Thursday Jan 29, 2026

GOOD MORNING

Today’s Weather

House passes controversial fetus bill, revises coastal zone protections

By THE STAR STAFF

The island House of Representatives has approved Senate Bill 923, a measure that amends Puerto Rico’s Penal Code to recognize a fetus at any stage of gestation as a human being for specific homicide‑related provisions.

The bill passed with 33 votes in favor, backed largely by members of the New Progressive Party (NPP) on Tuesday. House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez said the measure aims to address cases involving the killing of a pregnant woman, asserting that the change “has nothing to do with abortion.”

“This is about the murder of a woman who has in her womb a human being that is properly conceived and de veloping,” Méndez Núñez said, adding that the legislation aligns the Penal Code with provisions in the 2025 Keyshla Madlane Law and Law 183‑2025.

Minority lawmakers criticized the bill’s expedited pro cedure, which bypassed the typical committee process. Méndez Núñez defended the move as part of the admin istration’s mandate following the 2024 general elections.

Rep. Adriana Gutiérrez Colón of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) opposed the measure, warning that similar laws in U.S. states have led to more than 400 criminal prosecutions of pregnant women for miscarriages or substance use during pregnancy. She stressed that abor tion remains legal in Puerto Rico under the Puerto Rico Supreme Court’s ruling in Pueblo v. Duarte, which affirmed the practice to protect a pregnant person’s life and health.

Her position was challenged by Dignity Project spokes person Rep. Lisie Burgos Muñiz, who argued that the only valid medical exception for ending a pregnancy is “to save the mother’s life.” Burgos Muñiz dismissed concerns from doctors who feared legal exposure during therapeutic abortions, saying criminal liability would apply only to voluntary terminations performed “deliberately to cause the baby’s death.”

Rep. Estrella Martínez Soto of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) also denounced the bill, saying its language “criminalizes women” and raises questions about how it would apply in cases of natural miscarriage.

“You’re no longer a patient,” she said. “You’re going to be categorized as a suspect in a murder.”

Puerto Rican Independence Party Rep. Adriana Gutiér‑ rez Colón opposed Senate Bill 923, a measure that amends Puerto Rico’s Penal Code to recognize a fetus at any stage of gestation as a human being for specific homicide‑related provisions, warning that similar laws in U.S. states have led to more than 400 criminal prosecutions of pregnant women for miscarriages or substance use during pregnancy.

25, which revises the definition of Puerto Rico’s mari time‑terrestrial zone. The bill, which passed 29 0, bases the boundary on a 19‑year tidal cycle and typical weather conditions, excluding storm‑driven surges. PIP legislators rejected the measure, arguing it ignores climate realities and favors private development interests.

The bill designates the maritime‑terrestrial zone as public domain and cites data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish tide lines. It also clarifies that the law cannot restrict traditional public access to beaches.

Roads named after Daddy Yankee, Carlos Beltrán

The House unanimously approved two resolutions honoring prominent Puerto Rican figures. One names San Juan’s PR‑36 as “Daddy Yankee” in recognition of the artist’s global impact on reggaeton. The other designates a stretch of PR‑670 in Manatí as “Carlos Iván Beltrán Avenue” fol lowing the former Major League Baseball star’s election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Legislature highlights cervical cancer awareness

Despite the PDP caucus’ official opposition, three of its members Reps. Reinaldo Figueroa Acevedo, Roberto Rivera Ruiz de Porras and Sol Higgins Cuadrado — voted in favor. PDP Reps. Gretchen Hau Irizarry and Edgardo Feliciano Sánchez abstained. The bill drew 10 votes against, including from NPP Reps. José “Che” Pérez Cordero and Roberto López Román.

House also approves coastal zoning update

In a separate action, lawmakers approved House Bill

In a special session, lawmakers honored the organization Las Voces de Rhaiza Vélez Plumey during Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. The group promotes HPV vaccination and early detection, including Pap smears and HPV testing.

Myra Plumey, mother of Rhaiza Vélez, thanked legis lators for supporting prevention efforts, noting that while vaccination has helped certain age groups, overall cancer incidence rates on the island remain unchanged.

“I am honored to continue carrying Rhaiza’s voice,” Plumey said.

Bill would ban sales of vaporizers & accessories to minors

Also addresses public health concerns

By THE STAR STAFF

Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez, along with Rep. Pedro Julio “Pelle” Santiago Guzmán, announced the filing on Wednesday of House Bill (HB) 1070, which prohibits the sale of vaporizers, liquid substance or cartridge with flavor and/or aroma other than nicotine for use in ‘vaping’ devices to minors under 21 years of age.

“In the United States, the use of e-cigarettes and vaporizers has been classified as an epidemic, turning a new generation of teenagers into addicts,” the House speaker said. “Above all, it’s recognized that when they consider quitting, they suffer the same typical withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, their use is associated

Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Repre-

sentatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez

with the disease known as ‘popcorn lung,’ in which people suffer from bronchiolitis obliterans, a condition that damages the smallest airways. That’s why it’s necessary to prohibit their use among our minors.”

Several U.S. states, including New Jersey, New York, California, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have banned the sale of flavored

tobacco products. Other states, including Florida, Utah, Maryland, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware and Colorado, have significantly limited the variety of flavors available.

“In Puerto Rico, there is a law prohibiting the sale of electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes to minors under 21 years of age. However, times have changed, and new devices for producing inhalable aerosol have emerged, known as vaporizers,” Santiago noted. “Unlike electronic cigarettes, these are customizable, larger, and more powerful, allowing users to adjust the temperature of the liquids used. The liquids contain varying concentrations of nicotine and other substances such as propylene glycol and glycerin. They are also often mixed with other chemical compounds and even flavorings to make them more appealing.”

In the local market, the most recognized brands of electronic cigarettes and vaporizers are JUUL, Elf Bar, Geek Bar and Smok. Their

use has become fashionable and poses a risk to citizens, particularly teenagers and young adults, the lawmakers said.

The use of vaporizers and similar devices has been cleverly promoted as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, claiming they have no harmful health effects. However, according to reports published by the World Health Organization in 2014, electronic cigarettes or vaporizers contain nicotine and can be just as addictive as tobacco. Furthermore, exposure to propylene glycol causes short-term irritation of the eyes and respiratory system.

HB 1070 creates the “Law to Regulate the Sale of Vaporizers in Puerto Rico,” which, in addition to prohibiting the sale of the aforementioned products to minors under 21 years of age, also empowers the Department of Health to regulate, establish fines and authorize the confiscation and disposal of products that are in contravention of the initiative.

Panel assigns special independent prosecutor to probe ex-SEC acting chair

By THE STAR STAFF

The Office of the Special Independent Prosecutor Panel (OPFEI by its initials in Spanish) has accepted a recommendation from Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres to appoint a special independent prosecutor to investigate alleged misconduct related to a bonus given to workers by Jessika Padilla Rivera, who served as acting chairwoman of the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission (SEC).

The preliminary inquiry began after the Office of Man-

agement and Budget filed a referral on May 29, 2025, raising concerns about possible misuse of public funds at the agency. The referral cited a one-time bonus paid in April 2025 to 65 exempt employees. The probe also incorporated findings from a report prepared by the Office of the Inspector General. The bonus was paid by Padilla Rivera, before she left the SEC, without consulting the other electoral commissioners or obtaining the approval of the Financial Oversight and Management Board.

According to the OPFEI, the case was evaluated under the Puerto Rico Penal Code, the Government Ethics Act,

and the statutes governing the panel’s procedures. Investigators concluded that there is sufficient cause to believe that Padilla Rivera may have engaged in conduct that could constitute embezzlement of public funds as well as actions prohibited under the ethics law.

Following that determination, the Justice Department sent its preliminary report to OPFEI and formally recommended the appointment of a special independent prosecutor to handle the matter. With the case now under review by the panel, officials said no further public comments will be issued.

Measure would strengthen protection of online health data, privacy of minors

By THE STAR STAFF

District 13 (Manatí, Florida, Barceloneta and Arecibo)

Rep. Jerry Nieves Rosario, who chairs the Northern Region Committee, has introduced Puerto Rico House Bill 1061 to create the “Puerto Rico Health Data Protection and Online Children’s Privacy Act.” “It is time to establish strict prohibitions on the use of geofencing around healthcare facilities for data collection or targeted advertising, mandate high-level default privacy settings for users under 18 years of age, prohibit the collection of precise geolocation data of minors without verifiable parental consent, and impose penalties,” noted the legislator, who co-authored the bill with Rep. Josean Jiménez Torres.

While technology offers undeniable benefits, it has also created unprecedented vulnerabilities regarding the privacy

of personal data, Nieves Rosario noted. Beyond the protection of general data, there is a growing global concern about two critical areas: the confidentiality of health information and the safety of minors in the digital environment.

“In Puerto Rico, it is imperative to adopt these best practices to protect our most vulnerable citizens,” the lawmaker insisted.

Currently, it is possible to track a person entering a reproductive health clinic, an addiction treatment center, or an emergency room and use that information to send targeted advertising or sell that data to third parties.

“This practice not only invades the patient’s medical privacy but can also expose them to discrimination or harassment,” Nieves Rosario pointed out.

Digital platforms are often designed to maximize information collection, including precise physical location.

Allowing applications to track the movements of a child or adolescent without the explicit knowledge of their parents represents a risk to their physical and psychological safety, the lawmaker said.

LUMA: Funding shortfalls undermine electrical service reliability

By THE STAR STAFF

LUMA Energy, the private operator of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system, told the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau that ongoing financial constraints are limiting its ability to maintain the island’s transmission and distribution system, contributing to worsening reliability metrics during the second quarter of the fiscal year.

In a quarterly metrics report filed this week, LUMA said restricted access to operating funds has reduced its capacity to perform scheduled maintenance and preventive work needed to address the deterioration of aging equipment. The company said those limitations have forced crews to redirect resources to respond to equipment failures and other critical conditions tied to outdated infrastructure.

According to LUMA Energy, the shift away from preventive work contributed to a 16.2% increase in the System Average Interruption Duration Index, and a 3.3% increase in the System Average Interruption Frequency Index. (Facebook via LUMA Energy)

have been out of service since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September 2017.

The company said that despite financial challenges, it has completed several major projects aimed at improving grid stability. They include maintenance on a 50-year-old transformer at the Manatí substation that serves more than 100,000 customers and the installation of a new transformer at the Sabana Llana substation, which benefits more than 700,000 customers.

LUMA also rebuilt and reenergized three transmission lines that had remained offline since Hurricane Maria, restoring redundancy for more than 60,000 customers in several regions. The company said it has also replaced 8,600 distribution poles and components on 872 transmission structures.

while continuing to seek the resources needed to improve reliability.

Figueroa warned that the emergency fund shortfall, which he said now exceeds $400 million, continues to grow.

Doriel Pagán, LUMA’s vice president of federal funds, said the lack of adequate investment could result in higher long-term costs because of the accelerated deterioration of the grid.

Pagán said federal funding has helped the company move forward with key projects despite its financial constraints. LUMA has obtained approval for 45 projects over the past six months, she said, and currently has 233 obligated projects and 204 under construction. Many involve transmission work aimed at improving service reliability across the island.

Officials said stabilization efforts remain focused on substation upgrades and transmission line repairs, including work on assets that

According to LUMA, the shift away from preventive work contributed to a 16.2% increase in the System Average Interruption Duration Index, or SAIDI, and a 3.3% increase in the System Average Interruption Frequency Index, or SAIFI.

“These numbers represent the real experiences of thousands of customers across the island,” Alejandro Figueroa, LUMA’s chief regulatory officer, said in a statement.

He said the company has prioritized critical work during the first half of the fiscal year

Sen. Santiago Rivera announces son’s resignation

By THE STAR STAFF

To put an end to a public controversy surrounding current legislative regulations on dispensations granted to relatives of elected officials, Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Sen. José A. Santiago Rivera announced Wednesday the immediate resignation of Juan José Santiago Nieves as executive director of the Municipal Affairs Committee effective Saturday.

Santiago Rivera, the former mayor of Comerío, has been criticized for giving a job to his own son even though he

had obtained a dispensation from the Senate. PDP President Pablo Jose Hernández Rivera intervened to say that PDP lawmakers should set an example.

Santiago Nieves -- the senator’s son -- had held the post since September 2025, following the resignation of attorney Heric Suriel Reyes.

“Even after complying with all legal requirements and obtaining the necessary dispensation from the Senate of Puerto Rico for my son Juan José to be hired by the Committee on Municipal Affairs, which I chair, we have decided to conclude his duties as executive director,” the

The former executive president of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority stressed that stable, predictable funding from all sources is necessary for effective operational planning and for carrying out preventive work that can help avoid large-scale outages.

amid public controversy

senator stated.

He noted that the decision seeks to eliminate any distractions affecting the work of the legislative unit, which he said has long been recognized for advancing public policies that strengthen services offered by local governments.

“That has been the guiding principle of our efforts since [Senate] President [Thomas] Rivera Schatz entrusted me with this responsibility as a legislator,” Santiago Rivera emphasized.

Santiago Rivera also underscored that the decision was made in consultation with his son.

Puerto Rico’s economy continued to expand in late 2025

By THE STAR STAFF

Puerto Rico’s economy continued to expand toward the end of 2025, supported by stronger cement sales, gasoline consumption and nonfarm payroll employment, according to the latest Economic Activity Index (EAI) figures released by the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC by its acronym in Spanish).

“The most recent results of the Economic Activity Index confirm that the economic development strategies we are implementing at the Department of Economic Devel-

opment and Commerce are having a real and measurable impact on Puerto Rico’s economy,” DDEC Secretary Sebastián Negrón Reichard said in a written statement.

The index reached 127.9 points in October 2025 and 128.1 points in November 2025, seasonally adjusted. Compared with the same months in 2024, the EAI rose 0.2 percent in October and 0.8 percent in November, the agency reported.

Three of the index’s four components increased in November. Cement sales climbed 6.4% from October, gasoline consumption rose 4.2% and nonfarm payroll employment edged up 0.2%. Only

electricity generation declined, falling 0.6% month-to-month.

On a year-over-year basis, the gains were even more pronounced in key sectors. Cement sales surged 17.0% in November, gasoline consumption increased 10.4% and nonfarm payroll employment grew 0.9%. Electricity generation, however, continued to lag, posting a 2.2% annual decline.

Negrón Reichard also disclosed that DDEC has launched a technical review of the electricity-generation component used in the index after determining that official data do not capture generation from residential solar systems or industrial cogeneration.

Economic Development and Commerce

Secretary Sebastián Negrón Reichard

2 agents who shot Pretti are on leave, Trump official says

By REIS THEBAULT, NICHOLAS BOGEL-BURROUGHS and CHRIS CAMERON

The two federal agents who opened fire on a Veterans Affairs nurse in Minneapolis have been on leave since the shooting, an official with the Department of Homeland Security said for the first time Wednesday.

It was unclear if the department had taken action regarding the other agents involved in the encounter with the nurse, Alex Pretti, including those who had helped restrain him before he was shot and killed by the two agents.

Trump administration officials, who stridently defended the killing and falsely described the actions of Pretti, 37, before he was killed, have not publicly identified the agents who shot him. On Sunday, Gregory Bovino, who was then overseeing President Donald Trump’s Border Patrol operations in the city, told CNN that the agents involved in Pretti’s shooting were still working, had been moved to other cities and were “more than likely be on administrative duty.”

The revelation came as authorities in Minneapolis and the U.S. Capitol Police were investigating an attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who represents parts of the city and has been a frequent target of criticism from Trump. A man sprayed her with an unknown substance during a public event Tuesday night as she criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

ICE agents as they detain a man outside his home in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. President Donald Trump promised a “very honorable and honest investigation” into the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis amid a growing furor over the shooting that prompted him to shake up leadership of the immigration crackdown there.

(Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)

The attack was the latest reflection of the charged political climate over an aggressive federal immigration crackdown that has prompted an outpouring of anger in Minnesota and beyond.

Trump told ABC News on Tuesday night that he had not seen video footage of the attack

on Omar but suggested without evidence that she had staged it. “I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” he said. “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”

Here’s what we’re covering:

— The assault on Omar: Omar was uninjured, initially moving toward her attacker

with her fist raised before he was tackled by security officers. She resumed speaking after a brief pause, saying she would not be intimidated. Minneapolis police identified the suspect as Anthony J. Kazmierczak, 55. He was booked into the local jail on suspicion of assault.

— The Pretti shooting: Stephen Miller, a top aide to Trump, suggested that the agents who killed Pretti after he was restrained and disarmed “may not have been following” protocol. Miller’s statement came after earlier comments in which he and other Trump administration officials portrayed the shooting as justified and Pretti as a would-be assassin.

— Trump’s language: On Tuesday, Trump told Fox News that he might “de-escalate” his campaign against Minnesota and its Democratic leaders. But at a rally a few hours later, he embraced incendiary rhetoric, falsely describing thousands of people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota as “hardened, vicious, horrible criminals” and anti-ICE demonstrators as “paid insurrectionists.”

— Impeachment calls: Trump briefly sidelined Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, this week after bipartisan backlash over her department’s portrayal of Pretti, only to quickly reaffirm his support and declare her job safe. On Tuesday, the top three House Democratic leaders joined more than 150 congressional Democrats in backing a bid to impeach her.

Most NYC storm victims believed to have died after cold exposure

By MIHIR ZAVERI and DANA RUBINSTEIN

Afuller picture emerged Wednesday of the victims of the severe weather continuing to afflict New York City, with city officials revealing that one man was found dead just steps from a Bronx hospital and that exposure to the cold played a role in seven of the 10 deaths.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who announced those initial findings, said that six of the 10 were known to the city’s Department of Homeless Services. It was not clear if they had lived in shelters.

The revelation that one man died just outside a hospital, St. Barnabas in the Bronx, on Saturday and a previous announcement that a man had been found at a playground in Queens on Sunday with hospital discharge

papers in his pocket reinforced long-standing concerns about when and where people are discharged during severe weather, especially if they have no safe place to go.

It was not immediately clear Wednesday whether the 60-year-old man who was found dead outside St. Barnabas had been a patient there. The hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

More broadly, the death toll raised questions about whether New York City could have done more to protect the homeless.

Dave Giffen, the executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, said hospitals typically have to coordinate with social services workers before releasing people who they believe might be homeless.

This week, Jessica Ramos, a state sena-

tor representing parts of Queens, said a man was found at a playground in her district with discharge papers in his pocket from Elmhurst Hospital, a city facility.

A spokesperson for Health and Hospitals said patient privacy laws precluded him from commenting on a patient’s care. He added that the hospital system does not discharge patients without confirming a shelter location or helping to arrange a shelter destination during extreme weather events.

On Tuesday, after revealing the new death toll during a news conference at City Hall, Mamdani posted a video to social media reminding New Yorkers to look out for their neighbors during the extreme cold.

“If you see someone out in the cold who looks like they may need help, please call 311,”

he said, referring to the city’s informational hotline.

The rest of the video outlined the steps the Mamdani administration has taken to help protect New Yorkers from the cold — including enhanced homeless outreach efforts and new warming centers.

In the video, Mamdani said, “Our city is in the midst of what may be the longest stretch of below freezing temperatures in recorded history.”

Some meteorologists offered a more conservative analysis.

David Wally, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that in 2018 there was a 14-day stretch of temperatures at or below freezing. As of Wednesday, New York City was on Day 5.

Rep. Ilhan Omar is attacked at town hall in Minneapolis

By REIS THEBAULT, LAUREN McCARTHY and ASHLEY AHN

During a town hall with Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening, a man rushed the lectern and appeared to spray her with a strong-smelling liquid before he was tackled by security.

The man, who had been seated directly in front of the lectern in the front row, suddenly jumped up as Omar was speaking and ran toward the podium. He used a syringe to spray her shirt with a substance that smelled strongly of vinegar. As he stumbled backward and pointed at her, a security officer tackled him to the ground, handcuffed him and removed him from the room.

Gasps were audible through the crowd, as well as cries of “Oh my God, oh my God.” Some attendees yelled out, “He sprayed something!” A woman in the crowd appeared near tears.

The Minneapolis police said the man, whom they later identified as Anthony J. Kazmierczak, 55, was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of assault. A forensics squad was called to analyze the scene, he added.

Omar, a Democrat who represents part of Minneapolis and has been a frequent target of President Donald Trump, held the town hall in her district of Minneapolis to address the ongoing ICE operations in the city. Hours before, Trump criticized Omar at a rally in Iowa and repeated inflammatory remarks about her birth country, Somalia. He said immigrants “have to show that they can love our country. They have to be proud, not like Ilhan Omar.”

The assault occurred just after she said: “We must abolish ICE for good. And DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment.”

Her comment mirrored calls by Democratic lawmakers for Noem, the homeland security secretary, to step down or face impeachment after federal immigration agents shot and killed two people in Minneapolis this month.

Omar, visibly shaken after the assault, insisted to her staff and security that she would continue. She asked for a napkin and told them: “Just give me 10 minutes. I beg you. Please don’t let them have the show.”

Omar then turned to the crowd. “Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand,” she said. “We are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of

whatever they might throw at us.”

Someone in the crowd later thanked Omar for staying and continuing after the assault, which had shaken not only her but the entire room.

“I learned at a young age you don’t give in to threats,” Omar said.

About an hour after the town hall, Omar posted on social media that she was OK and grateful to her constituents for rallying behind her after the assault. “I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work,” she said. “I don’t let bullies win.”

The U.S. Capitol Police, which investigates threats against lawmakers, said in a statement that the attack on Omar was “unacceptable” and would be met with “swift justice.”

“We are now working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society,” the agency said.

As video of the encounter quickly circulated on social media, some officials condemned the assault. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey denounced the attack, saying on the social platform X that “this kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city,” and that “violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis,”

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who has often been at odds with Omar, said she was “deeply disturbed” by the attack.

“Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric — and I do — no elected official should face physical attacks,” she said in a social media post. “This is not who we are.”

A man is held back after attacking Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) during a town hall in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. The man rushed the lectern and appeared to spray Omar with a strong-smelling liquid before he was tackled by security. Omar, visibly shaken after the assault, insisted to her staff and security that she would continue. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)

From page 19

COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES

Design that is lived

By JOHN RIVAS

Special to The STAR

Graphic design has long been understood as a two‑di mensional discipline symbols, typography, posters, and visual systems that exist on a flat plane. But its true potential emerges when it steps beyond the surface and be comes integrated into physical space. In that transition, design ceases to be merely an image and becomes an experience. Space is no longer just observed; it is traversed, interpreted, and inhabited. And in that act of inhabiting, graphic design and interior design meet, influence one another, and transform each other.

The relationship between graphic design and interior design is not decorative; it is structural and semiotic. Every space communicates before anyone engages with it. It speaks through its geometry, lighting, materials, color, and, critically, through the graphic elements that run through it. Typography, signage, murals, patterns, and visual systems are not after thoughts -- they are language. When this reality is ignored, the result is a fragmented environment: visually contradictory and conceptually weak.

In practice, one frequently encounters spaces where graphic design fails to dialogue with architecture. Logos are placed without regard for scale or sightlines; corporate co lors clash with the tones of the environment; typefaces ignore spatial proportion and disrupt visual rhythm. These decisions create noise, imbalance, and confusion. A space may be well constructed and its graphic design well executed on their own, but without coherence between the two, identity dissolves.

Visual semiotics is essential for understanding this con vergence. Every sign within a space carries symbolic weight. Typography communicates character; color conveys emotion and hierarchy; form guides visual movement. When these elements are intentionally integrated into interior design, the space gains a clear narrative. The user not only understands where they are but also what kind of place they are in. In this context, graphic design becomes a mediator between space and human experience.

Signage is not simply a tool for orientation it is visual structure. It defines hierarchies, marks pathways, and creates pauses. A typographic system aligned with architecture guides the eye naturally and reinforces identity. A poorly conceived system interrupts flow, distracts, and disrupts harmony. The same applies to murals, patterns, and environmental graphics: they must respond to the geometry, scale, and lighting of the space. Ignoring these variables denies the three- dimensional nature of the environment.

When graphic design is conceived as an integral part of interior design, identity stops being an isolated object and becomes a continuous experience. Graphic elements adapt to walls, columns, corridors, facades, ceilings, and exterior spa ces. They interact with materials and volumes. They integrate with bodily movement and architectural flow. The space be

comes legible, coherent, and memorable. It is not about impo sing graphics but about allowing the space to absorb them and make them its own.

The contemporary graphic designer must understand space as a living system -- thinking in terms of scale, move ment, lighting, rhythm, and perception. Likewise, the interior designer must recognize the structural role of graphic design as a builder of identity. When both disciplines converge, the result is a balanced environment in which every visual decision serves a purpose.

Errors arise when design becomes fragmented—when branding is created without considering the space it will inha bit; when signage is added at the end without analysis; when colors are chosen without understanding their interaction with light and materials. These decisions directly affect user expe rience and dilute the message. Such a space does not commu nicate; it simply exists.

In contrast, a space shaped through graphic and archi tectural integration generates memory. It is remembered not only for its form but for how it felt to inhabit it. Visual identity leaves a lasting mark because it is rooted in the environment. Every graphic element reinforces the character of the place and strengthens its narrative. Design thus fulfills its deepest function: to communicate, to organize, and to evoke emotion.

Designing a space is not the sum of elements; it is an act of coherence. It requires recognizing that graphic arts live within interior design, and that interior design, in turn, beco mes an active support for graphic expression. Both languages intersect, condition one another, and enrich each other to build experience, identity, and memory.

That is the power of graphic design when integrated into

interior design: it is not only seen -- it is lived and remembered.

John Rivas is an artist and head of the Graphic Design Department at the University of Puerto Rico, Carolina

Ricardo Angulo Founder PO BOX 6537 Caguas PR 00726 Telephones: (787) 743-3346 • (787) 743-6537 (787) 743-5606 • Fax (787) 743-5100

Manuel Sierra

María de L. Márquez Business Director R. Mariani

Cirugía bariátrica frente a medicación para perder peso: ¿Cuál es la mejor opción para usted?

Por: Dr. T. Javier Birriel, MD, FACS, FASMB2S

Cirujano Bariátrico

Hospital Pavia Caguas

Caribbean Bariatric Institute

Millones de personas en todo el mundo padecen la enfermedad de la obesidad, lo que constituye un grave problema de salud. No se trata solo de su aspecto. El sobrepeso puede repercutir enormemente en la salud y la calidad de vida. Puede provocar enfermedades adicionales como apnea del sueño, presión arterial alta, enfermedades cardíacas y diabetes tipo 2. La cirugía bariátrica y los medicamentos para adelgazar son dos soluciones que se destacan cuando la dieta y el ejercicio no funcionan a largo plazo.

Lo que debe saber sobre la cirugía bariátricaLa cirugía bariátrica, también llamada cirugía metabólica o para bajar de peso, incluye procedimientos que modifican el estómago y el tracto digestivo para tratar la obesidad. Además de limitar la capacidad de retención de alimentos, estas cirugías también afectan las hormonas que controlan el hambre, la saciedad y la regulación del azúcar en sangre, lo que ayuda a los pacientes a lograr y mantener una pérdida de peso significativa a largo plazo.

¿Quién puede someterse a cirugía bariátrica?

La Sociedad Americana de Cirugía Metabólica y Bariátrica (ASMBS) dice que esta opción suele ser la mejor para las personas que cumplen determinados criterios:

•Un IMC de 40-o superior se clasifica como obesidad grave.

•Un IMC de 35-o superior y problemas derivados del sobrepeso, como diabetes de tipo 2, cardiopatías o apnea del sueño grave.

•Un IMC de 30-34.9 con algunos problemas o enfermedades metabólicas.

Para ser elegible, debe estar dispuesto a hacer ajustes a largo plazo en su estilo de vida, y los candidatos deben someterse a evaluaciones médicas exhaustivas antes de ser aprobados. La cirugía bariátrica es mínimamente invasiva y se realiza por vía laparoscópica. Los pacientes deben seguir una progresión dietética constante después de la recuperación que dura de 2 a 4 semanas. Tendrán seguimientos regulares y apoyo de sus profesionales sanitarios.

Medicamentos para adelgazar Los fármacos modernos pueden ayudar a perder peso sin tener que someterse a cirugía. Estos fármacos suelen modificar las hormonas que controlan el hambre, el apetito o la cantidad de calorías que absorbe el organismo para ayudar a perder peso.

Tipos de medicamentos para adelgazar

•Semaglutida (Wegovy, Ozempic): Este agonista de los receptores de GLP-1 ayuda a las personas a perder peso y mantenerlo reduciendo el apetito.

•Saxenda (liraglutida): Es como la semaglutida, pero se toma todos los días.

•Tirzepatida (Mounjaro): Actúa sobre varias hormonas que controlan el hambre para ayudarle a perder más peso.

•Orlistat (Alli, Xenical): Impide que el cuerpo absorba grasa.

•Fentermina-Topiramato (Qsymia): Este fármaco hace que tengas menos hambre y que consumas más energía.

Los fármacos para adelgazar pueden funcionar, pero pueden conllevar riesgos tales como: náuseas, dolores de cabeza, agotamiento y consecuencias poco comunes, como la pancreatitis. Muchos de ellos deben utilizarse de forma continuada para mantener su efecto, ya que su interrupción suele provocar un aumento de peso.

Cirugía bariátrica frente a fármacos para perder peso: Una comparación

1.Eficacia en la pérdida de peso a largo plazo- Los distintos tratamientos de la obesidad funcionan de forma diferente y tienen efectos distintos. Cada método, ya sea la cirugía o la medicina, funciona en un grado diferente y tiene sus ventajas, desventajas y efectos a largo plazo. Así es como se comparan los métodos en las áreas principales:

A.Cirugía: La mayoría de los pacientes pierden el 50-80% de su peso corporal extra, lo que supone una gran pérdida de peso.

B.Medicamentos para adelgazar: Los medicamentos pueden ayudarte a perder entre un 5 y un 15% de todo tu peso corporal, pero tienes que seguirlos al pie de la letra.

2.Efectos sobre los problemas de salud relacionados con la obesidad- Ambos métodos ayudan a combatir la hipertensión y la diabetes de tipo 2. Pero la cirugía bariátrica suele mejorar las cosas de forma más rápida y significativa.

3.Riesgos y beneficios para la salud a largo plazo-

A.Cirugía: Puede ofrecer beneficios de salud a largo plazo, como una pérdida de peso significativa y un mejor manejo de condiciones relacionadas con la obesidad. Generalmente, los pacientes requieren seguimiento médico regular y orientación nutricional para apoyar su salud a largo plazo.

B.Medicamentos para adelgazar: Son una opción no quirúrgica que puede ayudar a la pérdida de peso al reducir el apetito y mejorar el control metabólico. Por lo general, sus beneficios se mantienen mientras el medicamento se continúa, junto con seguimiento médico y cambios en el estilo de vida.

4.Comparar precios y coberturas

A.Cirugía: Los costos oscilan entre $15.000 y $25.000, y por ley está cubierto por todos los seguros en Puerto Rico si un paciente cualifica

B.Medicamentos para adelgazar: Los gastos mensuales oscilan entre $800 y $1.200, dependiendo del plan de seguro.

Para información adicional o citas, puede comunicarse al 787-425-5980 y visite caribbeanbariatric.com.

January 29, 2026 9

In ‘Memory of a Killer,’ Patrick Dempsey takes the wheel

By ALEXIS SOLOSKI

Before actor Patrick Dempsey could sit down in the second-floor restaurant of Toronto’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, a group of women celebrating a birthday stopped him, asking for a photo. Dempsey posed among them. His teeth were white, his hair was thick and leonine. The women smiled in a way that verged on hysteria.

Once the pictures were taken, he thanked them, gallantly, for including him in the birthday. The women floated away down the stairs. They were screaming.

Dempsey, who recently turned 60, is a heartthrob precision tuned for light comedy and romance. A professional actor since his teens, he has a daredevil quality that is veined, in much of his work, with sweetness. His niche is the not-so-bad boy you could bring home to mom. Honestly, mom would probably like him, too.

He spent 11 seasons on the hospital soap “Grey’s Anatomy,” playing a neurosurgeon popularly known as McDreamy. In 2023, at 57, he landed the cover of People magazine as, quite credibly, the sexiest man alive.

That’s not so bad for a high-school dropout from rural Maine who once considered himself functionally illiterate. But Dempsey, who is also a decorated racecar driver and a hands-on philanthropist, gave up wanting the romance and the screaming women a while ago.

Since leaving “Grey’s” in 2015, he has spent a decade dismantling that McDreamy persona, albeit in more obscure shows. He played an ethically dubious writer in the Epix miniseries “The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair,” and then a devious chief executive in the Sky Atlantic series “Devils,” and after that a murderous police captain in the Paramount+ series “Dexter: Original Sin.”

Now he has taken on his first major network role since “Grey’s,” in the Fox thriller “Memory of a Killer,” which premiered Sunday. (It streams on Hulu.) He stars as a devoted father and a grieving widower named Angelo who is also an assassin-for-hire rattled by symptoms of dementia. (It’s a lot!) The role allows Dempsey to play both the kind of hero that made him famous and the morally murky characters he has lately em-

braced. He also gets to drive a Porsche very, very fast.

“I want to be able to go out and test myself,” he said.

In conversation, he is eager, earnest, innately charming, but also discontented by the mismatch between how the world sees him and how he sees himself — as a serious person who is rarely taken seriously. That Sexiest Man Alive thing? He’s grateful for the attention it drew to his foundation, which provides holistic care for cancer patients. Otherwise he finds it embarrassing.

As a child, Dempsey struggled in school. Severely dyslexic, he felt best in motion, particularly when he was skiing. A ski idol of his, Ingemar Stenmark, rode a unicycle, and so a teenage Dempsey sold seeds door to door until he had saved enough to buy one, too. The unicycle led to juggling, juggling led to a talent competition that earned him his first agent. With his parents’ blessing, he skipped his senior year to try acting.

That agent got him an audition for a touring production of Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song Trilogy.” “He was absolutely adorable,” Fierstein recalled in a recent phone call, “just an absolute angel.”

After that show, Dempsey appeared in a bus-and-truck tour of Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” — from the window of the Ritz, he could see the Toronto theater where the show had played — and a few small movies. In 1987, he starred in “Can’t Buy Me Love,” a hit teen romantic comedy that made him an in-demand juvenile lead.

A decade later, he felt himself faltering in the transition from absolute angel to more adult roles. After some underperforming movies (“Bank Robber,” “Denial”), he turned to television. He did stints on “Will & Grace,” “Once and Again” and “The Practice,” as well as plenty of pilots that were never picked up for series. Then he found his way to “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Shonda Rhimes, who hired him as the charismatic surgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd, admired his effortlessness in the role. “You never feel him acting,” she wrote in an email.

Few people had high hopes for the series — ABC kept pushing back its release — but it was an immediate sensation. That was a relief to Dempsey, and then it was a

Dempsey saw the “Dexter” role as a potential calling card, proof that he could take on more challenging parts. It is what interested the makers of “Memory of a Killer,” said Michael Thorn, the president of Fox Television Network.

“We understood how fully he could transform into someone far more unsettling — a chilling and complex presence,” he wrote in an email. Fox offered him the lead.

Dempsey was wary of taking on another network show, skeptical of the schedule and the constraints around language and violence. But he liked the scripts and the character. “I’m getting away from the softness of McDreamy,” he said. Once the creators guaranteed him a relatively short 10-episode first season, he agreed to take it on.

trap. After a few seasons the stories no longer interested him, and the schedule felt punishing, increasingly unsustainable. His wife, makeup artist Jillian Dempsey, gave birth to a daughter in 2002 and twin sons in 2007, so home life also felt hectic.

He took up auto racing as an escape, as a way to feel both excitement and complete control. It was not merely an expensive actor hobby: For more than a decade, Dempsey drove in races at various levels and classifications in the United States and Europe — including the 24 Hours of Le Mans — and earned several podium finishes.

“When you’re in the car, you’re in the moment,” he said. “You’re functioning in a real life-and-death situation.” But the travel was hard on his marriage, and he and his wife nearly divorced. Dempsey quit “Grey’s,” eased up on racing, came home and began counseling. The next year his wife withdrew her petition.

Dempsey returned to work at a slower pace, choosing series with much lighter episode orders than he had on “Grey’s.” He also looked for more sinister roles, part of a deliberate reinvention.

“I have a dark side to my nature,” he said. “I just hadn’t been able to express it.”

Though Dempsey plays only one role, it is effectively two roles. Angelo lives a quiet life as a salesman in a puffy vest, leaving flowers at his wife’s grave, cooking dinner for his pregnant daughter. But when his handler, Dutch (Michael Imperioli), gives him an assignment, he changes into a bespoke suit, trades his clunky Volkswagen for a Porsche and offs three men in a Chinese restaurant bathroom before the chorus of “Crimson and Clover” finishes. When Angelo begins to suspect that he is experiencing the onset of dementia and must conceal it, that’s another part to play.

“You never quite know what an actor is capable of,” said Aaron Zelman, one of the showrunners. “To see him get scary is really fun, to see him go to a more emotional place.”

Angelo’s ability to compartmentalize comes naturally to Dempsey, who recognizes himself as different people at home, at work, to his fans, on the track. He is comfortable with that. If the show is renewed, he would like to add more action sequences, more stunt driving. (“If it were up to him, there’d be a car chase in every episode,” Zelman said.) Mostly, he would like to feel that same completeness he experiences behind the wheel, that feeling that he is wholly present, wholly of use, more than a heartthrob.

“In racing, I can tell you specific moments where I achieved exactly what I wanted to achieve,” he said. “I haven’t had that fully yet as an actor.”

S&P 500 breaches 7,000 points for the first time, lifted by AI optimism

PUERTO RICO STOCKS

The S&P 500 breached the 7,000-point mark for the first time on Wednesday, driven by unrelenting optimism over artificial intelligence and expectations of strong Big Tech earnings as well as monetary policy easing.

The benchmark index’s ascent between successive 1,000-point additions has quickened in recent years, reflecting mounting investor confidence in the U.S. economy and corporate America.

It took about three years for the S&P 500 to rise to 5,000 ⁠points from 4,000, but only about nine months to jump from 5,000 to 6,000, which it reached in November 2024.

soft and Alphabet higher. Technology stocks account for nearly 50% of the S&P 500.

Expectations of interest rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve have also buoyed risk appetite, with traders betting on two 25-basis point reductions in 2026 after the central bank lowered interest rates thrice last year.

The Fed is, however, widely expected to hold interest rates at its meeting later in the day.

Markets have rebounded to record highs following bouts of selloff earlier this month on worries related to the U.S.–NATO friction over Greenland, tariff uncertainty and doubts over the U.S. central bank’s independence.

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Analysts expect profit for S&P 500 companies to increase 15.5% in 2026, an improvement from a 13.2% growth forecast for 2025, according to data compiled by LSEG.

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Tech earnings, powered by AI boom, are largely expected to drive U.S. corporate growth in the fourth quarter, with the sector’s profit projected to rise about 27%, compared with an estimate of a 9.2% increase overall for S&P 500 companies, LSEG data showed.

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The index was last up 0.3% at 6,999.71 points, and headed for its sixth consecutive day of gains, its longest winning streak since October.

“You could definitely have a continuation on the rally in equities if the earnings season shows that AI expenditure is bringing in revenues,” said Jeff Leschen, managing director at Bramshill Investments.

“Expected rate cuts by the ⁠Fed could also be a tailwind,” he added.

AI-linked optimism has been one of the key drivers of U.S. markets, pushing tech giants including Nvidia, Micro-

Revenue growth from the tech sector in the quarter was pegged at about 18%, compared with the estimate of a 7.3% rise for the S&P 500, the data showed.

The S&P 500 has rebounded nearly 45% from its lows in April 2025, when U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs had roiled global markets.

Stakes are high for earnings reports from U.S. megacap companies this week, as investors seek proof that strong profit growth will lift stocks this year, including evidence that artificial-intelligence investments are paying off.

Reports are due from Microsoft, Apple, Facebook parent Meta Platforms and Tesla - four of the “Magnificent Seven” megacap companies whose bottom-line results broadly are key drivers of overall U.S. profits. The group is expected to post a 21.5% rise in earnings for the quarter, compared with a 5.3% gain for the rest of the S&P 500, according to Tajinder Dhillon, head of earnings research at LSEG.

“Expectations are very high,” said Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial. “Particularly for Meta, Microsoft and Apple ⁠this week, there is less room for them to disappoint.”

Trump threatens Iran with ‘massive armada’ and presses a set of demands

By DAVID E. SANGER, TYLER PAGER and FARNAZ FASSIHI

President Donald Trump sharply intensified his threats against Iran on Wednesday, suggesting that if it did not agree to a set of demands the administration had made of the country’s leaders, he could soon mount an attack “with speed and violence.”

Trump’s threat of a second direct attack on Iran by U.S. forces in eight months came as the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, along with other naval ships, bombers and fighter jets, took up positions in the region in striking distance of the country. Trump explicitly compared the buildup to the forces he amassed near Venezuela late last year, just before the operation that seized Nicolás Maduro and his wife in the middle of the night early in January.

Trump gave no specifics about the deal he was demanding, saying only that a “massive Armada” was heading toward Iran and that the country should make a deal. But U.S. and European officials say that in talks, they have put three demands in front of the Iranians: a permanent end to all enrichment of uranium, limits on the range and number of their ballistic missiles, and an end to all support for proxy groups in the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis operating in Yemen.

Notably absent from those demands — and from Trump’s post on Truth Social on Wednesday morning — was any reference to protecting the protesters who took to the streets in Iran in December, convulsing the country and creating the latest crisis for its government. Trump had promised, in past social media posts, to come to their aid, but has barely mentioned them in recent weeks.

Iran says the death toll was 3,117, but human rights groups say that figure vastly underestimates the actual number killed. Their figures range from 3,400 to 6,200, but they say that once internet blackouts are lifted, the numbers will likely rise significantly.

Trump has felt emboldened since the initial success in Venezuela, and he was clearly using the threat of a similar decapitation of the Iranian regime in an effort to intimidate the country’s clerical leadership and the Revolutionary Guard, its most elite military forces.

As recently as two weeks ago, Trump appeared to be on the precipice of military ac-

was largely defensive, because tens of thousands of U.S. troops in the region were “within the reach of Iranian one-way drones and ballistic missiles.” He said it was “wise and prudent” to increase the U.S. presence, but that the U.S. force could also “preemptively act” against Iran.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said.

In the past week, negotiations have made no progress, officials say, and there are no indications that the Iranians are preparing to give in to Trump’s demands. Each would undercut the country’s diminishing powers after a 12-day war with Israel in June, which ended with a U.S. air attack on three major Iranian nuclear sites, at Natanz, Fordo and Isfahan.

The three sites were central to the enormous nuclear infrastructure Iran had built over more than a quarter of a century. While Trump has repeatedly claimed the nuclear program was “obliterated,” his own national security strategy, published in the fall, took a more measured view, saying that the attack in June “significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program.”

tion, which he suspended only when receiving an assurance from Iran that it would not hang what he said were 800 protesters set to be executed. Iranian officials said that figure was wrong, and that the protesters, while arrested, had not gone through trial or sentencing.

The interchanges that day revealed to the Americans the fragility of the Iranian system.

The country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, a longtime Iranian diplomat and politician, had to seek permission to talk with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy. In the end, he had to make the commitment through a third party that Iran was not planning imminent executions, because he was prohibited from formal, direct communications with the United States.

An official who was deeply involved in the interchanges said later that Araghchi’s authority seemed heavily constrained. And there is, as always in the Iranian system, constant jockeying between the Supreme Leader’s office, the Revolutionary Guard and the office of the president, Masoud Pezeshkian, for whom Araghchi works. But key issues of foreign policy are decided by the 86-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On Wednesday, speaking to Iranian reporters outside the Foreign Ministry in Teh-

ran, the capital, Araghchi said Iran had not requested a meeting with the United States and that he and Witkoff had not been in contact in recent days. He said Iran had not made a decision about negotiations, although various countries were trying in good faith to mediate between Tehran and Washington.

“Our position is that diplomacy cannot be effective and have results through military threats,” he said. “If they want negotiations to take place, they definitely have to set aside threats, excessive demands and making unrealistic demands,” Araghchi added. A war between Iran and the United States, he said, would be destabilizing to the entire region, and countries in the Middle East were against it.

Araghchi issued a warning to the United States a week ago, writing that “an all-out confrontation will certainly be messy, ferocious and drag on far, far longer than the fantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House.” He added that “the U.S. has tried every conceivable hostile act, from sanctions and cyber assaults to outright military attacks.”

“It is time to think differently,” he concluded. “Try respect.”

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers the buildup around Iran

The first demand, that Iran give up all nuclear enrichment, would be difficult to monitor. The primary enrichment sites at Natanz and Fordo were heavily hit, and are unlikely to reopen. But it is possible to enrich uranium — increasing its purity — at small, easily hidden sites. If Iran could gain access to the uranium already enriched to 60% purity — just shy of bomb grade — that was buried in the attacks, it could make enough fuel for a handful of weapons. So far, according to U.S. and European intelligence officials, there is no sign that Iran has gotten that access to the fuel, which it had buried deeply for safekeeping.

The second demand, to limit the range and number of ballistic missiles, would make it all but impossible for Iran to hit Israeli territory. Those missiles are the last deterrent in Iran’s arsenal against a renewed attack by Israel. Such an attack does not seem imminent, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened renewed attacks if Iran rearms.

The third demand, involving cutting off support for proxy forces, may be the easiest for Iran to comply with. Iran’s own economy is deeply weakened, its currency has fallen to new lows, and the government has little to spend on its one-time allies, who are reeling from intense attacks by Israel.

Bucking a global trend, Spain offers migrants a legal way to stay

By JOSÉ BAUTISTA

The Spanish government earlier this week unexpectedly issued a decree that gives hundreds of thousands of migrants a path out of legal limbo, putting Spain at odds with many countries around the world that have grown increasingly tough on illegal immigration.

The measure will allow people already living in Spain without legal status to apply for temporary residency permits. The Socialist-led government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described it as crucial for Spain, where migrant labor plays a key role in agriculture, tourism and more.

Elma Saiz Delgado, Spain’s minister for migration, said at a news conference Tuesday that the measure would have an impact “on our social cohesion, well-being, and also on the economy.”

Opposition parties immediately criticized the measure, with one far-right party promising to challenge it in court.

The measure announced Tuesday is bucking a trend, as many Western governments, often under pressure from far-right, populist parties, have cracked down on illegal immigration in recent years.

In the United States, the Trump administration is carrying out a sweeping, aggressive campaign to arrest and deport millions of people. Britain has rolled out stricter rules for refugees; Greece now imposes prison terms for migrants who remain in the country after their asylum claims are rejected; and Italy wants to hold asylum-seekers in Albania while their cases are being processed, despite stiff legal opposition.

Spain, in contrast, has embraced immigrants, especially Latin Americans who speak Spain’s language, share its religion and understand its culture, although activists say that warm welcome has not always extended to many Africans.

And the Spanish government has outsourced migration control, providing police equipment, technology and training to countries like Morocco and Mauritania to turn back migrants from Africa.

Still, the decree builds on Spain’s attempts to present itself as a beacon for immigrants.

“In the current international context, marked by the rise of anti-migration discourse, Spain’s decision represents a counterweight,” said Cecilia Estrada Villaseñor, a researcher at the Institute for Migration Stu-

Patrons dine at a Venezuelan food stall in Madrid, Spain, Jan. 10, 2026. The Spanish government on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, unexpectedly issued a decree that gives hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants a path out of legal limbo, putting Spain at odds with many countries around the world that have grown increasingly tough on illegal immigration. (Finbarr O’Reilly/The New York Times)

dies at Pontifical University of Comillas in Madrid.

Spain does not publish official figures on the number of migrants living in the country illegally, but estimates from institutions like Funcas, an economic think tank, suggest the number could be between 500,000 and 1 million. Spain’s total population is almost 50 million.

The legalization measure was in part spurred by domestic politics.

The Council of Ministers, the executive branch of the government, approved it through a royal decree, after Sánchez’s government struck a last-minute deal Monday with a smaller left-wing party, Unidas Podemos, in exchange for its parliamentary support. A similar measure had been stuck in parliament since April 2024.

Under the decree, migrants lacking legal status will be eligible for temporary residence permits if they can prove that they arrived in Spain before December 2025 and that they have lived in the country for at least five months. People with criminal records will be excluded; applications will be accepted only between April and June. The residency permits, which allow people to work in Spain, will last one year and will be renewable.

“It brings me closer to my dream, and

the dream of many others like me: to live in peace and work with dignity to support our families,” said Sady Traoré, 28, who works in citrus groves in Alzira, in eastern Spain. Traoré, a musician who said he fled his native Mali after a military coup in 2022, arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands in 2024, but has since been unable to secure an appointment to apply for asylum.

The push to give unauthorized migrants a pathway to residency gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many migrants continued to work in

precarious conditions during Spain’s lockdowns.

Foreign workers have eased Spain’s labor shortage and helped boost economic growth, according to a study by economists at the European Central Bank.

Ismael Gálvez, a professor of economics at the University of the Balearic Islands who has studied the impact of migration on Spain’s economy, said that it was hard to predict how the government’s measure would play out, except that it was not likely to put a lot of pressure on the housing or labor market for native-born Spaniards because it applies only to migrants already living in the country.

“Migrants mainly compete with workers who are similar to them, that is, other migrants,” Gálvez said.

More than 700,000 Spaniards had signed a legislative initiative that began in 2021 — led by migrant groups, and supported by left-wing associations and the Catholic Church — calling for a parliamentary debate on giving unauthorized migrants a pathway to residency.

Opposition leaders were quick to criticize the move. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, head of the conservative Popular Party, accused the government of using the measure to distract public attention from a deadly train crash that killed 45 people this month. Vox, a far-right party, said it would challenge the decree before Spain’s Supreme Court, accusing Sánchez of “accelerating an invasion.”

Spain has carried out eight large-scale campaigns to legalize migrants since the mid-1980s, under both conservative and progressive governments, affecting at least 1 million people.

UPS says it is cutting up to 30,000 jobs

By PETER EAVIS

UPS said earlier this week that it expected to cut as many as 30,000 jobs this year as part of a continuing effort to reduce costs and shore up profits.

Last year, the delivery company eliminated 62,000 positions, by laying off full-time drivers, warehouse workers and managers, as well as seasonal employees. UPS said Tuesday that it was planning the additional layoffs this year because it expected to deliver fewer packages for Amazon.

Tuesday’s announcement could add to Americans’ concerns about the job market. While unemployment has risen only slightly in recent months, hiring has slowed significantly. Consumer confidence plunged this month, partly because a greater share of consumers said jobs were “hard to get,” according to the Conference Board.

Brian Dykes, UPS’ chief financial officer, said this year’s job cuts would be in “operational positions,” the term UPS uses for delivery and warehouse workers. He said the reductions would occur “through attrition” and by offering “voluntary separation” to full-time drivers. UPS said last year that it wanted to wind down much of its Amazon business because it was not profitable. UPS has said Amazon was its

largest customer.

UPS announced the layoffs on the same day it reported its earnings for 2025. The company had net income of $5.57 billion last year, down nearly 4% from $5.78 billion in 2024.

UPS had around 500,000 employees at the start of last year, some 300,000 of them members of the Teamsters union. A Teamsters spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment on the layoffs.

UPS’ leaders are restructuring the company to try to bolster profit margins in a difficult time for the delivery business. Last year, the company suffered a sharp drop in packages sent from China after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on lower-value shipments from the country.

Last year, UPS closed 93 facilities and deployed automation in 57. Dykes said Tuesday that the company had identified 24 more buildings for closure in the first half of the year, and that more could follow.

Investors appear to be backing UPS’ moves to reinvigorate its business. The company’s stock is up over 35% from its low last year. Still, over the past year, its shares are down 18%, while Fedex’s stock is up 11%.

On an investor call Tuesday, UPS CEO Carol Tomé

Trump says he will raise tariffs on South Korea to 25%

By ANA SWANSON

President Donald Trump threatened to increase tariffs on South Korean exports because the country had not ratified a trade deal with the United States quickly enough.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump faulted Korea’s National Assembly for not approving a trade deal that he had reached with the president of South Korea on July 30.

“Because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative, I am hereby increasing South Korean TARIFFS on Autos, Lumber, Pharma, and all other Reciprocal TARIFFS, from 15% to 25%,” the president said.

As of Tuesday evening, the White House had not yet issued an executive order to put the change in tariffs into effect.

The president imposed a 25% tariff on all South Korean exports last year. He then agreed to lower that to 15% in a framework trade deal he announced with President Lee Jae-myung in July. But the two governments continued to spar over the details of the agreement, including a commitment by South Korea to invest in the United States. While the United States wanted a cash investment of hundreds of billions of dollars, Korean officials were concerned that a deal of that size was not economically possible.

The two sides appeared to make progress in Octo-

ber, when Trump visited South Korea and was lavished with gilded gifts, including the replica of a historical crown. That month, the Korean government confirmed that it had reached an agreement with the United States on the details of the deal, within which it had agreed to invest up to $20 billion a

A UPS driver makes deliveries in Miami on April 28, 2025. UPS said on Jan. 27, 2026 that it expected to cut as many as 30,000 jobs this year as part of a continuing effort to reduce costs and shore up profits. (Scott McIntyre/The New York Times)

said, “2025 was a year of considerable progress for UPS.” In November, a UPS plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, killing three crew members and 12 people on the ground. The plane was a MD-11F jet, made by McDonnell Douglas, which Boeing acquired in the 1990s. On Tuesday, UPS said it had retired its MD-11 fleet in the fourth quarter of 2025.

year, while setting aside another $150 billion to invest in U.S. shipbuilding operations.

To implement the trade deal, South Korea was required to pass the bill through its National Assembly.

On Tuesday, the South Korean government said that the United States had not officially informed it of Trump’s decision to increase tariffs or shared any details regarding the matter. Lee’s office said its senior officials planned to hold a meeting Tuesday morning to discuss Trump’s announcement.

President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea presents President Donald Trump with the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, left, South Korea’s highest decoration, and a replica of a crown excavated from ancient royal tombs, at the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. President Trump said Seoul was not moving fast enough to implement an agreement, which calls for South Korea to invest billions in the United States. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)

South Korea’s trade minister, Kim Jung-Kwan, who was visiting Canada, planned to travel to the United States soon to meet Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, it said.

The Trump administration has announced limited trade deals with more than 10 countries, though some of those deals have fallen into trouble. A trade framework negotiated with the European Union, for example, was put on pause recently after Trump threatened European nations with tariffs unless they gave the United States the Danish territory of Greenland. Although Trump later stepped back from that tariff threat, the trade agreement still requires the approval of the European Parliament.

The legal authority that Trump has relied on to impose tariffs on South Korea and other nations, a 1970s emergency law known as the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, is currently under review at the Supreme Court.

The court is expected to issue a decision in the coming months about whether Trump exceeded his authority in using that act to impose tariffs globally. If it rules that he has acted illegally, the president may have to rely on other tariff laws that do not allow him to raise and lower tariffs so suddenly.

San Juan Daily Star Thursday, January 29, 2026 15

Rejecting decades of science, vaccine panel chair says polio and other shots should be optional

By APOORVA MANDAVILLI

Offering a startlingly candid view into the philosophy guiding vaccine recommendations under the Trump administration, the leader of the federal panel that recommends vaccines for Americans said shots against polio and measles — and perhaps all diseases — should be optional, offered only in consultation with a clinician.

Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist who is chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, said that he did have “concerns” that some children might die of measles or become paralyzed with polio as a result of a choice not to vaccinate. But, he said, “I also am saddened when people die of alcoholic diseases,” adding, “freedom of choice and bad health outcomes.”

In the case of an infectious disease, a personal choice to decline a vaccine may also affect others, including infants who are too young to be vaccinated or people who are immunocompromised. But a person’s right to reject a vaccine supersedes those risks, Milhoan said.

“If there is no choice, then informed consent is an illusion,” he said. “Without consent it is medical battery.”

The polio and measles vaccines are widely acknowledged as staggering successes in public health, credited with preventing disability and millions of deaths worldwide. The polio vaccine in particular has strong bipartisan support, including from President Donald Trump and some Republican lawmakers, who have invoked the horrific time before the vaccine was available.

But Milhoan said that making the vaccines optional, rather than requiring them for entry into public schools nationwide, as is now the case, would ultimately restore trust in public health.

Outside experts had sharp words for Milhoan, saying the changes in vaccine policy he was suggesting would result in unnecessary deaths among children.

“He has no idea what he’s talking about,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the infectious disease committee at the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“These vaccines protect children and save lives,” O’Leary said. “It’s very frustrating for those of us who spend our careers trying to do what we can to improve the health of children to see harm coming to children because of an ideological agenda not grounded in science.”

Milhoan outlined some of his views in an episode of the podcast “Why Should I Trust You?” that aired Thursday. In the podcast, he said polio and measles were not the threat they once were in the United States because of improvements in medicine and sanitation, rather than the vaccines alone, echoing comments by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He described himself as “pulling back the curtain” on the risks of vaccines.

A worker prepares polio vaccines at a pop-up clinic at the Rockland County Department of Health in Pomona, N.Y. on July 22, 2022. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)

In a series of text messages later Thursday and Friday, he elaborated on his view that personal autonomy was paramount. The vaccine committee may “not necessarily” recommend that all vaccines be optional, he added, but it is charged with “reevaluating all of the vaccine products including risks and benefits” and may make significant changes to the roster of childhood vaccines over the coming year.

Any changes the committee makes would add to a significant reshaping of the vaccination schedule announced this month by federal health officials. Bypassing the process that the committee has long followed for vaccine recommendations, Kennedy and his appointees debuted a schedule that reduces the number of recommended immunizations to 11 from 17, and advises that the six vaccines that were dropped should now be administered only under “shared clinical decision-making” — that is, after consultation with a health care provider.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on Milhoan’s views.

So far, states and insurance companies are continuing to follow the previous vaccination schedule, which is still endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical organizations. All 50 states and the District of Columbia require children to be vaccinated against most of the 17 diseases to attend public schools.

Children can be exempted from the shots for medical or other reasons. Still, requiring routine shots for school entry is “heavy-handed” and “authoritarian,” Milhoan said on the podcast. “What we are doing is returning individual autonomy to the first order — not public health but individual autonomy to the first order,” he added.

Dr. Helen Chu, a vaccine expert at the University of Washington in Seattle and a former ACIP member, said

the entire premise of a conflict between individual choice and public health was false.

“It is true that vaccinated people are less likely to infect others, but the primary reason to receive a vaccine is to protect yourself,” she said.

Noel Brewer, a vaccine expert and previous member of the committee, said Milhoan seemed to misunderstand the purpose of the vaccine committee.

“ACIP makes recommendations for what is best for the whole population,” Brewer said. As for individual autonomy, all vaccines are already delivered with patient consent, he noted.

“For me, autonomy means being able to have my children go to the grocery store or go to preschool and not be stalked by a vaccine-preventable disease that will kill them,” he added. “Ensuring high uptake of vaccines through school-entry requirements protects my child and other children.”

Milhoan seemed to approach the committee’s work from his perspective as a medical doctor, rather than as a champion of public health, said Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, a surgeon and co-host of the podcast.

During the wide-ranging interview, Milhoan also claimed he had seen data that suggested “a very large death signal in children” from the COVID vaccine, referring to at least 10 deaths that the Food and Drug Administration is investigating but has not yet made public. He said there were emerging concerns that repeatedly stimulating the immune system with multiple vaccines might increase the risk of allergies, asthma and eczema.

Large studies have dismissed that claim, but Milhoan said he trusted his own observations over what “established science” might suggest about vaccines.

“He views the vaccines as the threat,” Abdelmalek said.

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ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA

TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE ARECIBO

ROBERTO PÉREZ

ROMÁN Y OTROS

Parte Peticionaria EX PARTE

Civil Núm.: AR2025CV02476.

Salón Civil: 404. Sobre: EXPEDIENTE DE DOMINIO. EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. A: LAS PERSONAS IGNORADAS Y DESCONOCIDAS A QUIENES PUDIERA

PERJUDICAR LA INSCRIPCIÓN DEL DOMINIO A FAVOR DE LA PARTE PETICIONARIA EN EL REGISTRO DE LA PROPIEDAD DE LA FINCA QUE MAS ADELANTE SE DESCRIBIRÁ; A LOS HIJOS CONOCIDOS DE JUAN GONZÁLEZ Y CARMEN VEGA TAMBIÉN CONOCIDA COMO CARMEN VEGA VIUDA DE GONZÁLEZ: JUAN DEL CARMEN, LYDIA ESTHER, RAMONA, VÍCTOR, JOSÉ LUIS, CARMEN LYDIA, MARTA, ELIZABETH E AIDA MILAGROS, TODOS DE APELLIDOS GONZÁLEZ VEGA, SUS HEREDEROS Y/O LEGATARIOS, DE PARADEROS DESCONOCIDOS; Y A TODA PERSONA EN GENERAL QUE CON DERECHO PARA ELLO DESEE OPONERSE A ESTE EXPEDIENTE. POR LA PRESENTE, se les notifica para que comparezcan, si lo creyeren pertinente, ante este Honorable Tribunal dentro de los veinte (20) días contados a partir de la última publicación de este edicto a exponer lo que a sus derechos convenga en el expediente promovido por la parte peticionaria para adquirir su dominio sobre la finca que se describe más adelante. Usted deberá presentar su posición a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al 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 de este Tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación dentro del referido término, el Tribunal podrá dictar sentencia, previo a escuchar la prueba de valor de la parte peticionaria, sin más citarle ni oírle, y conceder el remedio solicitado en la Petición, o cualquier otro, si el Tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. RÚSTICA: Predio de terreno radicado en el Barrio San Antonio, Sector Montadero, en Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, compuesto de SEISCIENTOS METROS DE TERRENO (600.00 MTS.). Linda al Norte, con Carretera; al Sur, con Juan B. Ramos; al Este, con Alfredo Vega y al Oeste, con Monserrate Soto. Contiene una casa de cemento y bloques de cuarenta y un pies de ancho por cuarenta y dos pies de largo (41; x 42’), y tiene las siguientes dependencias: cuatro (4) cuartos dormitorios de once pies seis pulgadas por once pies (11’6” x 11’); de nueve pies ocho pulgadas por nueve pies diez pulgadas (9’8” x 9’10”); nueve pies ocho pulgadas por nueve pies diez pulgadas (9’8” x 9’10”); y nueve pies siete pulgadas por diez pies (9’7” x 10’) respectivamente; una cocina de siete pies por catorce pies (7’ x 14’); un baño de nueve pies ocho pulgadas por siete pies (9’8” x 7’); terraza de veinticinco pies por veintiocho pies (25’ x 28’), y sala-comedor. No consta inscrita en el Registro de la Propiedad. La propiedad forma parte de la finca con codificación 049-000001-82-022. A requerimiento de la parte peticionaria, la referida propiedad inmueble fue mensurada y esta arrojó un aumento de cabida, por lo que la descripción subsecuente cuenta con la cabida y colindancias que se describen a continuación: RÚSTICA: Predio de terreno radicado en el Barrio San Antonio, Sector Montadero, en Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, compuesto de SETECIENTOS OCHENTA Y TRES PUNTO CERO NOVECIENTOS CINCUENTA Y NUEVE DIEZ MILÉSIMAS DE METROS CUADRADOS (783.0959 MC), equivalentes a CERO PUNTO MIL CIENTO NOVENTA Y DOS DIEZ MILÉSIMAS DE CUERDAS (0.1922 CDAS). En lindes por el NORTE, con Calle Montadero; al SUR, con Betsy Salazar Quiñones y Olegario Butler Pérez; al ESTE, con Jesús Sanabria y Aida L. Cabrera; y por el OESTE, en parte con Betsy Salazar Quiñones y con la

Calle Montadero. Enclava una estructura dedicada a vivienda. La Corte admitió la Información y ha ordenado notificar y citar a las personas desconocidas y a cualquier otra persona con interés en este asunto. Por tanto, se notifica y cita a ustedes para que comparezcan a este Tribunal dentro del término de veinte (20) días, a contar desde el día que se publique por última vez el edicto a alegar los derechos que tengan sobre el inmueble descrito, apercibiéndoseles que si no comparecieren como queda dicho se seguirán los procedimientos de este expediente de dominio y se ordenará se inscriba el título de dominio sobre dicho inmueble a nombre de la peticionaria. Es abogado de la parte peticionaria: LCDO. GIL G. VILLANUEVA

HERNÁNDEZ, LL.M. RÚA NÚM. 22,640 / COLEGIADO

NÚM. 21,063

SERLEGINT, LLC PO BOX 5030 - PMB 1704

AGUADILLA, PR 00605

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CORREO ELECTRÓNICO: info@ serlegint.com

También se le informa que puede comparecer asistido(a) por abogado(a) y presentar oposición a la Petición. Este edicto deberá ser publicado en tres (3) ocasiones dentro del término de veinte (20) días, en un periódico de circulación general diaria, a fin de que comparezcan si quieren alegar su derecho. El edicto identificará en letra negrilla, tamaño diez (10) puntos, toda primera mención de persona natural y/o jurídica que se mencione en el mismo, conforme a lo dispuesto en las Reglas de Procedimiento Civil, según enmendadas. Se le apercibe que, de no comparecer los interesados y/o partes citadas, o, en su defecto, los organismos públicos afectados, en el término improrrogable de veinte (20) días a contar de la fecha de la última publicación del edicto, el Tribunal podrá conceder el remedio solicitado por la parte peticionaria, sin más citarle ni oírle. POR ORDEN DE ESTE TRIBUNAL, expido la presente bajo mi firma y sello oficial hoy 9 de enero de 2026. VIVIAN Y. FRESSE GONZÁLEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. SANDRA DÍAZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE SALA SUPERIOR ORIENTAL BANK

COMO AGENTE DE SERVICIO DE THE MONEY HOUSE, INC. Demandante Vs. RAMON FERNANDO

DIAZ VELAZQUEZ

Demandados Civil Núm.: PO2025CV00519. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCION DE HIPOTECA (VÍA ORDINARIA). EDICTO DE SUBASTA. El Alguacil que suscribe por la presente CERTIFICA, ANUNCIA y hace CONSTAR: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que le ha sido dirigido al Alguacil que suscribe por la Secretaría del TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE, SALA SUPERIOR, en el caso de epígrafe procederá a vender en pública subasta al mejor postor en efectivo, cheque certificado en moneda legal de los Estados Unidos de América el 18 DE FEBRERO DE 2026, A LAS 10:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en su oficina sita en el local que ocupa en el edificio del TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA

INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE, SALA SUPERIOR, todo derecho, título e interés que tenga la parte demandada de epígrafe en el inmueble de su propiedad que ubica en: URB. JARDINES DEL CARIBE B-103 CALLE PRINCIPAL PONCE, PR 00728 y que se describe a continuación: URBANA: Solar marcado con el número 11 del Bloque B del plano de inscripción de la Urbanización Jardines del Caribe, situada en Ponce, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de 323.942 metros cuadrados. En lindes por el NORTE, en una distancia de 24.387 metros, con el solar 10 del Bloque B; por el SUR, en una distancia de 24.370 metros, con el solar 12 del Bloque B; por el ESTE, en 13.288 metros, con la Calle Principal del Proyecto; y por el OESTE, en una distancia de 13.288 metros, con los solares número 14 y número 15 del Bloque B. Sobre este solar enclava una casa de concreto reforzado para fines residenciales. La propiedad antes relacionada consta inscrita al Folio 186 del Tomo 1256 de Ponce, finca número 631 (antes 27,344), Registro de la Propiedad de Ponce, Sección Segunda. El tipo mínimo para la primera subasta del inmueble antes relacionado, será el dispuesto en la Escritura de Hipoteca, es decir la suma de $103,886.00. Si no hubiere remate ni adjudicación en la primera subasta del inmueble mencionado, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA en las oficinas del Alguacil que suscribe el día 25 DE FEBRERO DE 2026, A LAS 10:30 DE LA MAÑANA. En la segunda subasta que se celebre servirá de tipo mínimo las dos terceras partes (2/3) del precio pactado en la primera subasta, o sea la suma de $69,257.33. Si tampoco hu-

biere remate ni adjudicación en la segunda subasta se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA en las oficinas del Alguacil que suscribe el día 5 DE MARZO DE 2026, A LAS 10:30 DE LA MAÑANA. Para la tercera subasta servirá de tipo mínimo la mitad (1/2) del precio pactado para el caso de ejecución, o sea, la suma de $51,943.00. La hipoteca a ejecutarse en el caso de epígrafe fue constituida mediante la escritura de hipoteca número 462 otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 15 de julio de 2024, ante el Notario Anne M. Galanes Valldejuli, y consta inscrita al Tomo Karibe de Ponce, finca número 631 (antes 27,344), inscripción Vigésimo cuarta (24ta), Registro de la Propiedad de Ponce, Sección Segunda. Dicha subasta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer al Demandante total o parcialmente según sea el caso el importe de la Sentencia que ha obtenido desde el pasado 17 de septiembre de 2025 contra la parte demandada, ascendente a la suma de $103,792.09 por concepto de principal, desde el 1ro de octubre de 2024, más intereses al tipo pactado de 6.50% anual que continúan acumulándose hasta el pago total de la obligación. Además la parte demandada adeuda a la parte demandante los cargos por demora equivalentes a 4.00% de la suma de aquellos pagos con atrasos en exceso de 15 días calendarios de la fecha de vencimiento; los créditos accesorios y adelantos hechos en virtud de la escritura de hipoteca; y las costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado equivalentes a $10,388.60. Por razón de dicho incumplimiento, y al amparo del derecho que le confiere el Pagaré, el demandante ha declarado tales sumas vencidas, líquidas y exigibles en su totalidad. Que los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al Procedimiento incoado estarán de manifiesto en la SECRETARIA DEL TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE, SALA SUPERIOR durante las horas laborables. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titulación del inmueble y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante continuarán subsistentes entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio de remate. La propiedad no está sujeta a gravámenes anteriores y/o preferentes según surge de las constancias del Registro de la Propiedad en un estudio de título efectuado a la finca antes

descrita. Surge de un estudio de título que, sobre la finca descrita anteriormente, pesa el gravamen posterior a la hipoteca que se ejecuta mediante este procedimiento que se relaciona a continuación: Hipoteca directa a favor de la Autoridad para el Financiamiento de la Vivienda de Puerto Rico, por la suma principal de $55,000.00, sin intereses, vencedero el día 15 de julio de 2029, constituida mediante la escritura número 463, otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 15 de julio de 2024, ante la notario Anne M. Galanes Valldejuli, e inscrita al tomo Karibe de Ponce, finca número 631, inscripción 25ta. Sujeta a condiciones bajo el Programa CDBG-DR Administrado por el Departamento de la Vivienda de Puerto Rico (PRDOH, por sus siglas en inglés) bajo el Programa de Asistencia Directa al Comprador (HBA) por un término de 5 años. Por la presente se notifica a los acreedores desconocidos, no inscritos o presentados que sus derechos sobre los bienes hipotecados con posterioridad a la inscripción del crédito del ejecutante o acreedores de cargos o derechos reales que los hubiesen pospuesto a la hipoteca del actor y a los dueños, poseedores, tenedores de o interesados en títulos transmisibles por endoso o al portador garantizados hipotecariamente con posterioridad al crédito del actor que se celebrarán las subastas en las fechas, horas y sitios señalados para que puedan concurrir a la subasta si les conviniere o se les invita a satisfacer antes del remate el importe del crédito, de sus intereses, otros cargos y las costas y honorarios de abogado asegurados quedando subrogados en los derechos del acreedor ejecutante. La propiedad objeto de ejecución y descrita anteriormente se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores una vez el Honorable Tribunal expida la correspondiente Orden de Confirmación de Venta Judicial. Y para conocimiento de licitadores del público en general se publicará este Edicto de acuerdo con la ley por espacio de dos semanas en tres sitios públicos del municipio en que ha de celebrarse la venta, tales como la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía. Este Edicto será publicado dos veces en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, por espacio de dos semanas consecutivas. Expido el presente Edicto de subasta bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal en Ponce, Puerto Rico, hoy día 29 de diciembre de 2025. MANUEL MALDONADO, ALGUACIL DE SUBASTAS, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INS-

TANCIA, CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE, SALA SUPERIOR. *** LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE SAN JUAN

SHEILA MICHELLE RIVERA ANDINO

Demandante V. VÍCTOR MANUEL

ACOSTA HERNÁNDEZ

Demandado

Civil Número: SJ2026RF00035. Sobre: DIVORCIO RUPTURA IRREPARABLE. EDICTO DE EMPLAZAMIENTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS E.E.U.U., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE P.R. A: VÍCTOR MANUEL

ACOSTA HERNÁNDEZ

BAHOBA DEL PIÑAL LÍNEA 15 NAGUAS PROVINCIA DE MARÍA TRINIDAD SÁNCHEZ REPUBLICA DOMINICANA.

Sheila Michelle Rivera Andino ha presentado ante este Honorable Tribunal, una demanda de divorcio por la causal de ruptura irreparable para la disolución del vínculo matrimonial. POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al tribunal su alegación responsiva dentro de los 30 días de haber sido publicado este edicto de emplazamiento, excluyéndose el día de la publicación. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), a la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired.ramajudicial. pr, 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, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. Representa a la parte demandante, el abogado que pertenece al Centro Metropolitano de la Corporación de Servicios Legales de Puerto Rico, cuyo nombre, dirección y teléfono se consigna de inmediato:

Lcdo. Ricardo Agrait DefillóRUA 10588

Servicios Legales de Puerto Rico Centro Metropolitano Apartado 21370

Río Piedras, Puerto Rico 00928-1370

Teléfono 787-763-5103, 751-8525

Fax 787-274-0784

Email: ragrait@servicioslegales.org

Se le apercibe que si no compareciera usted contestando dicha Petición o haga alegación responsiva dentro del término de treinta (30) días, a partir de la publicación de este Edicto, radicando el original de la contestación ante el Tribunal correspondiente, con copia a la parte demandante, se le anotará la rebeldía y se le dictará Sentencia concediendo el remedio solicitado en la demanda. Expedido bajo mi firma y el SELLO del Tribunal, hoy 20 de enero de 2026. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. MARÍA A. RAMOS BVIERA, SUBSECRETARIA

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE GUAYAMA SALA SUPERIOR DE GUAYAMA BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO Demandante V. INTERNATIONAL CHARTER MORTGAGE CORPORATION T/C/C INTERNATIONAL CHARTER LIQUIDATING CORPORATION Y OTROS Demandado(a) Caso Núm.: GM2025CV00677. (Salón: 0301 VISTAS PRELIMINARES). Sobre: CANCELACIÓN O RESTITUCIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO. BELMA ALONSO GARCÍAOFICINABELMAALONSO@GMAIL. COM. A: INTERNATIONAL CHARTER MORTGAGE CORPORATION T/C/C INTERNATIONAL CHARTER LIQUIDATING CORPORATION A SUS ÚLTIMAS DIRECCIONES CONOCIDAS: 208 AVE MUÑOZ RIVERA, SUITE 1410 POPULAR CENTER, HATO REY PR 00918, JARDINES METROPOLITANOS, 324 CALLE FARADAY, SAN JUAN, PR 00927-4710, PO BOX 4151, SAN JUAN, PR 00926, 431 AVE PONCE DE LEÓN, SAN JUAN, PR 009173418, LUIS BERRÍOS ANAYA T/C/C LUIS BERRÍOS AYALA, ISIDRA LÓPEZ MELÉNDEZ Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES COMPUESTA

POR AMBOS A LAS SIGUIENTES

DIRECCIONES: URB. SAN ANTONIO, D58

CALLE H, ARROYO, PR 00714 Y 7371

SEPULVEDA BLVD, VAN NUYS, CA 91405; FULANO Y MENGANO DE TAL, POSIBLES TENEDORES

DESCONOCIDOS DEL PAGARÉ.

(Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 15 de diciembre de 2025, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 23 de enero de 2026. En Guayama, Puerto Rico, el 23 de enero de 2026. MARISOL ROSADO RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA.

GILENE TIRADO VALENTÍN, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE SAN JUAN SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Demandante V.

SUCESION DE ANGEL

GABRIEL ORTIZ VILA

T/C/C ANGEL G ORTIZ Y OTROS

Demandado(a)

Caso Núm.: CG2024CV03895.

(Salón: 604 CIVIL). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO - ORDINARIO Y OTROS. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

REGGIE DÍAZ HERNÁNDEZRDIAZ@BDPRLAW.COM.

A: SUCESION DE ANGEL GABRIEL ORTIZ

VILA T/C/C ANGEL G. ORTIZ COMPUESTA

POR ANGELA ORTIZ

LEÓN T/CIC ÁNGELES FERNÁNDEZ Y ANAIS ORTIZ MONTAÑEZ.

(Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 22 de enero de 2026, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 23 de enero de 2026. En San Juan, Puerto Rico, el 23 de enero de 2026.

GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA. LUZ D. HERNÁNDEZ GONZÁLEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE SAN JUAN SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN MARIA MARGARITA

PEGUERO SORIANO

Demandante V. JOSE DANIEL HERNANDEZ NEGRON

Demandado(a)

Caso Núm.: SJ2025RF01515. (Salón: 703 RF). Sobre: DIVORCIO - RUPTURA IRREPARABLE. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

SHARON W. ACHECAR MARTÍNEZ - SHARONWACHECAR@YAHOO. COM. A: JOSE DANIEL

HERNANDEZ NEGRON. (Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 22 de enero de 2026, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedi-

miento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 23 de enero de 2026. En San Juan, Puerto Rico, el 23 de enero de 2026. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA. ISABEL ORTIZ CRUZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAROLINA SALA SUPERIOR DE CAROLINA

GENESSIS MARY ROSARIO RODRIGUEZ

Demandante V. RAYMOND

ORITZ CABRERA

Demandado(a) Caso Núm.: CA2025RF00539. (Salón: C). Sobre: CUSTODIA - MONOPARENTAL O COMPARTIDA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO ENMENDADA.

RAÚL ENRIQUE VÁZQUEZ CARDONA - RVAZQUEZ@ SERVICIOSLEGALES.ORG. A: RAYMOND ORITZ CABRERA.

(Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 13 de enero de 2026, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 20 de enero de 2026. Notas de la Secretaría: ENMENDADA A LOS

FINES DE INCLUIR CON SENTENCIA ENMENDADA NUNCA

PRO TUNA. En Carolina, Puerto Rico, el 20 de enero de 2026. KANELLY ZAYAS ROBLES, SECRETARIA. ZORAIDA RI-

VERA LÁTIMER, SECRETA-

RIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL. LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAROLINA SALA SUPERIOR DE CAROLINA

JEHOVAN JOSUE

PADIN VELAZQUEZ

Demandante V. KEISHLA MARIE SANTIAGO GONZÁLEZ

Demandado(a)

Caso Núm.: CA2025RF00678. (Salón: C). Sobre: CUSTODIA - MONOPARENTAL O COMPARTIDA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO. OLGA M MARTÍNEZ RODRÍGUEZOMARTINEZ@SERVICIOSLEGALES. ORG.

A: KEISHLA MARIE SANTIAGO GONZÁLEZ.

(Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 23 de enero de 2026, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 23 de enero de 2026. En Carolina, Puerto Rico, el 23 de enero de 2026. KANELLY ZAYAS ROBLES, SECRETARIA. ZORAIDA RIVERA LÁTIMER, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE FAJARDO. LUZ VIRGINIA CARRILLO

CONCEPCIÓN

PETICIONARIA Ex - Parte

Civil Núm.: FA2025CV1327. Sobre: Expediente de Dominio. EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMéRICA EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO.

S.S.

A: Las Personas

Ignoradas Y Desconocidas A Quienes Pudiera perjudicar La Inscripción Del Dominio A Favor De La Parte Peticionaria En El Registro De La Propiedad De La Finca Que Mas Adelante Se Describirá Y A Toda Persona En General Que Con Derecho Para Ello Desee Oponerse A Este Expediente. Por la presente se le notifica a usted que se ha presentado ante este Tribunal el expediente arriba mencionado, con el fin de justificar e inscribir a favor de los Promoventes el dominio que tiene sobre la siguiente finca: URBANA: Solar radicado en la Avenida General Calero #459, situado en el Barrio Pueblo Sector Media Luna del término municipal de Fajardo, Puerto Rico, que se describe en el plano de verificación de mensura con el número, área y colindancias que se relacionan a continuación: Solar Número 459. Área del Solar: Doscientos Cincuenta y Seis con Sesenta y Nueve centímetros Cuadrados (256.69 M.C.) equivalentes a Cero Cuerda con Seiscientos Cincuenta y Tres diez milésimas de otra Cuerda (0.0653 Cuerda). En lindes por el NORTE, con Ornas Corsino Borrero, en una distancia de diez punto veinticuatro metros (10.24m); por el SUR, con la carretera estatal PR-194 (Avenida General Calero), en una distancia de doce punto ochenta y cuatro metros (12 .84m); por el ESTE, con el Lote #457, en una distancia de veintiuno punto cuarenta y tres metros (21.43m); y por el OESTE, con Antonia Carrillo Medina, en una distancia de tres punto veintitrés metros (3 .23m), más diecinueve punto sesenta y uno metros (19.61m). Numero de Catastro 00-000-000-000-00. La abogada de la parte peticionaria es la Lcda. Ericka Acevedo Torres, Calle Palmer #1 Lares, Puerto Rico 00669; Teléfono (939)2250640, (787)566-3605 También, se le informa que el Tribunal ha señalado vista en este caso para el N/A mediante videoconferencia, a la cual usted puede comparecer asistido por abogado y presentar oposición a la petición. Se le notifica a usted que este Tribunal ha ordenado su citación, para que presente oposición a este expediente, si se viesen perjudicados con la inscripción que se solicita; advirtiéndole que de no hacerlo dentro del término de veinte (20) días a contar desde que fuera usted notificado de esta citación, la parte peticionaria podrán solicitar y obtener la aprobación de este expediente de dominio y la correspondiente inscripción a su nombre en el Registro de la Propiedad de

Puerto Rico, Sección de ¨, el dominio de la finca anteriormente descrita. Usted deberá presentar su posición a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. poderjudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación en la secretaría del Tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación dentro del referido término, el Tribunal podrá dictar sentencia, previo a escuchar la prueba de valor de la parte peticionaria, sin más citarle ni oírle, y conceder el remedio solicitado en la Petición, si el Tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. Por Orden de este Tribunal, expido la presente bajo mi firma y sello oficial. En Fajardo, Puerto Rico, hoy 16 de enero de 2026. WANDA SEGUI REYES, Secretario(a) Regional. AIXA MONTES MORALES, Secretario (a) Auxiliar del Tribunal.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN PEDRO ARNALDO

HERNANDEZ MORALES

Demandante Vs. LINDA ROSARIO MEDINA

Demandada Civil Núm.: SJ2025RF01572. Sobre: DIVORCIO RUPTURA IRREPARABLE - PETICIÓN INDIVIDUAL. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO.

A La Parte Demandada: LINDA ROSARIO MEDINA.

Por la presente se le(s) notifica que se ha radicado en la Secretaría de este Tribunal una Demanda de Divorcio por Ruptura Irreparable. Este Tribunal ha ordenado que se le(s) cite a usted(es) por edicto que se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general. Se le notifica que deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: htt ps://www.poderjudicial.pr/ index.php/tribunal-electronico, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso se requiere que dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este edicto excluyendo el día de la publicación de este edicto conteste(n) la demanda radicando el original de la contestación en este

Tribunal y enviando copia de la Contestación de la Demanda a la Lcda. Sharon W. Achécar Martínez P.O BOX 16466 San Juan, P.R 00908-6466; Tel (787) 617-4828, correo electrónico sharonwachecar@yahoo. com Abogada de la Parte Demandante. Se le(s) advierte que si dejare(n) de contestar la Demanda en el periodo de tiempo antes mencionado, podrá dictarse contra usted(es) Sentencia en Rebeldía, concediéndose el remedio solicitado sin más citarle(s) ni oírle(s). EXPEDIDO bajo mi firma y con el Sello del Tribunal. DAD hoy 29 de diciembre de 2025, en San Juan, Puerto Rico. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. LUZ S. ORTIZ LÓPEZ, SECRETARIA DE SERVICIOS A SALA.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAROLINA SALA SUPERIOR PEDRO JUAN PIZARRO

CARRASQUILLO

Demandante Vs. NICOLASA TAVAREZ

Demandada

Caso Núm.: CA2025RF00718. Sobre: DIVORCIO: RUPTURA IRREPARABLE. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, S.S. A: NICOLASA TAVAREZ - AVE. BARBOSA, CALLE FIGUEROA, RÍO PIEDRAS, PUERTO RICO 00925.

Por la presente, se le emplaza y se le notifica que debe contestar la demanda dentro del término de treinta (30) días a partir de la publicación del presente edicto. Deberá presentar la contestación a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al 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 presentarla ante el Tribunal de Primera Instancia Sala Superior de San Juan con copia a la representación legal de la parte demandante Lcda. Deborah Drahus De Castro a la siguiente dirección: Apartado Postal 244, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico 00977; Tel (787) 234-4190; Correo electrónico: ddrahus@hotmail. com. Se le apercibe que, de no contestar la demanda dentro del término aquí establecido, se le anotará la rebeldía y se dictará sentencia concediendo el remedio solicitado sin más citarle ni oírle. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, en San Juan, Puerto Rico, hoy 21 de enero de 2026. LCDA. KANELLY ZAYAS ROBLES, SE-

CRETARIA REGIONAL. SONIA ORTIZ RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN AMPARO ROSARIO HERNÁNDEZ Peticionaria V. MELVIN ANTONIO CEDANO GUERRERO Peticionado Caso Núm.: SJ2025RF01659. Sobre: DIVORCIO RUPTURA IRREPARABLE. EMPLAZAMIENTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO. A: MELVIN ANTONIO CEDANO GUERRERO. Por la presente se le notifica a usted que se le ha presentado ante este Honorable Tribunal, una Solicitud de DIVORCIO POR RUPTURA IRREPARABLE. Se emplaza y se le requiere para que notifique a la Lcda. Edith M. Echevarría Suárez, cuya oficina queda en el Condominio El Centro 1, Suite 249, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00918. Teléfono (787) 717-1773, abogada de la parte demandante, copia de la Contestación a la Demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la notificación de este Edicto. Se le apercibe que de no comparecer dentro de un término de treinta (30) días, a partir de la publicación del edicto se concederá el remedio solicitado en la Demanda, sin más citarle ni oírle. DADA en San Juan, Puerto Rico, a 14 de enero de 2026. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. LUZ O. RIVERA BENÍTEZ, SUBSECRETARIA. LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE CAGUAS YANELIS MARTINEZ GONZALEZ Demandante Vs. ALEXANDER ROBLES RODRIGUEZ Demandados Civil Núm.: CG2025RF00845. Sala: 504. Sobre: DIVORCIO R.I. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE.UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. A: ALEXANDER ROBLES RODRIGUEZ - 230 KIMBALL ST, FITCHBURG, MA 01420 - PARTE DEMANDADA ARRIBA MENCIONADA: POR LA PRESENTE, se le notifica que la parte demandante

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 mejor interés dcl (de la) menor. (Artículo 33, incisos b y f de la Ley Núm. 57-2023).

Se le advierte de su derecho a comparecer acompañado(a) de abogado(a) en los casos que proceda. La información del (de la) abogado(a) de la parte demandante es la siguiente: Lcdo. Baldomero A. Collazo Torres Buferte Collazo & Surillo, LLC

P.O. Box 11550

San Juan, P.R. 00922-1550

Tel. (787) 625-9999

Fax (787) 705-7387

E-mail: bcollazo@lawpr.com

Se le advierte, además, a los herederos que conforme el caso de Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria v Latinoamericana de Exportación, Inc., 164 D.P.R. 689, 696 (2005) y a tenor con las disposiciones del Artículo 1578 del Código Civil de Puerto Rico (31 L.P.R.A. sec. 11021), deberá aceptar o repudiar la herencia de la causante Lucia Allende Pizarro, dentro del término de treinta (30) días. De no expresar su intención de aceptar o repudiar la herencia dentro del término que se le fijó, la herencia se tendrá por aceptada. Se le notifica también por la presente que la parte demandante habrá de presentar para su anotación al Registrador de la Propiedad del Distrito en que está situada la propiedad objeto de este pleito, un aviso de estar pendiente esta acción. Para publicarse conforme a la Orden dictada por el Tribunal en un periódico de circulación general. EN TESTIMONIO DE LO CUAL, expido el presente Edicto que firmo y sello en Carolina, Puerto Rico, hoy 22 de enero de 2026. LCDA. KANELLY ZAYAS ROBLES, SECRETARIA. KEILA GARCÍA SOLÍS, SUB-SECRETARIA.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAGUAS SALA SUPERIOR DE CAGUAS

FELIPE

GUILFUCHI LOPEZ

Demandante V.

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO Y OTROS

Demandado(a)

Caso Núm.: CG2025CV03648. (Salón: 801). Sobre: CANCELACIÓN O RESTITUCIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA

POR EDICTO ENMENDADA. LIZBET AVILÉS VEGA - LIZBET_ AVILES@YAHOO.COM.

A: JUAN DEL PUEBLO Y JUANA DEL PUEBLO COMO POSIBLES

TENEDORES Y CUALES QUIER PERSONA

DESCONOCIDA CON POSIBLE INTERÉS EN LA OBLIGACIÓN CUYA CANCELACIÓN POR DECRETO JUDICIAL SE SOLICITA.

(Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 09 de enero de 2026, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 22 de enero de 2026. Notas de la Secretaría: POR ORDEN DEL JUEZ PEDRO VIDAL RÍOS, SE EMITE NUEVA NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO. En Caguas, Puerto Rico, el 22 de enero de 2026. IRASEMIS DÍAZ SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. SANDRA TRINIDAD CAÑUELAS, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL. LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE BAYAMÓN SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN MUNICIPIO DE VEGA BAJA

Demandante V. LUISA AVILÉS DÍAZ Y OTROS Demandado(a) Caso Núm.: BY2025CV04629. (Salón: 502). Sobre: EXPROPIACIÓN FORZOSA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO. ALICIA DÍAZ SANTIAGOADIAZ@CRHPR.ORG. SUSANA MARÍA PESQUERA COLOM - SUSANAPESQUERA. LAW@GMAIL.COM. A: LUISA AVILÉS DÍAZ, SUCESIÓN LUISA AVILÉS DÍAZ COMPUESTA POR PERSONAS DESCONOCIDAS Y ZUTANO DE TAL, REPRESENTANDO PERSONAS DESCONOCIDAS Y/O

SUS SUCESORES Y A CUALQUIER OTRA PERSONA NATURAL O JURÍDICA CON INTERÉS - URB. VEGA BAJA

LAKES, CALLE 10 N-4, VEGA BAJA, PR 00693. (Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 21 de enero de 2026, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 22 de enero de 2026. En Bayamón, Puerto Rico, el 22 de enero de 2026. ALICIA AYALA SANJURJO, SECRETARIA. SANDRA BÁEZ HERNÁNDEZ, SECRETARIA

AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL. LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CAROLINA CLARA JOSEFINA GRAU BRENES

Demandante V. BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO; JOHN DOE Y RICHARD DOE COMO POSIBLES TENEDORES DEL PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO

Demandados

Civil Núm.: CA2025CV04193. Sobre: CANCELACIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EUA. A: JOHN DOE Y RICHARD DOE COMO POSIBLES TENEDORES DEL PAGARE EXTRAVIADO.

Por la presente se les notifica a ustedes, que se ha presentado en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Carolina, la demanda de epígrafe, en la que, en síntesis, se solicita la cancelación de un pagaré hipotecario extraviado

emitido el 12 de julio de 2013 a favor de Banco Popular de Puerto Rico (“BPPR”), o a su orden, por la suma principal de $40,000.00 con intereses al 5 % anual, vencedero el 1 de agosto de 2023, garantizado por la Escritura sobre Hipoteca Número 261 otorgada el 12 de julio de 2013 en San Juan, Puerto Rico, ante la notario Wanda M. Moreno Lugo, inscrita al Folio 1 del Tomo 1,366 de Carolina Sur, Registro de la Propiedad de Carolina, Sección Segunda, como la inscripción décima (10ma.) y última sobre la siguiente propiedad: “URBANA: Solar 14 del bloque A de la Urbanización de Rolling Hills, Barrio Martín González, de Carolina Sur, de 272.37 metros cuadrados y colinda por el Norte en 11.03 metros con calle #1; calle Manuela Walker; por el Sur en 11.00 metros con un paseo público; por el Este en 25.00 metros con pared medianera que separa esta propiedad del solar y propiedad A-15; por el Oeste en 25.00 metros con una parcela para escuela pública. Enclava una casa de 2 plantas para una familia, de concreto y bloques de concreto.” Finca número #15,388, inscrita al folio 26 del tomo 391 de Carolina. Registro de la Propiedad de Carolina, Sección II. Catastro número: 088-074-52331-000. La abogada de la parte demandante es la Lic. Laura R. Domínguez Llerandi, quien tiene bufete abierto en 10 Calle Carazo (Bajos), Guaynabo, Puerto Rico 00969, teléfono (787) 528-7583, E-mail: ldominguezlaw@gmail.com, y se notifica a ustedes que de no comparecer a contestar esta demanda presentando el original de la contestación ante el tribunal, con copia a la abogada de la parte demandante, dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes después de haberse publicado el edicto, la parte demandante podrá solicitar la anotación de rebeldía y lograr que se dicte sentencia, concediéndosele el remedio solicitado sin más sin más citarles ni oírles. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https:// unired.ramajudicial.pr, 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, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. Extendido bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, en Carolina, Puerto Rico, a 8 de enero de 2026. LCDA. KANELLY ZAYAS ROBLES, SECRETARIA.

MARICRUZ APONTE ALICIA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR . LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE JUANA DIAZ

ANGEL LUIS

ALVARADO RIVERA, TAMBIÉN CONOCIDO POR ANGEL LUIS

ALVARADO; VIRGINIA RODRIGUEZ BIZARDI, TAMBIÉN CONOCIDA

POR VIRGINIA RODRIGUEZ BIZALDI Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL BIENES GANACIALES COMPUESTA POR AMBOS

Demandante V. SUCESION DE ELIZABETH TORRES TORRES, COMPUESTA POR BARBARA TORRES; JUAN ENRIQUE TORRES; IVONNE ALICEA MEDINA; FULANO TAL Y FULANA DE TAL COMO PERSONAS CON INTERES

Demandados Civil Núm.: JD2025CV00703. Sobre: INTERPELACIÓN JUDICIAL, COBRO DE DINERO POR INCUMPLIMIENTO CONTRACTUAL; DAÑOS Y PERJUICIOS. EMPLAZAMIENTO

POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNINDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE EE. UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO. A: JUAN ENRIQUE TORRES RESIDE FUERA DE PUERTO RICO; CON DIRECCIÓN 5919 FOLKSTONE, ORLANDO, FL 32822; BARBARA TORRES, FULANO TAL, FULANA DE TAL Y/O PERSONAS DESCONOCIDAS CON INTERÉS EN LA PROPIEDAD OBJETO DEL CASO DE AUTOS O EN LA HERENCIA DE LA SRA. ELIZABETH TORRES TORRES; CUYAS CIRCUNSTANCIAS PERSONALES, DIRECCIÓN FÍSICA, DIRECCIÓN POSTAL, TELÉFONO Y CORREO ELECTRÓNICO SON DESCONOCIDOS.

De: ANGEL LUIS ALVARADO RIVERA, TAMBIÉN CONOCIDO

POR ANGEL LUIS ALVARADO; VIRGINIA RODRIGUEZ BIZARDI,

TAMBIÉN CONOCIDA POR VIRGINIA RODRIGUEZ BIZALDI Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL BIENES GANACIALES COMPUESTA POR AMBOS.

Por la presente se le notifica a usted que la parte demandante, ha presentado ante este Tribunal demanda interpelación judicial, cobro de dinero por incumplimiento contractual; daños y perjuicios Se le concede un plazo improrrogable de treinta (30) días a contar de la fecha de la última publicación del presente edicto para contestar la petición. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired.ramajudicial.pr, 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, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. La publicación de tal edicto se hará una vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico. Se ordena a la parte demandante a enviar copia de la demanda y del emplazamiento, mediante correo certificado con acuse de recibo, dirigido a la última dirección conocida del codemandado, Juan Enrique Torres, en un término de 10 días contados a partir de la fecha de la publicación. Por haber el parte demandante acreditado las gestiones para conocer la identidad y dirección postal y física de los demandados, Barbara Torres, Fulano de Tal, Fulana de Tal y Y/O PERSONAS DESCONOCIDAS con interés en la propiedad objeto del caso de autos o en la herencia de la Sra. Elizabeth Torres Torres, se le ha relevado del cumplimiento del requisito de notificación según las disposiciones de la Regla 4.6 (a) de Procedimiento Civil de Puerto Rico. Transcurridos los treinta (30) días de haberse publicado el edicto sin que la persona notificada compareciere, a tenor con la Regla 10.1, de Procedimiento Civil de Puerto Rico, continuará el procedimiento y se anotará la rebeldía según establece la Regla 45.1 de Procedimiento Civil de Puerto Rico, a solicitud de parte o a motu proprio según la discreción del Honorable Tribunal. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, hoy 15 de octubre de 2025. CARMEN G. TIRÚ QUIÑONES, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. VANESSA RODRÍGUEZ MALDONADO,

SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

CENTRO JUDICIAL DE FAJARDO SALA SUPERIOR DE FAJARDO

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO Demandante V. OSWALDO LOPEZ OTERO Demandado(a) Caso Núm.: FA2025CV00947. (Salón: 302). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO - ORDINARIO Y OTROS. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO. JEAN PAUL JULIÁ DÍAZJPJULIA@RMMELAW.COM. A: OSWALDO LÓPEZ

OTERO - JARDINES DE RIO GRANDE, BM659 CALLE 51, RIO GRANDE, PR 00745. (Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 22 de enero de 2026, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 22 de enero de 2026. En Fajardo, Puerto Rico, el 22 de enero de 2026. WANDA SEGUÍ REYES, SECRETARIA. LYDIA E. RIVERA MIRANDA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE GUAYNABO

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Parte Demandante Vs. INÉS S. AQUINO LANZAR

Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: GB2025CV00952. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. SALA: 202. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL

PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: INÉS S. AQUINO LANZAR.

Por la presente se le notifica que ha sido presentada en este Tribunal una Demanda en su contra en el pleito de epígrafe. El abogado de la parte demandante es el Lcdo. Jean Paul Juliá Díaz, P.O. Box 364908, San Juan, PR 00936-4908; Tel. (787) 622-2323 / Fax (787) 622-2320. Se le advierte que este Emplazamiento por Edicto se publicará en un (1) periódico de circulación general una (1) sola vez y que si no comparece a contestar dicha Demanda a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired.ramajudicial.pr salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar el original de su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del Tribunal, enviando copia al abogado de la parte demandante, dentro del término de treinta (30) días contados a partir de la publicación del Emplazamiento por Edicto, se le anotará la rebeldía y se dictará sentencia en su contra concediendo el remedio solicitado en la Demanda sin más citarle ni oírle, disponiéndose además, que en los diez (10) días siguientes a la publicación de este Emplazamiento por Edicto, se le dirigirá por correo certificado con acuse de recibo copias de la Demanda presentada y del Emplazamiento por Edicto a sus última dirección conocida: Colinas Metropolitanas, T 21 Calle Monte del Estado, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico 00969. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal, en Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, hoy día 14 de enero de 2026. Alicia Ayala Sanjurjo, Secretaria Regional Interina. Sara Rosa Villegas, Secretaria Del Tribunal Confidencial I.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SALINAS

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO Demandante V. JESÚS EMMANUEL NEGRÓN REYES Y JARELIZ ORTIZ ROLÓN Demandados Civil Núm.: SA2025CV00297. (202). 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: JESÚS EMMANUEL NEGRÓN REYES.

Por la presente se le notifica que ha sido presentada en este

Sudoku

How to Play:

Fill in the empty fields with the numbers from 1 through 9.

Sudoku Rules:

Every row must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Every column must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Every 3x3 square must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Crossword

Defense has a name: Valle de Jesús shines as top libero & Player of the Week

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation (FVP by its initials in Spanish) on Wednesday announced the 2026 Women’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSF) season’s first all-star team, highlighting the exceptional performance of the athletes who stood out in the opening week.

Leading the list is Okiana Valle de Jesús (Criollas of Caguas), who has been recognized as Player of the Week and also selected as the Best Libero, reaffirming her defensive impact and leadership on the court.

Valle de Jesús had two exceptional nights for the defending league champions, racking up a whopping 40 digs against the Atenienses of Manatí and 40 more against the Leonas of Ponce, for a total of 80 digs in nine sets, averaging 8.88 digs per set.

Her team finished the week in first place in the standings with a 4-1 record and 10 accumulated points, sharing the top spot with the Pinkin of Corozal, who also have 10 points, although with one less victory (3-1).

Needless to say, Valle de Jesús is the leader in the libero department with a total of 164 positive digs and 69 positive receptions, for a total of 233 defensive actions and an average of 11.65 in 20 sets played.

The All-Star team also includes:

• Best Attacker: Karla Santos (Manatí) and Lyndsay

Caguas’ Okiana Valle de Jesús is the Women’s Superior Volleyball League’s leading libero with a total of 164 positive digs and 69 positive receptions, for a total of 233 defensive actions and an average of 11.65 in 20 sets played. (Heriberto Rosario Rosa / FPV)

Krause (Corozal)

• Best Blocker: Alba Hernández (Caguas) and Neira

Ortiz (Cangrejeras of Santurce)

• Best Setter: Gabrielle Benda (Caguas)

• Best Opposite Hitter: Alexandra Szczech (Caguas).

The leaders in each category, based on statistics maintained by the LVSF, are:

The overall points leader is Jenaisya Moore of Caguas with a total of 95 points, divided into 78 attacks, 15 blocks and 2 aces, for an average of 4.75 per set.

The leader in attacks is Lindsay Krause of Corozal with 67 successful attacks in 15 sets, for an average of 4.47.

In blocks, the leader is Ortiz of Santurce with a total of 7 successful blocks in 3 sets, for an average of 2.33; followed by Hernández of Caguas with 26 successful blocks in 19 sets, for an average of 1.37 per set.

The leader in aces is Alexa Barral of Ponce with 4 aces in 6 sets played, for an average of 0.67. She is followed by Ivania Ortiz (Corozal) with 5 aces in 11 sets for an average of 0.45.

In digs, the leader is Cristina Martínez of Santurce with 15 digs in 3 sets, for an average of 5.00; she is followed by Yaidaliz Rosado of the Valencianas of Juncos with 58 digs in 14 sets and an average of 4.14.

In the setting department, the leader by average is Wilmarie Rivera of Santurce with 21 assists in 3 sets, for an average of 7.00; she is followed by Raymariely Santos of Ponce with 62 assists in 15 sets, for an average of 4.13.

Bright future arrives early for Spurs and Celtics

By JOHN HOLLINGER / THE ATHLETIC

The San Antonio Spurs and the Boston Celtics have combined for 23 NBA titles and 29 NBA Finals appearances. Despite that, they have never faced each other in the Finals.

Is this the year that changes?

Such a proposition would have seemed ridiculous before the season, with the Celtics licking their wounds after Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tendon tear and an offseason spent shedding salary, and the Spurs seeming at least a year away from doing anything important after a 34win season. Oddsmakers set preseason over-unders for the Spurs at 44.5 wins and the Celtics at 41.5.

Yet here they are at the halfway point: clear-cut contenders. San Antonio entered Thursday at 30-14, with the second-best record in the Western Conference, the third-best scoring margin and three wins over the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder, while Boston had the East’s second-best record and third-best point differential.

In the past week or so, I went to San Antonio’s demolition of the Milwaukee Bucks, in which the Spurs led by

39 after three quarters, and Boston’s 132-106 rout of Atlanta, in which the Celtics led by 40 in the third quarter.

Those two games underscored the teams’ moves into elite status. Come for the hilarity of Victor Wembanyama posting up A.J. Green for a 3-pointer, and stay for Sam Hauser’s 21 3-point attempt, zero 2-point attempt performance in Atlanta.

So how did we get here? An easy explanation of the Spurs’ success is to just say, “Wemby.” His brilliance is certainly a big part of it. But what stands out about San Antonio is how the Spurs have been able to succeed without him.

Entering last Thursday, the team was 10-4 in the 14 games he missed and 11-6 in the first 17 games he played since returning from a calf strain, even though a minutes restriction capped him in the mid-20s most nights. For the season, the Spurs are essentially playing opponents to a draw with Wembanyama, their best player, off the court. (With Wembanyama on, they are smashing teams by more than 10 points per 100 possessions.)

While a superstar year from Boston’s Jaylen Brown

and the nightly wonder from Wemby have pushed these teams forward, the underlying story for both is that they’ve nailed most of the necessary secondary moves they needed to build out a solid roster. Boston, amazingly, tore down half its roster while also building this juggernaut, and the Spurs have benefited from high draft picks while also nailing a few transactions.

It was jarring to see the difference play out Jan. 15 between the Spurs and the Bucks, as Giannis Antetokounmpo outplayed Wembanyama for long stretches of the first half, and it ended up not mattering because of the gulf between their supporting casts.

The Spurs’ decision to sign Luke Kornet in free agency — because the Celtics were in cost-cutting mode — looks brilliant; he has been one of the best backup centers in the league.

Kornet has proved more than capable of functioning in lineups next to Wembanyama as well. That frontcourt pairing had a plus-7.1 net rating in 78 minutes entering Thursday, and we could see more of it as Wembanyama’s minutes restriction loosens. It’s an intriguing thought to file away for a playoff series.

Otherwise, the real key to San Antonio’s post-Gregg Popovich rebuild was the previous offseason. The Spurs were patient with their cap room and ended up getting paid to take Harrison Barnes in the DeMar DeRozan trade because the Chicago Bulls wanted to pay Patrick Williams instead (oopsie). As a result, the Spurs own an unprotected 2032 pick swap from the Sacramento Kings.

San Antonio also found the 3-and-D wing Julian Champagnie on the scrap heap; he has been a double-figure scorer and rebounds like a power forward, and he is signed for barely over the minimum at $3 million a year. Don’t be surprised if the Spurs decline his $3 million team option after the season to lock in a longer deal instead.

Wait, there’s more. Pushing chips in for De’Aaron Fox last winter was a risk, but so far, he has been the right complement for Wemby, adding a dose of speed to the Spurs’ attack that becomes particularly potent when reigning rookie of the year Stephon Castle (nailed that pick) or 2025 first-rounder Dylan Harper, or both, take the floor. Off the bench, Keldon Johnson is quietly having a monster season. Adding him and Devin Vassell to the mix means the Spurs have no negative minutes in their top nine.

As far as Boston goes, it’s remarkable that, statistically, the offense is actually slightly better this season than it was last season with Tatum, partly because of the lights-out shooting from Brown. We are less than two years removed from Golden State trying the “just leave Jaylen wide open” defense. Now, he’s knocking down every jumper in sight, and defenses are scrambling to double-team him early. More than half of Brown’s shot attempts are midrangers, according to Cleaning the Glass, and he is making 47% of them; that kind of volume and accuracy compels double teams and opens the floor for Boston’s other shooters.

Wembanyama

of France dribbles past Kevin Durant of the U.S. in the second quarter of the men’s basketball gold medal match during the Paris Summer Olympics at Bercy Arena, in Paris, on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. Now in his third season with the San Antonio Spurs, Wemby’s brilliance is certainly a big part of the team’s success so far this season. But what stands out is how the Spurs have been able to succeed without him. (James Hill/The New York Times)

Maybe those Brown middies aren’t the most efficient shot you could draw up, but Boston has the league’s lowest turnover rate because he gets into them so easily, and the Celtics are fifth in offensive rebound rate thanks to the changes in the frontcourt. Bringing in Neemias Queta as a starter and Luka Garza as a backup has made Boston less switchable, but now they can mash on offense.

Answers to the Sudoku and Crossword on page 21

Overall, it’s still stunning to ponder that Boston lost Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Kornet in the 2025 offseason and replaced them by adding Garza, Anfernee Simons and rookie Hugo Gonzalez, and promoting Queta, Jordan Walsh and 2024 first-rounder Baylor Scheierman. On paper, it looked like a massive drop-off.

But Boston has figured out player development. Hauser and Queta were little-used two-ways when they arrived. Now, they start. Walsh was a second-round pick mired at the end of the bench for two years, and Scheierman looked like a bust his rookie season. Now they’re thriving, too. (Another huge success, actually, was Kornet, originally added on a nonguaranteed minimum deal in 2021.)