov, Fallon got a few chuckles out of what seemed like the obvious contrast between the boyish late-night host and the campy singer. But in a rapidly shifting climate for comedy and free expression, where Jimmy Fallon could well be the last host standing at 11:30 p.m., he might discover that he has more in common with him than he thinks.

Jimmy Fallon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala in New York, May 5, 2025. (Nina Westervelt/The New York Times)

Stocks

Wall St indexes post record closing highs again, with Nvidia, tech shares higher

All three of the major U.S. stock indexes registered record closing highs for a third straight session on Monday, as shares of Nvidia rose after it said it will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI.

Also boosting indexes, shares of Apple rose after Wedbush raised the stock’s target price on strong demand signs for the iPhone 17.

Some Fed officials made remarks doubting the need for further rate cuts. Last week, the U.S. central bank cut rates by 25 basis points and indicated more cuts would come at its upcoming meetings.

Both St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic, in separate remarks, said that while the Fed’s quarter of a percentage point rate cut at last week’s meeting was appropriate as a way to manage the risk of rising unemployment, lowering inflation remains the priority.

However, Fed Governor Stephen Miran, who last week dissented when the Fed cut the benchmark rate by a quarter of a percentage point and said a half-point cut was warranted, said on Monday that monetary policy “is well into restrictive territory.”

“There needs to be a catalyst for stocks to move materially higher, and markets appear to be kind of ignoring potential headwinds,” said Oliver Pursche, senior vice president and advisor for Wealthspire Advisors in Westport, Connecticut. “We’re not making any calls that are broad-based or trying to time the market, but we’re certainly pointing out to clients and having portfolios reflect that we’re at all-time highs and valuations are getting stretched,” he said.

According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 29.58 points, or 0.44%, to end at 6,693.96 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 156.04 points, or 0.69%, to 22,786.71. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 70.65 points, or 0.15%, to 46,385.92.

Also worrying some investors were U.S. President Donald Trump’s new visa fees for foreign workers, which drew widespread condemnation from technology executives and others across social media.

Shares of Kenvue fell. Trump was expected to give a Monday afternoon announcement linking the use of Kenvue’s pain medication, Tylenol, to the development of autism during pregnancy, a claim which many doctors dispute.

While investors last week welcomed the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut of 2025 and signals of further easing, sentiment is

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more cautious today, with U.S. stock futures easing slightly before the bell. President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. companies would need to pay $100,000 for new H-1B worker visas, a potential blow for the dominant U.S. tech sector. Investors will hear from a host of Fed officials this week as everyone awaits the release of the Fed’s favored inflation gauge on Friday.

Mike’s off this week, but check out his column today explaining why the ECB could have a “contingency cut” in its pocket and what that means for

dollar bets.

Market Minute

* India’s $283 billion information technology sector will have to overhaul its decades-old strategy of rotating skilled talent into U.S. projects following U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to impose a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas from Sunday, according to tech veterans, analysts, lawyers and economists.

* South Korea’s economy could fall into crisis rivalling its 1997 meltdown if the government accepts current U.S. demands in stalled trade talks without safeguards, President Lee Jae Myung told Reuters.

San Juan Daily Star

Abodada-Notario

The

Dominican Republic says it recovered cocaine from boat struck by US

By YAN ZHUANG

Authorities in the Dominican Republic said Sunday that they had recovered cocaine from a speedboat that was recently destroyed in a U.S. military airstrike, part of the Trump administration’s campaign targeting Latin American criminal gangs and drug cartels.

It was the first time the Dominican Republic and the United States had carried out a joint operation in the Caribbean Sea against “narco-terrorism,” the Dominican Republic’s National Directorate for Drug Control said in a statement posted on social media Sunday.

The U.S. military conducted airstrikes this month on three boats in the Caribbean in what the Trump administration has characterized as a counternarcotics and counterterrorism mission in the region.

The speedboat had been carrying about 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of “suspected cocaine,” the Dominican Republic’s drug control agency said in its statement.

President Donald Trump has claimed the power to shift maritime counterdrug efforts from being governed by law enforcement rules to wartime rules, which he says give him the authority to order the military to summarily kill drug-running suspects as if they were combatants on a battlefield. The strikes have been condemned by legal experts and Democrats, who say they violate international law.

President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 25, 2024. (Dave Sanders/The New York Times)

It was not clear if the Dominican Republic’s announcement was connected to the recent strike in the Caribbean, announced by Trump on social media Friday. That strike killed three people, whom the president described as “narco-terrorists” without offering more details. He also posted a one-minute video showing a speedboat being blown up.

The Dominican Republic’s drug control agency said in its statement that officials working with the U.S. Southern Command and the Joint Interagency Task Force South had detected a speedboat that, according to intelligence reports, was carrying narcotics. The Dominican Republic’s drug control agency said the boat was heading toward Dominican territory and intended to transport its narcotics to the United States.

Teams from the Dominican Republic’s

navy and the drug directorate recovered 377 packages, wrapped in adhesive tape and with different logos, from the remnants of the boat. Sixty packages were destroyed in the explosion, the statement said. The packages were recovered about 80 nautical miles south of Beata Island, off the southern coast of the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic did not provide any details about when the operation had occurred or about the people who had been on board.

President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic has pledged to collaborate with the United States against drug trafficking, and his country has emerged as a key security partner for Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has praised the Dominican Republic for intercepting drugs “destined for the streets of the United States.”

Reached by phone, the U.S. Southern Command said that a spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. The Joint Interagency Task Force South directed an inquiry about the operation to the Office of Secretary of Defense Public Affairs, which directed the inquiry to the White House.

The Trump administration has recently ramped up its deadly campaign against drug smugglers in the Caribbean, whom it has accused of bringing illegal drugs into the United States.

Trump announced the first strike on a vessel in the Caribbean on Sept. 2, saying 11

people had been killed. The second strike, announced Sept. 15, killed three people, he said.

The Pentagon has built up its military presence in the Caribbean as part of its campaign there. Military officials, diplomats and analysts have said that a main purpose of the deployment is to ratchet up pressure on Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, whom top figures in the Trump administration have called an illegitimate leader and have accused of directing the actions of criminal gangs and drug cartels.

Maduro condemned the U.S. military strike on a Venezuelan boat Sept. 2 as a “heinous crime” against civilians who presented no threat, and said the strike violated U.S. and international laws. He said that the United States should have arrested the people on the boat if it believed that they were drug traffickers.

The strikes have also drawn backlash in the United States, with congressional Democrats and international law experts assailing them as illegal.

“The president’s decision to use lethal military force against civilians based on unproven claims that they are drug traffickers is morally reprehensible and strategically unsound, and will end up making it harder to prevent dangerous drugs from entering our communities,” said Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

Gabrielle intensifies into a Category 3 hurricane far from land

By JUDSON JONES

Gabrielle, the second hurricane of the Atlantic season, became a Category 3 storm Monday and may even become stronger before it begins to weaken later this week, but its projected path will keep it far away from the East Coast of the United States. Here’s what you need to know:

— With the storm spinning out at sea, no warning or watches have been issued. But forecasters warned that swells from the storm were reaching Bermuda, causing dangerous rip current conditions as the storm moves past the island. The swells were also reaching the East Coast of the United States from North Carolina northward, and they will likely cause lifethreatening surf and rip current conditions over the next few days, the hurricane center said.

— Gabrielle ended an extended quiet period during what is normally the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, and forecasters have said there were signs the basin will be more active in the coming weeks. There have been seven named storms so far this year; in August, experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they expected as many as 18 named storms for the season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

— The Trump administration has slashed the number of employees at many of the agencies traditionally responsible for planning for and responding to natural disasters, including NOAA, the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. So far, it is unclear how those cuts might affect the accuracy of forecasts.

US military buildup in Caribbean signals broader campaign against Venezuela

By ERIC SCHMITT

The U.S. military strikes this month on three boats that Trump administration officials have asserted were smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea have cast a spotlight on the sizable naval armada and aerial fleet of spy aircraft the Pentagon has dispatched to the region in what it says is a counternarcotics and counterterrorism mission.

Military officials, diplomats and analysts say a main purpose of the force is to ratchet up pressure on Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, as top figures in the Trump administration call him an illegitimate leader and accuse him of directing the actions of criminal gangs and drug cartels.

“We’re not going to have a cartel, operating or masquerading as a government, operating in our own hemisphere,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Fox News last week, adding that Maduro had been indicted in the United States and was “a fugitive of American justice.”

“There’s a reward out for his capture,” he said.

The heavy military presence in the Caribbean, including F-35 fighters in Puerto Rico, suggests the United States plans to do more than blow up small vessels, analysts said. But the scope of the operation remains unclear.

The 4,500-member force currently aboard eight warships is too small to invade Venezuela or any country harboring traffickers. And it is not operating in the main body of water to carry out a major drug interdiction campaign. That would be the eastern Pacific Ocean, regional experts say. The clandestine deployment of elite Special Operations forces suggests that strikes or commando raids inside Venezuela itself may be in the works, experts note.

Administration officials refuse to say what U.S. military action might come next. Asked on Air Force One en route back to Washington from Britain on Thursday if he had discussed regime change in Venezuela with Rubio or any of his military leaders, President Donald Trump said no.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said recently that the administration was “prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”

In a news conference last week, Maduro condemned the first strike, carried out on a Venezuelan boat Sept. 2, as a “heinous crime” and “a military attack on civilians who were not at war and were not militarily threatening any country.”

He said that if the United States believed that the boat’s passengers were drug traffickers, they should have been arrested. He accused the administration of trying to start a war. Shortly after the news conference, the U.S. military struck a second boat.

Several current and former military officials, diplomats and intelligence officers say that while fighting drugs is the pretext for the recent U.S. attacks, the real goal is to drive Maduro from power, one way or another.

“The massive naval flotilla off the coast of Venezuela and the movement of fifth-generation F-35 fighters to Puerto Rico has little to do with actual drug interdiction — they represent operational overkill,” said Adm. James G. Stavridis, a former head of the Pentagon’s Southern Command.

“Rather, they are a clear signal to Nicolás Maduro that this administration is growing serious about accomplishing either

regime or behavioral change from Caracas,” Stavridis said. “Gunboat diplomacy is back, and it may well work.”

Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have both said the military would carry out more strikes in the coming weeks as part of what they describe as a counternarcotics and counterterrorism campaign. The military struck a third boat Friday, killing three people, Trump said.

“Narco-terrorists are enemies of the United States — actively bringing death to our shores,” Hegseth said on social media this past week after the second strike, adding, “We will track them, kill them, and dismantle their networks throughout our hemisphere — at the times and places of our choosing.”

The U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean has the region on edge.

“Attacks on alleged drug boats so far are being read in the region as warning shots that portend the possibility of a further escalation,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, a senior analyst for the International Crisis Group in Bogotá, Colombia.

Earlier this month, that flashpoint seemed imminent, after two armed but aging Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets buzzed a Navy guided-missile destroyer in the region in a show of force, dialing up tensions between Washington and the Maduro government.

In response, the Pentagon dispatched 10 F-35 stealth fighters to Puerto Rico to deter more Venezuelan flyovers and to be positioned should Trump order airstrikes against targets in Venezuela.

Trump claimed Monday that the boat the U.S. military destroyed Sept. 15 was heading to the United States and linked it to “drug trafficking cartels” that he said posed a threat to the country. The president said the people killed were “positively identified,” but he did not name a specific organization that they might be associated with.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he had relied on conclusive intelligence to determine the targeted boat was laden with drugs. “We’re very careful — the military has been amazing,” he said, adding: “We have recorded proof and evidence. We know what time they were leaving, when they were leaving, what they had, and all of the other things that you’d like to have.

“We have proof,” he said. “All you have to do is look at the cargo that was like, it spattered all over the ocean. Big bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place.”

But the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department have offered no evidence to support Trump’s claims.

Legal specialists and congressional Democrats have assailed the U.S. strikes as illegal.

“The president’s decision to use lethal military force against civilians based on unproven claims that they are drug traffickers is morally reprehensible and strategically unsound, and will end up making it harder to prevent dangerous drugs from entering our communities,” said Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

Draft legislation is circulating at the White House and on Capitol Hill that would give Trump broad powers to wage war against drug cartels he deems to be “terrorists,” as well as against any country he says has harbored or helped them, as The New York Times previously reported.

Defense Department officials briefed members of the House Armed Services Committee about the two strikes

Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed a NATO meeting in The Hague, Netherlands on June 25, 2025. Both have said the U.S. military would carry out more strikes in the coming weeks as part of what they describe as a counternarcotics and counterterrorism campaign. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)

Wednesday. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the senior Democrat on the committee, said Pentagon officials had not offered evidence of legal justification, other than Trump’s assertion of “self-defense” for the two strikes, and had not provided any information on the location of the strikes or who and what was in the boats.

Smith also said the officials had offered no details on what the military intended to do next. “If they have plans, they’re not sharing,” he said in a telephone interview.

Trump in July signed a still-secret order directing the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American criminal gangs and drug cartels. In August, the U.S. Navy sent a heavy amount of firepower into the southern Caribbean Sea.

The military so far has deployed eight warships, several Navy P-8 surveillance planes and one attack submarine to the region. The Pentagon has offered few details on the force’s objectives and locations other than to combat drug traffickers.

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group — including the USS San Antonio, the USS Iwo Jima and the USS Fort Lauderdale, carrying 4,500 service members — has been steaming near Puerto Rico. So has the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, with 2,200 Marines. The Iwo Jima is equipped with AV-8B Harrier attack aircraft. Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Puerto Rico last week to meet with commanders.

Two Navy guided-missile destroyers — the USS Jason Dunham and the USS Gravely — are operating in the southern Caribbean. Both warships recently joined the campaign against the Houthi militia in the Red Sea. A third destroyer, the USS Sampson, now in the eastern Pacific, may soon join, one Navy official said.

Trump’s $100,000 visa fee spurs confusion and chaos

By MADELEINE NGO, LAUREN HIRSCH and PRANAV BASKAR

Wall Street banks and tech companies big and small were scrambling Saturday to figure out how their tens of thousands of employees would be affected by President Donald Trump’s proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee for visas granted to skilled foreign workers.

The change set off immediate confusion over the exact rules and how they would be enforced. Shortly after Trump signed the proclamation Friday, employees at Microsoft, Amazon and JPMorgan received notices advising those with H-1B visas who were outside the United States to return before the new rules take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time Sunday.

The Trump administration sought to address the confusion Saturday by saying that the fee would only apply to new applicants, and renewals or current visa holders would not be affected. In a post on social media, the White House said the change would “not impact the ability of any current visa holder to travel to/from the U.S.”

President Donald Trump after signing a proclamation instituting a $100,000 fee for visas given to some highly skilled foreign workers in the Oval Office on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. The Trump administration sought to address the confusion on Saturday by saying that the fee would only apply to new applicants, and renewals or current visa holders would not be affected. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times)

Still, many executives, general counsels and human resources departments, as well as their immigration lawyers, said they were coming down on the side of caution this weekend. Several companies and attorneys had urged workers to return to the United States as soon as possible. Many kept their eyes glued on the White House social media accounts for any pertinent clarification.

“We acknowledge that this is an uncertain time for our people on H-1B visas and your families,” Jacqueline Arthur, head of human capital management at Goldman Sachs, wrote in a memo Saturday to employees. The memo said that Goldman was working with its lawyers “to review the specifics of the order as more detail becomes available to communicate with you accordingly.”

Bernhard Mueller, co-chair of the immigration practice group at Ogletree Deakins, said he had been flooded with calls from executives and corporate board members about the new rules and how to communicate with employees about them. “There’s a lot of question marks all over this,” he said early Saturday. “We are still flying in somewhat foggy conditions.”

Late Saturday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a memo underscoring that Trump’s proclamation only applied “prospectively to petitions that have not yet been filed.”

Still, the policy change represents a significant overhaul of how the United States distributes what are known as H-1B visas. The visas, which play a crucial role in helping employers fill jobs in the tech industry and beyond, have been at the center of a deep immigration debate.

Immigration hard-liners contend that the visa program hurts Americans because companies have brought in foreign workers at lower wages, while many business lead-

ers say the program helps U.S. companies stay competitive.

White House officials said the policy change would help ensure that companies were giving priority to hiring domestic workers. “President Trump promised to put American workers first, and this common sense action does just that by discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down wages,” Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement.

But executives and industry trade groups said they worried about how the steep fee would affect businesses’ ability to fill crucial positions. A spokesperson for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the group was working with the Trump administration and its members to “understand the full implications and the best path forward.”

“We’re concerned about the impact on employees, their families and American employers,” Matt Letourneau, a spokesperson for the chamber, said in a statement.

Companies that are among the biggest users of H-1B visas, including Amazon, Meta, Google, Apple and Walmart, either declined to comment or did not respond to a request for comment.

The change was widely expected to be met with lawsuits. Jeff Joseph, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the organization was working with other groups to file a legal challenge seeking a temporary restraining order as soon as this weekend. Joseph said the organizations had been making strategy calls over the weekend and working on finding plaintiffs who represent a wide range of industries.

Benjamin Johnson, executive director of the association, said the group’s members were “dealing with chaos” as their clients have been scrambling to understand the

change. “I’m just hearing confusion and panic,” he said.

Although tech companies receive the most H-1B visas, Johnson underscored that the new fee would also affect workers in the medical and manufacturing industries as well as at universities who receive H-1B visas. “The numbers of companies and industries where H-1B workers play a really critical role is incredibly broad,” he said.

Some workers who are currently abroad said they were unsure about how to immediately respond. A 29-year-old software engineer with a stamped H-1B visa set to begin in less than 20 days, was tucked into bed in his Munich apartment early Saturday when he realized he might be stuck in Germany.

In its email to employees Friday evening, Microsoft, which has roughly 5,200 employees in the program, said workers currently in the United States should remain there “for the foreseeable future,” even if it interrupts travel plans.

“The critical thing is to stay in the U.S. in order to avoid being denied reentry,” the advisory said.

Some policy experts praised the Trump administration’s change and said it would help ensure that companies are not suppressing wages or giving priority to hiring foreign workers over Americans. Lora Ries, director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, said the $100,000 fee was a “good start” at reforming the H-1B program because it would make companies prioritize which foreign workers they want to hire.

“Americans aren’t getting a fair shake at the opportunities because too many employers are bending the system,” Ries said.

But the policy change also raised concerns about the long-term impact on the U.S. economy and corporate America. Venture capitalists warned that the change would add to concerns surrounding an uneven playing field, with only the nation’s largest companies being able to pay the fees or secure an exemption, as technology giants including Apple and Nvidia have done with certain tariffs.

The challenges of complying may be particularly acute for startups, many of which operate for years without reaching profitability.

“There is not a single company that I have invested in the last 10 years that could afford to pay this,” said venture capitalist and private equity investor Alan Patricof.

The government caps H-1B visas at 85,000 a year, and visa holders can also bring in their immediate family in a related program. The vast majority are typically granted to Indian citizens.

The Indian government issued a statement Saturday saying that it was still determining “the full implications” of the new visa rules. But, the Ministry of External Affairs said, “This measure is likely to have humanitarian consequences by way of the disruption caused for families.”

The San Juan Daily Star

bunal durante las horas laborables. b. Que se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante continuarán subsistentes. Se entenderá, que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. EXPIDO, el presente EDICTO, en Caguas, Puerto Rico, hoy día 5 de agosto de 2025. Ramón L. Hernández Cintrón, Alguacil Confidencial Placa #580, Alguacil, División De Subastas, Tribunal De Primera Instancia, Sala Superior De Caguas.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE TOA ALTA EN TOA BAJA

ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC

COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS FUND, LLC

Parte Demandante Vs. JOSE J. MARCANO NARVAEZ

Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: TA2025CV00421. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. A: JOSE J MARCANO NARVAEZBO QUEBRADA CRUZ

SECTOR LOS PACHECO CARR 824 KM 7.8, TOA ALTA PR 00953-7713; 21414 HILLSIDE AVE APT 2 QUEENS VILLAGE NY 11427-1877.

POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https:// www.poderjudicial.pr/index. php/tribunal-electronico, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda o cualquier otro sin más citarle ni oírle, si el tribunal en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. El sistema SUMAC notificará copia al abogado de la parte demandante, Gabriel Ramos

Colón cuya dirección es: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección gabriel.ramos@orf-law.com y a la dirección notificaciones@ orf-law.com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en TOA ALTA EN TOA BAJA, Puerto Rico, hoy día 8 de julio de 2025. ALICIA AYALA SANJURJO, SECRETARIA. NERI A. SANFELIZ RAMOS, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE HATILLO ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC COMO AGENTE DE ACE ONE FUNDING, LLC

Parte Demandante Vs. JONATHAN J ATILES LOPEZ

Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: HA2025CV00110. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. A: JONATHAN J ATILES LOPEZ - BO CARRIZALES

SECT HUCARES CARR 2 KM86 HM1 INT, HATILLO PR 00659-7424; HC-01 BOX 8906 HATILLO 00659. POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://www.poderjudicial.pr/ index.php/tribunal-electronico, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda o cualquier otro sin más citarle ni oírle, si el tribunal en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. El sistema SUMAC notificará copia al abogado de la parte demandante, Osvaldo L. Rodríguez Fernández cuya dirección es: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 009368518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección notificaciones@ orf-law.com y a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law.com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en HATILLO, Puerto Rico, hoy día 22 de julio de 2025. VIVÍAN Y. FRESSE GONZÁLEZ, SECRETARIA. ROSIMAR LÓPEZ ROBLES, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE COROZAL ISLAND PORTFOLIO

SERVICES, LLC COMO AGENTE DE ACE ONE FUNDING, LLC

Parte Demandante Vs. CATHERINE RIVERA ADORNO

Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: CZ2025CV00092.

Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. A: CATHERINE RIVERA ADORNO - BO CIBUCO CARR 159 KM 16.7, COROZAL PR 007836141; HC 2 BOX 9356, COROZAL PR 00783.

POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https:// www.poderjudicialpr/indexphp/ tribunal-electronico, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda o cualquier otro sin más citarle ni oírle, si el tribunal en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. El sistema SUMAC notificará copia al abogado de la parte demandante, Osvaldo L. Rodríguez Fernández cuya dirección es: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law. com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en COROZAL, Puerto Rico, hoy día 30 de julio de 2025. Alicia Ayala Sanjurjo, Secretaria Regional. Suhail Dávila Cruz, Secretaria Auxiliar Del Tribunal.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CAGUAS ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS FUND, LLC

Parte Demandante Vs. RAYMOND O MORERA

TORRENS

Parte Demandada

Civil Núm.: CY2025CV00108.

Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. A: RAYMOND O MORERA TORRENS - URB LA PLATA O2 CALLE GRANATE, CAYEY PR 00736-4871; URB BDA POLVORIN 2 CALLE 25 CAYEY PR 00736-3946. POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://www.poderjudicial.pr/ index.php/tribunal-electronico, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda o cualquier otro sin más citarle ni oírle, si el tribunal en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. El sistema SUMAC notificará copia al abogado de la parte demandante, Osvaldo L. Rodríguez Fernández cuya dirección es: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 009368518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección notificaciones@ orf-law.com y a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law.com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, hoy día 30 de julio de 2025. IRASEMIS DÍAZ SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. MARIEL CRUZ RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE COMERÍO ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC

COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS FUND, LLC

Parte Demandante Vs. ZULEIKA FONSECA RODRIGUEZ

Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: BQ2025CV00023. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE Puerto Rico, ss. A: ZULEIKA FONSECA RODRIGUEZ - BO QUEBRADILLAS

SECT EL COLLAO CARR 152 KM 2.8, BARRANQUITAS PR 00794; HC 1 BOX 5351, BARRANQUITAS PR 00794.

POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://www.poderjudicial.pr/index.php/tribunalelectronico, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda o cualquier otro sin más citarle ni oírle, si el tribunal en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. El sistema SUMAC notificará copia a! abogado de la parte demandante, Natalie Bonaparte Servera cuya dirección es: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-85 18, teléfono (787) 993-3731 ala dirección natalie. bonaparte@orf-law.com. EXTENDIDO BAJO Ml FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en Comerío, Puerto Rico, hoy día 30 de julio de 2025. ELIZABETH GONZÁLEZ RIVERA, SECRETARIA. CARMEN L. APONTE FLORES, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR. LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE VEGA BAJA. HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. DEMANDANTE VS. KARL CONNELL, JEAN HAMPTON CONNELL

T/C/C JEAN HAMPTON

T/C/C JEAN CONNELL Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES, COMPUESTA POR AMBOS

DEMANDADOS

CIVIL NUM.: VB2025CV00666.

SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA El Presidente de los Estados Unidos El Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. ss.

A: KARL CONNELL, por sí y representación Sociedad Legal de Bienes Gananciales; JEAN HAMPTON CONNELL

T/C/C JEAN HAMPTON

T/C/C JEAN CONNELL, por sí y representación Sociedad Legal de Bienes Gananciales;

SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES, COMPUESTA POR AMBOS

Se les notifica a ustedes que se ha radicado mediante el sistema SUMAC una Demanda por la parte demandante HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. solicitando un Cobro de Dinero. Se les emplaza y se les requiere que notifiquen a la Lcda. Jessica Martínez Birriel, GARRIGA & MARINI LAW OFFICES, C.S.P., P.O. Box 16593, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00908-6593, teléfono (787) 275-0655, correo electrónico: jmartbirr@yahoo. com, con copia de su contestación a la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este edicto. Dentro del mismo periodo de treinta (30) días ustedes deberán presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual pueden acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://www.poderjudicial.pr/ index.php/tribunal-electronico/, salvo que se representen por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberán presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del Tribunal de Primera Instancia. Si dejaren de contestar podrá anotarse la rebeldía y dictarse contra ustedes sentencia en rebeldía concediéndose el remedio solicitado en la Demanda, sin más citarles ni oírles. Además, se les apercibe que, en los casos al amparo de la Ley Núm. 57-2023, titulada Ley para la Prevención del Maltrato, Preservación de la Unidad Familiar y para la Seguridad, Bienestar y Protección de los Menores, entre los remedios que el Tribunal podrá conceder se incluyen la ubicación permanente de un (una) menor fuera de su hogar, el inicio de procesos para la privación de patria potestad, y cualquier otra medida en el interés del (de la) menor. (Artículo 33, incisos b y f de la Ley Núm. 57-2023). Se les advierte de su derecho a comparecer acompañado(a) de abogado(a) en los casos que proceda. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el Sello del Tribunal, a tenor con la Orden del Tribunal, hoy día 20 de agosto de 2025. Alicia Ayala Sanjurjo, Secretaria. Maritza Rosario Rosario, Sub-Secretaria. LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE VEGA BAJA. HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. DEMANDANTE VS. JOHN RAO, VERNA RAO T/C/C VERNA TRAMONTI Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES,

COMPUESTA POR AMBOS

DEMANDADOS

CIVIL NUM. : VB2025CV00671.

SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA El Presidente de los Estados Unidos El Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. ss. A: JOHN RAO, por sí y representación de Sociedad Legal de Bienes Gananciales; VERNA RAO T/C/C VERNA TRAMONTI, por sí y representación de Sociedad Legal de Bienes Gananciales; SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES, COMPUESTA POR AMBAS

Se les notifica a ustedes que se ha radicado mediante el sistema SUMAC una Demanda por la parte demandante HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. solicitando un Cobro de Dinero. Se les emplaza y se les requiere que notifiquen a la Lcda. Jessica Martínez Birriel, GARRIGA & MARINI LAW OFFICES, C.S.P., P.O. Box 16593, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00908-6593, teléfono (787) 275-0655, correo electrónico: jmartbirr@yahoo. com, con copia de su contestación a la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este edicto. Dentro del mismo periodo de treinta (30) días ustedes deberán presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual pueden acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://www.poderjudicial.pr/ index.php/tribunal-electronico/, salvo que se representen por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberán presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del Tribunal de Primera Instancia. Si dejaren de contestar podrá anotarse la rebeldía y dictarse contra ustedes sentencia en rebeldía concediéndose el remedio solicitado en la Demanda, sin más citarles ni oírles. Además, se les apercibe que, en los casos al amparo de la Ley Núm. 57-2023, titulada Ley para la Prevención del Maltrato, Preservación de la Unidad Familiar y para la Seguridad, Bienestar y Protección de los Menores, entre los remedios que el Tribunal podrá conceder se incluyen la ubicación permanente de un (una) menor fuera de su hogar, el inicio de procesos para la privación de patria potestad, y cualquier otra medida en el interés del (de la) menor. (Artículo 33, incisos b y f de la Ley Núm. 57-2023). Se les advierte de su derecho a comparecer acompañado(a) de abogado(a) en los casos que proceda. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el Sello del Tribunal, a tenor con la Orden del Tribunal, hoy día 21 de agosto

de 2025. Alicia Ayala Sanjurjo, Secretaria. Maritza Rosario Rosario, Sub-Secretaria.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CAGUAS DLJ MORTGAGE CAPITAL INC.

Parte Demandante Vs. R&G PREMIER BANK OF PUERTO RICO AHORA BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO; JOHN DOE Y RICHARD ROE COMO POSIBLES TENEDORES DESCONOCIDOS

Parte Demandada

Civil Núm.: CG2025CV02929. Sobre: CANCELACIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE. UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. A: JOHN DOE Y RICHARD ROE COMO POSIBLES TENEDORES DESCONOCIDOS. POR LA PRESENTE se les emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá radicar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: http://unired.ramajudicial.pr/sumac/, salvo que se presente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá radicar el original de su contestación ante el Tribunal correspondiente y notifique con copia a los abogados de la parte demandante, LCDA. MARJALIISA COLÓN VILLANUEVA a su dirección: PO. Box 7970 Ponce, PR. 00732. Tel: 787-843-4168. En dicha demanda se tramita un procedimiento de cancelación de pagaré extraviado. Se alega en dicho procedimiento que se extravió un pagaré hipotecario a favor de R&G Premier Bank of Puerto Rico, ahora Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, o a su orden, por la suma de $136,080.00, con intereses al 6 1/8%, con vencimiento el 1ro de octubre de 2033, según del testimonio número 1749, escritura número 737, otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico el día 2 de octubre de 2003, ante el Notario Público Luis O. Cintrón Fonalledas, inscrita en el sistema Karibe de San Lorenzo, finca número 21825, inscripción segunda (2da.) Dicha hipoteca fue modificada según consta de la escritura 29, otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 2 de febrero de 2012 ante el Notario Público Reggie Díaz Hernández, mediante la cual se modificó el balance de principal a la suma $127,338.65, con in-

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Plataneros cap perfect season, claim LPVS title

By THE STAR STAFF

The Plataneros of Corozal won the Puerto Rican Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LPVS by its initials in Spanish) championship on Sunday night at Howard T. Jason Arena in Corozal, defeating the Toritos of Cayey in four sets. The best-of-five title series ended 3-0 in favor of Corozal, who secured the victory with set scores of 25-15, 26-24, 19-25 and 25-19.

Under the coaching of Ramón “Monchito” Hernández and Raúl Papaleo, the Plataneros completed an impeccable 16-win season that also included an 11-0 regular-season campaign and a 2-0 elimination of the Patriotas of Lares in the LPVS semifinals.

“Happy, super happy. Thank God, first of all,” team manager Eliud Ortiz said after the title-clinching victory. “This started as

a kind of training camp for the guys, but we didn’t know the public support would be so great. We are grateful for the support of the people of Corozal.”

“As Iván from [the Department of] Recreation and Sports said, when we started this project three years ago, not many believed,” Ortiz added. “But little by little, it has come to fruition; people have trusted us and been patient.”

Luzgardo Liciaga was named Most Valuable Player of the finals, thanking God for the honor.

Tournament director Noel Nazario emphasized that “[t]his championship demonstrates the quality and future of Puerto Rican volleyball.”

“We congratulate the Corozal Plataneros for their effort, perseverance, and commitment to the sport,” he said.

The 2025 LPVS season featured five teams: the Plataneros, Tori-

The Plataneros of Corozal completed a perfect 16-win season on Sunday night with a four-set victory over the Toritos of Cayey in the Puerto Rican Men’s Superior Volleyball League finals.

tos, Patriotas, Reyes of Juana Díaz and Criollos of Caguas. “This season has truly reflected the growth and passion for volleyball in Puerto Rico,” LPVS President Jesús Colón said in an official statement. “We congratulate the Plataneros of Corozal on their historic performance, and we are deeply grateful to the sponsors, fans, and participating teams for making this season a celebration of sports and community.”

Double silver for Puerto Rico on the sands of Punta Cana

By THE STAR STAFF

Puerto Rican beach volleyball celebrated a historic weekend at the NORCECA Qualifying Tournament in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The Puerto Rican duos of María González and Allanis Navas, and Cristian Encarnación and Diego Rosich, both reached the podium on Sunday to claim silver medals in their respective divisions -- just one day after securing their spots at the Beach Volleyball World Championship, to be held in Adelaide, Australia from Nov. 14 to Nov. 23. Encarnación and Rosich fell in the men’s final (21-13, 21-17) to the favored U.S. pair Miles Partain/Andy Benesh, while González and Navas faced the Canadian duo Marie-Alex Belanger/Lea Monkhouse in the women’s final,

dropping a tightly contested three-set match decided by extra points (21-17, 15-21, 14-16).

The double runner-up finish marks one of the most significant achievements for Puerto Rican beach volleyball in recent years.

“Our duos -- Cristian and Diego on the men’s side, and Allanis and María on the women’s -- showed character, consistency and international-level performance,” said Sara Rosario Vélez, president of the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee (COPUR by its acronym in Spanish).

“With their silver medals in Punta Cana and their tickets to the World Championship in Australia, they reaffirm that Puerto Rico has the talent to compete at the highest level. At COPUR, we’ve invested in these athletes as national projects, providing follow-up and budgetary support, and

today we’re seeing the fruits of that effort.”

The Puerto Rican duos of María González and Allanis Navas, and Cristian Encarnación and Diego Rosich, both reached the podium on Sunday to claim silver medals in their respective divisions at the NORCECA Qualifying Tournament in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

PR finishes 4th at NORCECA Women’s Final Six in Guadalajara

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rican Women’s National Volleyball Team fell to the Dominican Republic by a score of 3-2 (25-22, 20-25, 19-25, 25-23, 15-13) in a five-set battle on Sunday, finishing just outside the medal podium at the NORCECA Final Six held at Unidad Deportiva López Mateos in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Puerto Rico, which had swept the Dominican Republic in the preliminary round, closed the tournament with a 2-5 record, while the Dominican Republic claimed the bronze medal with a 3-4 finish.

In the deciding fifth set, Madeline Guillén set up match point for the Dominican Republic with a spike that deflected off Neira Ortiz’s block. In the subsequent volley, Ortiz denied the Dominicans’ first attempt with a

block on Massiel Matos, but Geraldine González sealed the win with a soft touch through the middle.

Key stats:

- Puerto Rico led in blocks (15-12) and aces (6-3).

- Both teams committed 26 unforced errors.

- Decelise Champion of Puerto Rico was the match’s top scorer with 25 points.

- Valeria Vázquez (17 points), Paola Santiago (16), and Neira Ortiz (14) also delivered strong offensive performances.

- Ortiz was named Best Blocker of the Tournament, recording nine blocks in the bronze medal match. Guillén led the Dominican Republic with 24 points, followed by Alondra Tapia (17 points) and Matos (13).

The Dominican Republic outlasted Puerto Rico in Sunday’s five-set bronze medal match at the NORCECA Women’s Final Six in Guadalajara.

September 23, 2025 23

Answers to the Sudoku and Crossword on page 21