Free Republic

(English-language translation) Taking advantage of the beginning of Holy Week, [Puerto Rico] House of Representatives Speaker José Aponte recommended that Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá evaluate his journey during these days of spirituality and resign his position "for the good of Puerto Rico." Aponte maintained that the main reason behind this request is that the Chief Executive has not worked on the island's economy, at the same time pointing out that Acevedo "has demonstrated his inability to administer the government of Puerto Rico", since "he has been working on everything based on public relations and political strategies." [Aponte's] statements come one...

(English-language translation) The anguish of over 90,000 public employees [in Puerto Rico] who have been out on the street for almost two weeks will end on Monday. Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, Senate President Kenneth McClintock, and House of Representatives Speaker José Aponte abided yesterday by the recommendations the so-called Consensus Commission presented to them to solve the government’s fiscal crisis. The Commission worked for two days in search of a solution to the island’s fiscal crisis that compromised the government’s operations. “The report recommends that the Government Development Bank (BGF) grant the Department of the Treasury a loan of up...

(English-language translation) [Members of] the United Public Servants of Puerto Rico (SPU) marched to the Governor’s Mansion and the Capitol yesterday to hand Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá and House Speaker José Aponte two giant banners with a layoff letter for each which announces that they will have to take leave without pay just as the 95,000 public employees who are unemployed since Monday. The march left Colón Square in Old San Juan towards the Governor’s Mansion, where an SPU delegation including its President Ellie Ortiz and its founder José La Luz were received outside by the Governor’s legal advisor Hugo...

(English-language translation) The possibility of an agreement to solve the fiscal problem that yesterday kept the [Puerto Rico] government partially shut down for a second consecutive day vanished again in the afternoon when Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá abruptly left a meeting with House of Representatives Speaker José Aponte, alleging that the latter was being disrespectful. The Governor claimed that he decided to leave the meeting because Aponte addressed him in a mocking tone, which the Speaker flatly rejected, accusing him of lying. “At one moment, I told [Aponte] that I was glad that he could smile, because he was really...

Law enforcement agents in Central Florida arrested a 26-year-old man Thursday in possession of more than 1,000 stolen blank birth certificates, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Department. Authorities said Jose Aponte was arrested on West Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala after he allegedly attempted to sell a blank birth certificate to federal agents. Aponte reportedly was found to be in possession of 1,021 blank certificates of birth stolen from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Dorado, Puerto Rico, and brought into Florida. The FBI is charging Aponte with violations of Title 18 U.S.C. Section 1028, Fraud and Related Activity...