Cuarteto Borikén to Debut with a Puerto Rican Classic
Dismissing Claims of ‘Political Pressure,’ PDP Senators Sue Justice Dept. for Withholding Public Integrity Case Files
Board Warns
Dept.’s Funding Model Is
The San Juan Daily Star, the only paper with News Service in English in Puerto Rico, publishes 7 days a week, with a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday edition, along with a Weekend Edition to cover Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
By THE STAR STAFF
Carolina Mayor José Carlos Aponte Dalmau celebrated on Monday what he called a “double victory” for the municipality after Carolina Beach (Balneario de Caro lina) was recognized as the best beach in Puerto Rico in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
Carolina Beach earned the top spot in the 2026 edition of the competition, which is determined through public voting by readers and travelers worldwide. Isla Verde’s beaches also secured second place, reinforcing Carolina’s standing as one of the Caribbean’s premier recreational and tourism destinations for the second consecutive year.
rience. The beach features certified lifeguards, a permanent ambulance service with paramedics, preventive patrols by the Municipal Police and Maritime Unit, continuous water‑quality monitoring, and ongoing maintenance of all facilities.
“These services give families peace of mind and create an ideal environment for tourists,” he said. “Our island has beautiful coastlines, but it’s these added services that elevate the visitor experience.”
The mayor also pointed to amenities such as showers, sports concessions, food options, and the popular water park as part of what makes the beach stand out.
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Aponte Dalmau said the recognition reflects Carolina residents’ commitment to protecting natural resources and maintaining the municipality’s coastline. He noted that the award validates years of investment in safety, cleanliness, accessibility, and visitor services, including concessions and the Aquasol water park.
“For the second year in a row, Carolina Beach has been recognized as the best beach in Puerto Rico in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. This is fantastic news and an important achievement for our tourism sector,” the mayor said. “The value of this award is even greater because it comes directly from the experiences of the people who visit our beach.”
Voters highlighted key attributes such as safety, clean liness, accessibility, high‑quality facilities, a family‑friendly atmosphere, and the variety of recreational activities available. USA Today’s expert panel also evaluates tourism quality, visitor experience and available services.
Aponte Dalmau emphasized that Carolina Beach has long been designed to offer a first‑class recreational expe
He noted that after the hurricanes of 2017 and the global COVID pandemic, the beach was one of the public spaces most successfully rebuilt and adapted to safely welcome visitors.
“Right after Hurricane Maria in 2017, the Municipality of Carolina invested over $1.5 million in the complete recons truction of the beach resort to reopen it,” Aponte Dalmau said. “Since then, we have continued investing in maintenance and ensuring that the quality of services remains top‑notch.”
By THE STAR STAFF
ep. Víctor Parés Otero, chairman of the House Gover nment Committee, asserted on Monday that funds do not exist to suspend the second ‘crudita’ (Law 1 2015).
Parés said the lower chamber “will not approve an ything that lacks replacement revenue sources anything that would amount to imposing a greater burden on the people.”
“Suspending the second ‘crudita’ imposed by the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 would cost $217.4 million; this amount would have to be covered by eliminating basic services for the public, and that is something we are not going to do,” Parés stated in written remarks.
He noted that on Nov. 1, 2023, the Financial Oversight
and Management Board sent a communication establishing that the revenue generated by these excise taxes on gaso line and diesel “represents a significant portion of Puerto Rico’s budget used to sustain the cost of basic services for the people.”
“In April, the [House] speaker together with this legislator commissioned a technical study from the Legis lative Assembly’s Budget Office (OPAL), which determined the cost of such a suspension: $217.4 million for fiscal year 2027, which begins on July 1,” Parés said. “Likewise, it is highly irresponsible for the PDP Minority Leader to claim that the cost of a 45 day suspension of this excise tax which his own delegation imposed is merely $19.1 million. The actual cost is closer to $30 million. We must act responsibly, or the Fiscal Board will never leave Puerto Rico.”
By THE STAR STAFF
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) delegation in the Senate filed a lawsuit on Monday asking the San Juan Superior Court to compel Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres to release information on cases closed or archived by the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity and Comptroller Affairs Division.
The announcement was made during a morning press conference led by Senate Minority Leader Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz, who said the Senate had exercised its legislative authority on May 4 when it submitted information request 2026‑0063 seeking a full list of archived cases and copies of all related closure orders.
Hernández Ortiz argued that the Justice Department’s refusal to comply represents a direct challenge to the Legislature’s constitutional oversight powers. He emphasized that requesting information from an executive agency is a standard component of
gained prominence after the PDP delegation began investigating the case of Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes. During that process, senators learned of Administrative Order 2026‑09, which created a mechanism allowing the Public Integrity Division to close or archive cases after two years. The division is responsible for investigating allegations of government corruption, electoral violations, ethics breaches and other offenses involving public officials.
approved a unanimous motion on May 19 giving the agency 48 hours to comply. The motion stated that failure to do so would result in legal action to defend the Senate’s institutional prerogatives and those of its members.
legislative work, not political pressure, as Justice officials have suggested.
Deputy Minority Leader Sen. Marially González Huertas noted that the issue
Sen. Josian Santiago Rivera criticized the Justice Department for publicly stating it would not “yield to political pressure,” calling the statement a mischaracterization of the Legislature’s role. He noted that the Senate unanimously approved the information request and that lawmakers have a recognized duty to investigate, oversee government operations, debate matters of public interest, and keep the public informed.
Former Senate President José Luis Dalmau Santiago added that after the Justice Department failed to respond, the Senate
The legal action is based on Article 34‑A of the Political Code, which establishes a special procedure for compelling agencies to provide information requested by the Legislature. The Senate has used the mechanism in previous disputes, including a recent case involving the Treasury Department. Courts have also ordered commonwealth agencies such as Natural and Environmental Resources, Education, and Corrections and Rehabilitation, as well as private grid operator LUMA Energy, to turn over documents in similar circumstances. In one notable case during the previous four‑year term, a court ordered the corrections secretary not only to produce documents requested by independent Sen. José Vargas Vidot, but also to appear before the Senate.
By THE STAR STAFF
The Puerto Rico Supreme Court held that noncompete clauses in professional services contracts remain valid and enforceable when assigned to another party, provided the restrictions are reasonable and the contractor demonstrates consent through their actions.
The decision, announced last week, is the first time Puerto Rico’s highest court has ruled on whether noncompete agreements can be enforced when a contract with an independent contractor is assigned to another party.
The case, MCG Therapy Group, LLC v. Arlene J. Maestre Rivera; AM Therapeutic Service for Children, Inc., began when MCG Therapy Group sued psychologist Arlene J. Maestre Rivera for allegedly violating a noncompete clause in her 2022 contract with The Able Child, a private provider of psychological services for students in the Department of Education’s special education program.
Associate Justice Roberto Feliberti Cintrón wrote the opinion, noting that The Able Child transferred all contracts, including Maestre Rivera’s, to MCG Therapy Group on Oct. 1, 2022. The court observed that Maestre Rivera
continued working, invoicing, and accepting payments from MCG for several months after the transfer, without objection or attempts to terminate the relationship.
The court highlighted that the contract’s noncompete clause required the specialist to wait one year after resignation or nonrenewal before providing services to the same students “through another corporation, direct contract with the Department of Education, Remedio Provisional, or any other means not involving MCG and The Able Child.” The clause also imposed financial penalties for violations.
MCG claimed that Maestre Rivera broke the agreement when she started her own company, AM Therapeutic Service for Children, and signed a direct contract with the Department of Education to serve the same students while still working for MCG. The company asked for more than $800,000 in damages.
The trial court dismissed the noncompete claim, saying MCG could not enforce the clause because it did not have a written agreement directly with Maestre Rivera. The Court of Appeals agreed, deciding that restrictive covenants could only be passed on if the contractor signed a new written agreement.
The Supreme Court overturned the lower courts’ decisions, finding that Puerto Rico’s contract law allows contracts to be assigned unless the contract specifically says otherwise. The justices also said that a person can show consent to an assignment by continuing to work under the contract after being told about the transfer.
“Silence, when one has the duty and opportunity to speak, may constitute consent,” the Court wrote, noting that Maestre Rivera continued working for MCG for months after the assignment and accepted payment under the same terms.
The high court also disagreed with the lower courts’ view that the noncompete clause needed a new written agreement. The justices said that since the clause was in the original contract, it automatically transferred with the assignment.
The Supreme Court used a reasonableness standard for the noncompete clause, similar to what is used in employment and business cases. It said noncompete agreements are valid if they protect real business interests, have reasonable time and location limits, and do not unfairly stop someone from working or hurt the public interest.
Using this test, the top court decided the
clause was reasonable. It only applied to students who had already been assigned to the contractor, lasted for one year, and aimed to prevent disintermediation, which means bypassing the company to work directly with its clients.
The case will now go back to the Court of First Instance, where MCG’s claims for damages and tortious interference will be considered further.
By THE STAR STAFF
The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico has issued a warning to the Puerto Rico Department of Education (DE) and the Office of Management and Budget stating that the agency’s growing reliance on non-recurring funds to cover recurring Special Education obligations is “not sustainable” and must end.
In a letter dated May 29, the oversight board said the issue is not whether services should be delivered, but that the DE has repeatedly failed to budget and manage resources in a way that ensures long-term stability for students who depend on therapies, evaluations, transportation and other federally mandated services.
“Relying on prior-year balances or other one-time resources to support ongoing obligations only postpones the underlying
shortfall and leaves programs without a stable, long-term funding base,” the oversight board wrote, noting that federal pandemic-relief funds that once covered a large share of Special Education costs expire in fiscal year (FY) 2026, which ends on June 30.
The board said the DE’s recurring obligations now “press against the General Fund without a corresponding recurring revenue source,” a structural imbalance worsened by years of budget overruns, weak fiscal controls and a cost structure built for a much larger student population. While DE’s enrollment has dropped 37% since FY 2017, its General Fund appropriation has increased 18%. Special Education enrollment has fallen 18% since 2010, but cost per student has surged by more than 100% through FY 2026.
Against this backdrop, the oversight board approved several budgetary reprogramming requests -- most of them tied to Spe-
cial Education -- only as exceptions and with strict conditions. They include: $27.8 million in prior‑year funds to cover FY 2026 transportation, reimbursements and other Special Education expenses, $9.5 million to pay for therapies, evaluations and related services, and $102.3 million in internal reallocations to cover salary increases and other FY 2026 initiatives.
One request an extension of FY 2026 funds for Provisional Remedy Program services -- was denied, with the oversight board saying the DE failed to justify the need beyond the standard 60‑day disbursement window.
To prevent further instability, the board is requiring the DE to take several corrective actions within 90 days, including submitting the long-delayed regulation to fully implement Student‑Based Budgeting, a reform the Fiscal Plan identifies as essential to aligning resources with actual student needs.
By THE STAR STAFF
District III (Arecibo) Sen. Brenda Pérez Soto on Monday introduced Senate Bill 1301, a measure aimed at strengthening the safety and protection of minors and people with conditions that limit their ability to communicate during individual therapeutic interventions.
The proposal amends the Patient’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities to recognize the right of parents, guardian or legal representatives to request audio and video recording of therapy sessions when the patient is alone with the professional providing the service.
“As a mother and a legislator, I understand that the safety and well-being of our children must always come before any other consideration,” Pérez Soto said. “This measure seeks to provide peace of mind to families and strengthen confidence in the therapeutic services our children receive.”
The senator said the legislation arises from the need to establish additional protection mechanisms for minors and people with neurodevelopmental conditions or communication limitations who may face difficulties in recounting situations that occurred during a private therapeutic intervention.
“This proposal does not seek to question
the integrity of healthcare professionals, the vast majority of whom do extraordinary work,” Pérez Soto said. “On the contrary, it creates an objective tool that protects both the patient and the therapist from any allegation or controversy.”
The bill includes strict measures for confidentiality, storage and access to the recordings, which would form part of the clinical record and would be protected by federal medical privacy provisions and the legislation in force in Puerto Rico.
If the measure is approved, the island Health Department will have 180 days to adopt the necessary regulations for its implementation.
Moratorium proposed on gov’t intervention with street vendors in state right-of-way
By THE STAR STAFF
District 14 (Arecibo and Hatillo) Rep. Edgar
Robles Rivera requested on Monday that Transportation and Public Works (DTOP by its acronym in Spanish) Secretary Edwin González Montalvo consider “a 12-month administrative moratorium related to the processes of removal of vendors and street merchants located in areas belonging to the state right-of-way.”
The lawmaker, who chairs the Committee on Consumer Affairs in the island House of Representatives, stressed in a written statement that the request “seeks to establish a fair, uniform and humane process that allows merchants to be properly guided before taking measures that may
affect the economic livelihood of numerous Puerto Rican families.”
Robles Rivera said that many of the small merchants and farmers have worked, for years, in different areas of the island under practices treated differently, so he believes that it is highly necessary to develop a transition period based on guidance, communication and viable compliance alternatives.
“We are talking about fathers and mothers who go out to work every day in an honest way to bring sustenance to their homes,” he said. “Our interest is that there can be an orderly, sensitive and responsible process that takes into consideration the economic reality in which our people live.”
The proposal includes orientation campaigns on the current legal provisions, clear definition
of applicable parameters within the state rightof-way, voluntary compliance mechanisms and coordination with the municipalities and agencies concerned to identify reasonable alternatives for small merchants.
Robles Rivera noted that the request does not intend to interfere with the legal powers of the DTOP, but rather to promote a balance between the administrative order and the economic stability of hundreds of families that depend on this type of commercial activity.
“The small business deserves to be listened to, guided and treated sensitively,” he said. “The goal should be to find solutions, not to create uncertainty for those who work every day to get ahead.”
The San Juan Daily Star
Tuesday, June 2, 2026 5
By EMILY COCHRANE and RICK ROJAS
It is a confusing moment to be a voter in the South. Republican leaders across the region have redrawn congressional maps at breakneck speed in the month since the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, leading primaries to be postponed, a veteran House member to abandon his reelection bid and new candidates to charge into races before the November midterms.
The outcome could be the most sweeping reconfiguration of the region’s political landscape in at least a generation, pushing what was already a largely red swath of the country more firmly into the Republican column and jeopardizing the political careers of a number of Black Democrats.
In the meantime, the rush to redistrict is stoking a fierce debate over what representation should look like in the South — as well as more pragmatic questions about district boundaries that are shifting, or may soon shift, under voters’ feet.
Annie Pearl Avery of Birmingham, Ala., took part in the march from Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma, Ala., on May 16, 2026. As Republicans rush to redraw the region’s congressional maps, some voters are confused and concerned, and civil rights activists are gearing up for the fight of a generation. (Wes Frazer/The New York Times)
“They literally have created chaos,” said Mayor Chaz Molder of Columbia, Tennessee, a Democrat whose home was drawn out of the Tennessee district where he had spent months running for Congress when Republican state lawmakers adopted a new map in early May. “It’s the voter that loses in this kind of partisan gamesmanship.”
Recent redistricting efforts have not been limited to the South, nor have Republicans been behind all of them. But President Donald Trump pushed the party to adopt the strategy even before the Supreme Court ruling, recognizing the uphill battle that Republicans faced to maintain their slim House majority in the midterms.
Texas began the current redistricting wars last summer at the behest of Trump, drawing a new map in an effort to flip five House seats to Republicans. Democrats in California responded in kind, and several other states followed last fall. But it was the Supreme Court ruling in late April that set off the frenzy in the South, where the Voting Rights Act had long protected a handful of districts with a majority of Black voters who have largely elected Black Democrats.
About 60% of Black Americans live in the South, a share that has grown in recent years in a reversal of the exodus from the region during the Great Migration, according to an analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice, a public policy institute.
At least a third of the population is Black in Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, as are about 1 in 4 voters in Alabama. But while Republicans fully control almost every Southern state, the region remains racially polarized, as most of the districts with a majority of Black voters lean Democratic and have elected Black representatives.
They include James E. Clyburn of South Carolina and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, who have both served more than three decades in Congress. Georgia has four Black members of the House. As recently as 2024, rulings tied to the Voting Rights Act paved the way for the creation of new
districts in Alabama and Louisiana that Black Democrats won.
But in its April 29 ruling, the Supreme Court rejected Louisiana’s congressional map as unconstitutional. The court’s conservative supermajority agreed with plaintiffs in a lawsuit that race had illegally been used as a primary factor in drawing the second majority-Black district, which Rep. Cleo Fields won in 2024, flipping it from Republican to Democrat.
The ruling significantly raised the bar for proving discrimination against minority voters under the Voting Rights Act.
Within hours, it set off a redistricting frenzy across the South, with Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama quickly moving to eliminate districts with large concentrations of Black voters. The Florida Legislature approved a map on the day of the ruling that eliminated four Democratic-held districts, diluting the voting power of Black and Hispanic voters in several regions.
In states like Mississippi, where primaries had already been held, Georgia, where early voting had started, and South Carolina, where lawmakers failed to reach agreement on a new map before early voting began last week, top officials vowed that the coming midterm elections would be the last to use their current maps.
The ruling also surfaced a fraught debate about just how far the South has been able to move beyond the racism of the region’s past, where segregation-era poll taxes, literacy tests and other disenfranchisement tactics were used to deny basic rights to Black voters. “Vast social change has occurred throughout the country and particularly in the South,” Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote for the majority in the ruling.
In interviews around the region, though, many Black voters said the ruling worried them deeply.
“They’re trying to bring us back,” said Janet Tobias, 70, sitting outside a Louisiana state Capitol hearing room
where lawmakers were debating new district lines one recent evening. Noting attempts by Trump and other conservative lawmakers to roll back diversity efforts and the teaching of Black history, she said she feared that “we are not going to have anyone behind those doors speaking up on our behalf.”
To hear some Black lawmakers tell it, some of their most important duties are delivering funds to communities that have been chronically overlooked and underserved, and guaranteeing that the perspective of a Black Southerner is present when consequential decisions are being made in Washington.
In some states, as lawmakers debated new maps, absentee ballots had already been distributed and early voting was set to begin. At least one Louisiana congressional office was flooded with calls asking if voting had been canceled altogether. Campaigns have been canceled, started or relaunched under new district lines that did not exist a month ago.
In Alabama, a week after primary elections were held for most races, residents in four congressional districts are waiting for the Supreme Court to weigh in on which map can be used in an August special election: the current one, with two districts held by Black Democrats, or a previous one the Legislature wants to revert to, with just one district containing a large number of Black voters.
The Republicans redrawing the maps have swatted away accusations of racism, insisting they were focused on delivering their party even more of a political advantage. The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld partisan gerrymandering in recent years.
In Tennessee, where the majority-Black city of Memphis was split in May among three new districts that lean Republican, several Republicans downplayed concerns about how the city’s Black — and Democratic — voters would be represented moving forward.
“Just because that you may not have voted for that person doesn’t mean you’re not represented,” said Cameron Sexton, the Tennessee House speaker, in an interview.
Dana Brown, a voter in Irmo, South Carolina, saw it differently; she opposed South Carolina lawmakers’ redistricting push, saying it would marginalize the voices of racial minorities.
“They’re not wanting to hear Black voters’ voices, and that’s something that we fought for forever,” Brown, 42, said after voting in the state’s Democratic primary Wednesday. “You should be able to hear everybody’s side and come to a common ground.”
Some voters said they were, more than anything, put off by the loss of political competition in their states.
Edward Callaway, a Republican in Columbus, Georgia, said he agreed with excluding race as a factor in determining
By KAROUN DEMIRJIAN and MADELEINE NGO
Travel industry and business leaders are denouncing a proposal by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to remove customs officers from airports in liberal cities, saying it would create havoc for travelers and jeopardize the travel economy at some of the nation’s largest ports of entry.
The idea, which Mullin has floated on cable television interviews, is designed to punish so-called sanctuary cities that limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Customs officers monitor goods flowing in and out of the country and must be on hand for international flights. Removing customs from airports would mean they cannot accept incoming international flights.
“Any reduction in Customs and Border Protection operations at major U.S. gateway airports threatens to cause unnecessary chaos throughout the nation’s air transportation system,” a coalition of travel and business trade groups, including the U.S. Travel Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, wrote in a statement Friday. The fallout of making such changes at even a handful of gateway airports, the statement added, “will quickly ripple across the country.”
Last week, Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, also told lawmakers that such a move would be ill-advised.
“We have people from around the world and around the country that need to be able to fly into all different kinds of places,” he said during a hearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee. “We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics.”
The White House, despite past efforts to
target sanctuary cities over their immigration policies, has not endorsed Mullin’s plans. The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the idea, beyond pointing to Mullin’s comments.
But as the criticism has mounted, Mullin has only dug in on the proposal.
Mullin promoted the idea multiple times last week, saying in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday that the department was drawing up plans to withdraw officers who process international flights in cities where “local radical left Democrats aren’t allowing us to do our job and enforce federal laws.”
“We shouldn’t be processing international flights into their cities either,” Mullin said. “They don’t want us to enforce immigration but they want us to process immigration at their facilities? Nothing about that makes sense to me.”
The next day, Mullin claimed during
an interview with Newsmax that local law enforcement in New Jersey refused to respond after federal officials requested help following the eruption of protests outside an immigrant detention facility in Newark. Mullin held up that event as justification for potentially moving customs officers “out of the airports so they can help assist to secure the area.”
“If local law enforcement isn’t going to help, then we have to provide what assets we have,” he said, adding: “Therefore we won’t be able to process international flights going to those airports, because those officers will be reassigned.”
The travel industry has said the impact of such moves, if they come to pass, is potentially significant.
There are 18 airports in areas that the Department of Justice has put on its list of sanctuary cities including Boston, New York and Los Angeles. They handle a combined
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin looks on as President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Wednesday, May, 20, 2026. Mullin’s proposal could block hubs like Boston, New York and Los Angeles from accepting international flights. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
68 million passengers a year, worth tens of billions in commercial activity. Some of them are also major cargo hubs, processing billions in imports on a daily basis.
According to travel industry representatives, shutting down customs at Newark Airport alone would jeopardize an estimated $8 billion per year in travel spending, and an estimated $100 million of imports on a daily basis. The city is expected to be a major destination for travelers arriving this summer to watch World Cup soccer games in New Jersey.
Shifting that much traffic to other airports could wreak havoc on an already stressed system, they add.
A full shutdown of customs operations at airports in sanctuary cities, according to the travel industry’s calculations, would imperil more than $70 billion in U.S. economic activity.
Mullin’s stated plans appear to run counter to at least one recent move the Trump administration has made to expand airport customs operations in a sanctuary city. Last week, the administration announced it would start to screen passengers from Ebola-stricken areas at Kennedy Airport, one of only four airports nationwide that has been designated to try to keep the fast-moving virus from entering the United States.
On Thursday, Mullin said on “Fox & Friends” that the department might not pull CBP officers out of airports in every sanctuary city, but focus on cities such as Newark.
“If things don’t change, we’re going to have to make this step pretty quick,” Mullin said when asked if he planned to pull CBP officers out of Newark.
Late on Friday, federal officials agreed to leave the area outside the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark as part of negotiations with the New Jersey State Police.
district lines. But he also called gerrymandering “one of the biggest threats to democracy
we have.”
“We’re a long way from representing communities, which is what we really ought
to be about,” Callaway, 71, said.
With little political power at the state level in the South and on the brink of losing more seats in Congress, Black elected officials, faith leaders and activists are still grappling with how to move forward.
In May, a number of them organized a pilgrimage to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama — cities regarded as sacred for their civil rights history — to rally for a new fight over representation.
“This is about how we build power in
the South and together to change this country,” state Rep. Justin J. Pearson, who faces an uphill battle as he runs for Tennessee’s redrawn 9th Congressional District, said at the Montgomery gathering.
For others, it was a matter of continuing to vote and urging others to do the same — and there were early signs of an energized electorate in several southern states. In South Carolina, the first day of early voting more than doubled the previous record for highest turnout in a single day.
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Massachusetts is an economic success story. The state’s leaders have leveraged its strong K-12 school system and excellent universities to build booming biotechnology and medical care industries. In an era when many Americans lament economic stagnation, the inflationadjusted median income in Massachusetts has grown about 40% in the past decade alone.
Yet Massachusetts has a fundamental problem that prevents many people from living the good life there: They cannot afford a home. The median house costs almost $700,000, the third-highest among states.
The main reason is that Massachusetts has not built enough to keep up with its growing population and economy. Its municipalities tightly limit new home construction through a combination of onerous zoning and permitting rules. For decades, the state government has ceded control over housing policy to its 351 cities and towns. When it comes to housing policy, the state of Massachusetts is often a bystander, allowing town governments to impose classic “not in my backyard” policies.
Massachusetts typifies the problem that we described in an editorial last week: Many of the country’s strongest job markets are in coastal regions that have refused to build enough new housing.
This November, Massachusetts has a chance to do better. It can live up to its self-image as a progressive, inclusive state
by passing a ballot initiative to override stifling local housing rules that harm the young at the expense of the old and the middle class at the expense of the wealthy. The initiative would prevent many towns from setting needlessly large minimums for lot sizes and effectively blocking the construction of middle-class homes. The campaign, Legalize Starter Homes, is now trying to gather the nearly 12,500 signatures it needs before June 17 to place the measure on the ballot. We endorse the initiative.
Currently, many Massachusetts towns require house lots to be at least 20,000 square feet, which is larger than most midsize supermarkets, such as Trader Joe’s. Nationwide, only about one-fifth of homes are built on such large plots. It is a minimum that caters to the affluent.
The initiative would create a new statewide minimum of 5,000 square feet, which is about the size of a basketball court, and bar towns from creating their own standards. The policy would enable the construction of more homes that young families and other members of the middle class could afford.
We recognize that many homeowners are wary of allowing more construction. They like their neighborhoods as they are and want to maximize their home values. These skeptics tend to be older and richer, with the time and resources to attend town meetings and criticize plans for new development. Yet if the United States has any chance to reduce wealth inequality, increase economic mobility and help more people achieve the American dream, it needs significantly more housing. Blue states like Massachusetts need to be part of the solution.
Homes on Church Street in Stockbridge, Mass., on Nov. 2, 2025. “... Massachusetts has a fundamental problem that prevents many people from living the good life there: They cannot afford a home,” the Times Editorial Board writes. (Patrick Dodson/ The New York Times)
on wells and septic systems. That exemption means that nearly 80% of the state’s residential land could maintain its current lot-size minimum. Some of Boston’s affluent suburbs — such as Lincoln (which has an 80,000-square-foot minimum) — fall into this category. These towns should not get a pass. The state should help municipalities modernize their infrastructure and then apply statewide lot-size rules more broadly.
Andrew Mikula, leader of the initiative, estimates that it would allow the construction of a few thousand new homes each year. That is far from enough new housing to meet demand, but it is a meaningful step. It should be accompanied by other changes, including allowing the construction of more multifamily homes, such as duplexes, and apartments. Other places, including Austin, Texas, Minneapolis and Raleigh, North Carolina, have kept home prices down by allowing more multifamily homes than Massachusetts does. Gov. Maura Healey has shown an interest in making it easier to build, but the state has a long way to go.
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For more than a century, Massachusetts state law has allowed town and city governments to dictate what housing can be built within their limits. From the 1950s to the mid1970s, Massachusetts towns, particularly affluent suburbs, passed a flood of zoning rules that limited the construction of apartments and small homes. These rules often exacerbated economic and racial segregation.
Newton, a small city bordering Boston with excellent public schools, is typical. It adopted many of its current lotsize minimums in 1953, preventing it from adding sufficient housing as the economy has grown. Today, young people who grew up in Newton say they cannot afford to raise their own families there. The rules create problems even for some existing homeowners.
Beth Sagan, a 68-year-old Newton resident, wants to split her 17,400-square-foot property in two. She hopes to build a new home in her large backyard that will be accessible for her husband, who has arthritis and knee trouble, and then sell her current home. But her part of Newton requires lot sizes for new homes to be at least 15,000 square feet. The ballot initiative would allow her to split her property. It would also allow construction on vacant lots that are smaller than the current minimums.
If anything, the ballot initiative is too accommodating of local governments. The new policy, for example, would exempt areas that lack public sewer and water systems, out of concern that new construction would overwhelm areas that instead rely
Unfortunately, the anger over high housing prices has also raised the possibility that Massachusetts voters will approve a different ballot proposal this fall that would be counterproductive: statewide rent control. It might sound like a solution, but it would discourage construction and renovations. Artificially low rents make it harder for developers to recoup the costs of building. Rent control has not solved the housing problems in New York City, and it will not solve them in Massachusetts. The national pattern is clear. The way to bring down housing costs is to increase housing supply. The initiative to create a statewide lot-size minimum would help accomplish this.
There is a larger principle here. States should not outsource their housing policy to local governments that tend to have a bias toward the status quo. States should assert more control over lot sizes, multifamily zoning, permitting processes and more. States have an interest in ensuring that they are affordable places to live.
In their campaign to take back Congress in the midterm elections, Democrats are promising to end the affordability crisis. If they want voters to take them seriously, they should address the largest cost for many families and stay true to the long progressive tradition that prioritizes upward mobility. They must bring down the high price of housing in the states they govern.
DEPARTAMENTO DE RECURSOS NATURALES Y AMBIENTALES
GOBIERNO DE PUERTO RICO
AVISO AMBIENTAL
INTENCIÓN DE RENOVAR PERMISO DE INYECCIÓN SUBTERRÁNEA
El peticionario, Metrópolis Plaza, cuya dirección postales PO Box 1543, Fajardo, Puerto Rico 00738, representado por el Sr. Guillermo Bird Díaz, Propietario, ha solicitado al Área de Calidad de Agua (ACA) del Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) la renovación del permiso de operación, UIC-08-27-0025, para un sistema de inyección subterránea (SIS) Clase VC-1, bajo las disposiciones del Reglamento para el Control de la Inyección Subterránea (RCIS) y la LeyFederal de Agua Potable Segura, según enmendada 42 USC 300f et seq. (LFAPS).
El SIS consiste en un tanque séptico de 29 pies de largo por 8.5 pies de ancho por 10 pies de profundidad líquida, con una capacidad de 18,438 galones y un pozo filtrante de 10 pies de ancho por 29 pies de largo por 10 pies de profundidad líquida, con un área de percolación de 490 pies cuadrados, en el cual, se inyectarán 1,013 galones por día, de aguas exclusivamente sanitarias, provenientes de los baños de la instalación. El referido SIS está localizado en la Carretera PR-3, Km 44.6, Barrio Quebrada Fajardo, Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
Luego de realizada la evaluación correspondiente de los documentos sometidos, el DRNA tiene la intención de emitir el permiso de operación para la instalación antes mencionada en conformidad con los requisitos del RCIS y de la LFAPS.
Esta notificación se hace para informar que el DRNA, ha preparado el borrador del permiso de operación de forma tal que el público interesado pueda someter sus comentarios con relación al mismo. El permiso contiene las condiciones y prohibiciones necesarias para cumplir con los requisitos reglamentarios aplicables.
Copia de la solicitud de permiso de operación que radicó el peticionario ante el DRNA, el borrador del permiso y otros documentos relevantes estarán a la disposición del público para ser examinados, a petición del interesado mediante el envío de un correo electrónico a vanessadelmoral@ drna.pr.gov, o visitando el ACA, cuya oficina está localizada en el Piso 3, Ala A, del Edificio de Agencias Ambientales Cruz A. Matos, Carretera PR-8838, Km 6.3, Sector El Cinco, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. Copia de dichos documentos pueden adquirirse en el ACA, entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 4:00 p.m. de lunes a viernes o escribiendo a la siguiente dirección postal: Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales, San José Industrial Park, 1375 Avenida Ponce de León, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926. Las partes interesadas o afectadas pueden enviar sus comentarios por escrito a la Sra. Vanessa Del Moral Rosario, Secretaria de la Secretaría Auxiliar de Cumplimiento Ambiental, o solicitar una vista pública por escrito al Secretario del DRNA, a la dirección postal o correo electrónico antes indicado.
Los comentarios por escrito o la solicitud de vista pública deberán ser sometidos al DRNA no más tarde de treinta (30) días a partir de la fecha de publicación de este aviso. La fecha límite para someter comentarios puede ser extendida si se estima necesario o apropiado para el interés público. La solicitud para una vista pública deberá señalar la razón o las razones que en la opinión del solicitante ameritan la celebración de esta. De realizarse una vista pública los interesados o afectados tendrán una oportunidad razonable para presentar evidencia o testimonio sobre si se emiten o deniegan los permisos, si el Secretario determina que dicha vista es necesaria o apropiada.
POR CYBERNEWS
LA
FORTALEZA – La gobernadora Jenniffer Aydin
González Colón anticipó el lunes cambios en la gerencia regional de la Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, tras reclamos de alcaldes por interrupciones en el servicio de agua potable en varios municipios.
“Yo creo que también van a haber y tienen que haber unos cambios en la gerencia de la Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados y eso es una conversación que el director ejecutivo y yo tendremos”, dijo González Colón a preguntas de la prensa.
La mandataria sostuvo que el problema de agua no se limita a la zona metropolitana y mencionó situaciones en Bayamón, Guaynabo, Vega Alta, Corozal, Naranjito, San Juan y Camuy.
“Hoy hay más de 14,000 personas sin agua. Yo estoy pendiente a eso todo el tiempo, porque uno se tiene que poner los zapatos de la gente que abre la pluma y no tiene agua”, expresó.
Sus expresiones se producen 94 días después de que la Junta de Gobierno de la Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados confirmara, el 27 de febrero, el nombramiento de José Rivera Ortiz como director ejecutivo de la Región Metropolitana.
González Colón dijo que las interrupciones responden a factores distintos según la zona, entre ellos problemas en ríos, tomas de agua, filtros, fallas mecánicas, falta de presión e infraestructura obsoleta.
“El problema de La Morita, por ejemplo, en Bayamón, viene pasando y se sigue agravando la situación”, sostuvo.
La gobernadora planteó que la Autoridad necesita más personal técnico y vinculó parte del problema a la dificultad del gobierno para reclutar ingenieros.
“Tenemos también un problema severo de reclutamiento de ingenieros, que yo creo que es parte de lo que se discute hoy en las primeras planas y que lo venimos diciendo hace meses, no solamente para Acueductos y Alcantarillados”, in-
“Un ingeniero acabado de graduarse gana más afuera que lo que se puede ganar en una plaza de gobierno. Son unas realidades con las que tenemos que trabajar”, expresó.
González Colón sostuvo que su administración mantiene inversiones de más de 7,000 millones de dólares en infraestructura crítica y mejoras capitales de agua.
De esa cantidad, mencionó más de 2,000 millones de dólares en construcción, más de 1,900 millones en subasta y otros 1,500 millones en proyectos en diseño.
“Hay que invertir el dinero, eso es lo que se está haciendo. Y si eso incluye seguir revisando esa infraestructura y hacerlo con la mayor premura posible”, sostuvo.
Mientras se completan proyectos permanentes, la gobernadora dijo que la mitigación incluye oasis, aumento de rutas y más camiones cisterna para los municipios afectados.
“Hay que decirlo así, los municipios, la autoridad lo facilita, pero los municipios son los que están ayudando en esa distribución de agua”, indicó.
A preguntas sobre planteamientos de alcaldes que atribuyen la crisis a fallas gerenciales, la gobernadora sostuvo que cambiar una persona no resolvería por sí solo problemas acumulados por años.
“Ojalá los problemas se resolvieran cambiando a una persona. Si fuera así de fácil, estuvieran resueltos. Estamos hablando de problemas que llevan años de falta de inversión, de falta de mantenimiento en sistemas obsoletos de infraestructura”, dijo.
Sobre la preparación ante la temporada de huracanes, González Colón sostuvo que la respuesta depende de cada zona, pero afirmó que se realizan inversiones y mejoras permanentes.
“Los proyectos no se construyen de un día para otro, conllevan un tiempo. Así que esta es un área en la que van a estar viendo esa mejoría y la van a ver rápido”, expresó.
En San Juan, Puerto Rico, hoy 18 de mayo de 2026.
Quiles Pérez Secretario
Este anuncio se publica conforme a lo requerido por la Ley Núm. 4162004, según enmendada, conocida como la “Ley sobre Política Pública Ambiental”, los reglamentos aprobados a su amparo; y las leyes y reglamentos federales aplicables. El costo del Aviso Público es sufragado por la entidad peticionaria.
San José Industrial Park, 1375 Ave Ponce de León, San Juan, PR 00926 ; www.drna.pr.gov • ' (787) 999.2200
Según González Colón, esa situación también afecta áreas como permisos, Recursos Naturales, COR3, Transportación y Obras Públicas, Planificación, agricultura y agrimensura.
La mandataria dijo que el gobierno evalúa proyectos para aumentar la paga de esas clases profesionales, ante la diferencia salarial entre el sector privado y las plazas gubernamentales.
The San Juan Daily Star Tuesday, June 2, 2026 9
By PEGGY ANN BLISS
Special to The STAR
When King Solomon said there was nothing new under the sun, he hardly could have been thinking of Raymond Torres-Santos, one of Puerto Rico’s most versatile and eclectic composers.
But those who attend the next Casals Festival concert will witness not only the prestigious debut of a new (well, almost new) string ensemble but also a recycled 48-year-old composition in its third version.
Actually, the operative word here is “renewal,” and it is the key to most of what will happen at this important concert, tonight at 7 in the Sanromá Room at the Puerto Rico Music Conservatory: The Cuarteto Borikén (Borikén String Quartet), unveiling a teenager’s first string quartet in its third incarnation almost a half-century later, and TorresSantos’ “First String Quartet,” written when he was just 19 under the watchful eye of Yauco professor and composer Amaury Veray.
At the Casals Festival debut of the Cuarteto Borikén, this ensemble, newly established yet immersed in technique and tradition, will unveil a third version of the piece.
The work, commissioned for the Encounter of Both Worlds between Spain and Puerto Rico at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in 1978 by the group Toccata, which its creator continues to revise, bears his signature style of combining Puerto Rican rhythms with classical motifs and structures.
The piece has, like its creator, continued to grow. Originally used as the sound track of the Puerto Rican film “La laguna del tortuguero” by Paco Guell, it has undergone many transformations and new generations of musicians.
A trio of quartets
Torres-Santos’ work will open the program, followed by a similar paean to the Czech homeland of the great composer Antonin Dvorak known as the “American Quartet,” and the spectacular fireworks of French compo -
ser Maurice Ravel, best known for his Spanish-influenced “Bolero” (“String Quartet in F Major”), one of the most recognizable compositions in the Western world.
Dvorak’s 12th string quartet, his 96th composition, was the only other piece he composed on his extended visit to the States in the late 19th century which inspired the beloved “New World Symphony.”
Penned in the small town of Spillville, Iowa, settled by his own Czech brethren, the piece reflects concerns similar to those of the Puerto Rican composer in alternating his milieu between his two homes. It has sounds of native birds, yet reflects Dvorak’s deep homesickness for his native Bohemia, later part of Czechoslovakia.
The Cuarteto Borikén is composed of the exquisite concertmaster fluidity of Omar Velázquez the energetic bowing of second violinist Fermín Segarra Cordero, the nuanced interpretations of cellist Solimar Soto and the important melodic depth of violist Edgardo Rosaly, all longtime PRSO members and a tight-knit group of friends and colleagues.
Torres-Santos’ work, which opens the program, is
By MIGUEL SALAZAR
Aselection of summaries from The New York Times Book Review: SUPERBLOOM: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart, by Nicholas Carr. (Norton. 272 pages. $19.99.) “Social media is not successful because it goes against our instincts and desires,” Carr writes. “It’s successful because it gives us what we want.” His jeremiad lays some
blame with tech companies that feed us digital junk food and draw us deeper into our feeds by pushing content that whips up strong emotions, while probing our own capacity for vanity, resentment and cruelty when left to our devices.
THE COMPOUND, by Aisling Rawle. (Random House. 304 pages. $18.) When Lily arrives at a mansion in the middle of a desert to participate in a reality show, she knows what to expect: flirting, intrigue and a fight for rewards from the basic — sunscreen — to the luxurious. What she encou-
typical of the wave of “subjective nationalism,” which prevailed in the hemisphere in the last half of the 20th century. Torres-Santos, who lives in California, is in town for the presentation of his quartet, taking in the many surprises of the festival, he commented to The STAR about the piece this week. He freely admits to influences of Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera, whose use of native themes and rhythms he adapted to Puerto Rican motifs mixed with classical forms.
The rhythm energy owes something to the propulsive string quartets of Ginastera, and the more lyrical introspective passages to North American giant Samuel Barber, while the dissonant elements are influenced by Charles Ives’ “Second String Quartet.”
As Solomon said, there really is nothing new under the sun.
nters is a world of strategists and backstabbers, one in which warped ethics are the norm and tenuous relationships are rendered in the full-throttle pace of Rawle’s layered debut.
DEEP HOUSE: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told, by Jeremy Atherton Lin. (Back Bay. 416 pages. $19.99.) Lin, the author of “Gay Bar,” plumbs his own relationship with a British partner as he explores the difficulties faced by transnational queer couples in America before marriage equality. While “Gay Bar” prowled through clubs with thrill-seeking horniness, Juan A. Ramírez wrote in his review, this account, a survey of legal flash points over gay rights and immigration, “is denser and written from a quieter space of contemplation.”
Wall Street stocks posted modest gains on Monday as investors watched developments in U.S.-Iran peace negotiations and cheered the unveiling of a new computer chip that promises to bring artificial intelligence to personal computing.
Tech shares boosted the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 to their latest in a series of record closing highs.
U.S. President Donald Trump said talks with Iran continue. Earlier, Iran’s news agency announced Tehran is halting indirect negotiations with Washington after a new round of strikes threatened to derail diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fourth month.
The intensification of hostilities sent crude prices jumping, along with worries over the extent to which a protracted war could result in heightened, intransitory inflation.
“We don’t really know where things stand,” said Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at GLOBALT in Atlanta. “The market seems to think that something’s going to get done at some point, but we don’t have very good information to go on, like what the Iranians really want and what Trump is willing to settle for.”
Stocks added to their gains after Trump said no Israeli troops would go into Beirut, citing a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Nvidia jumped after the company unveiled a new chip that puts AI capabilities directly into personal computers.
The chip is the result of a three-year partnership with Microsoft to “reinvent the PC” for the AI era, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said. Microsoft shares rose.
The reaction among semiconductor stocks was mixed. Qualcomm tumbled and while Intel also fell. Micron shares rose sharply, breaching the $1,000 mark for the first time.
In economic news, U.S. factory activity expanded in May for the fifth consecutive month as goodsmakers navigate tariff and geopolitical crosswinds.
Investors will turn to Friday’s jobs report ahead of Kevin Warsh’s debut policy meeting as chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve this month, amid fears of rising inflation linked to the Iran war that could upend the stock market rally.
According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 20.19 points, or 0.27%, to end at 7,600.03
points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 114.75 points, or 0.43%, to 27,087.37. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 44.70 points, or 0.09%, to 51,076.85.
Software stocks rebounded from heavy selling earlier this year on AI disruption fears. ServiceNow and IBM rose sharply. The software services index
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advanced.
“On the software side, companies that hadn’t been doing very well, but now are doing well today,” Martin added. “Some of that has been attributed to Nvidia comments that software is part of the solution, so the market’s coming back to” software stocks.
Cadence Design Systems jumped after launching an Nvidia-powered AI agent for chip design.
Broadcom’s earnings, due on Wednesday, will be closely parsed in the wake of solid results from Dell last week, which signaled strong AI server demand.
By AARON BOXERMAN, CHRISTINA GOLDBAUM and JOE RENNISON
Halting efforts at diplomacy in the Middle East came under new strain Monday, as Israel and Iran threatened to escalate military action in the intertwined conflicts in Iran and Lebanon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ordered Israel’s military to attack Hezbollah, Iran’s close ally, in Beirut’s southern outskirts. And Iran’s military threatened that if Israel took such action, it would come under attack, and said that residents of northern Israel should evacuate.
The U.N. Security Council called an emergency session to discuss Lebanon on Monday afternoon. Iran has demanded that any truce include an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon, where fighting has continued during a fragile ceasefire among the United States, Israel and Iran.
Netanyahu said he had ordered an attack on the southern outskirts of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh. The Israeli military told residents to evacuate the area, prompting thousands to flee. But several hours later, there was no sign of an attack there Iran’s military headquarters said in a statement that in retaliation for any attacks on Dahiyeh, there would be attacks
on northern Israel, according to the official state broadcaster IRIB, but did not explicitly say who would conduct them. Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel in the early part of the war, but has not done so in almost two months.
President Donald Trump later posted
on social media that he had spoken with Netanyahu and, indirectly, with Hezbollah. He said they had agreed not to attack each other, though neither side confirmed Trump’s characterization of the calls.
Earlier Monday, oil prices surged after Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim News Agency re-
ported that Iran would suspend its involvement in peace negotiations with the United States, and would seek “complete closure” of the Strait of Hormuz, in reaction to Israel’s military actions in Lebanon.
The report by Tasnim, which is affiliated with Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, did not name a source, and its claims could not be immediately verified. Comments on social media by top Iranian officials did not indicate any withdrawal from peace talks, and Trump later wrote on social media that “talks are continuing” with Iran.
Here’s what else we’re covering:
— Energy markets: Global markets convulsed after the Tasnim report, with oil prices rising sharply and government bond yields rising too. Stocks were mixed, sliding in Europe but barely budging in the U.S.
— Trump comments: Trump said on social media early Monday that criticism from Republicans and Democrats had made negotiations on a deal with Iran more difficult.
— Lebanon castle: The Israeli military said Sunday that it had captured a strategic, Crusader-era castle in southern Lebanon as part of the most sweeping Israeli invasion in decades.
— Strait of Hormuz: U.S. forces have helped coordinate the passage of around 70 commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz in the last three weeks, according to U.S. officials.
By DAVID PIERSON
Aspokesperson for Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, criticized Beijing for expelling a New York Times reporter from China in response to Lai’s appearance by video at a Times DealBook summit in New York in December.
The reporter, Vivian Wang, who was based in Beijing, was expelled in February. She was not involved in the DealBook conference, an annual event that features prominent executives and politicians. Chinese officials had complained for months about Wang’s reporting, which often addressed topics Beijing considered sensitive.
At the same time, China has sought to isolate Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing considers its territory, and largely regards any engagement with Taiwan’s leaders as a violation of Chinese sovereignty.
In a statement posted online Sunday, the Taiwan president’s spokesperson, Kuo Ya-hui, said China’s efforts to pressure media organizations not to engage with Lai was a threat to press freedom and the safety of journalists.
“China’s use of baseless pretexts and brutal methods to threaten the media and interfere with press freedom not only fails to improve its international image, but also highlights that China is currently a source of instability and a troublemaker,” Kuo said.
The expulsion of Wang, who had been a China correspondent for the paper since 2020, is the latest example of a crackdown by Beijing on foreign correspondents whose reporting challenges Beijing’s official line.
Wang’s reporting focused on the lives of ordinary Chinese people and the challenges they faced with censorship, Beijing’s unpopular response to the coronavirus pandemic and the steady expansion of China’s security state.
In a diplomatic tit-for-tat, the Trump administration revoked the visa of a U.S.-based journalist for the Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, which is widely regarded by experts as a propaganda organ. The Times played
no role in the Chinese reporter’s expulsion, a spokesperson for the paper said last week.
Kuo defended Lai’s interviews with foreign media as a way to “explain the country’s position, share democratic experiences, and express the shared commitment to maintaining regional security and peace.”
To isolate Lai, Beijing has also tried to sever the Taiwanese leader’s access to international flight paths, according to Taiwanese officials. In April, Lai was forced to call off a trip to the tiny southern African kingdom of Eswatini after three countries rescinded permits for him to fly through their airspace, apparently because of pressure from China. Lai eventually made the trip in May.
By ANNIE CORREAL, GENEVIEVE GLATSKY and LUIS FERRÉ-SADURNÍ
Colombia’s heated presidential election headed to a runoff Sunday, preliminary official results showed, as a far-right candidate advanced in what could herald another gain for the right-wing wave sweeping elections across Latin America.
The candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella, will now face Iván Cepeda, a senator from the leftwing party of the outgoing president, Gustavo Petro.
De la Espriella, whose rise came late in the campaign, resembles a new breed of flashy populist leaders in Latin America including El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele who share President Donald Trump’s hard-line approach to crime and have pledged to apply it to drug traffickers.
With 100% of the votes counted, results released by Colombia’s national civil registry revealed an electorate split down the middle. De la Espriella received 43.74% of the vote, and Cepeda 40.90%. Because neither candidate had more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held June 21.
On Sunday night, Petro said that he would not accept the preliminary results until an official vote count was complete.
Cepeda, a longtime human rights advocate, managed to hang on to the broad base of support for Petro’s political project, which has sought to represent poor and disenfranchised populations long left out of the halls of power. Petro was limited to a single term.
De la Espriella’s unexpected rise derailed what the Colombian political establishment had believed would be a path to the runoff by Paloma Valencia, a conservative senator who had the support of some of the country’s most powerful politicians. Instead Valencia received just under 7% of the vote Sunday.
Experts say the results are a startling rebuke to the conservative establishment that has largely governed Colombia, a diverse South American country of 54 million people, since its independence more than 200 years ago. Petro was Colombia’s first leftist leader.
“It’s the first time ever that the country is divided between a bloc on the left and a bloc on the right,” said Maria Jimena Duzán, a prominent Colombian investigative journalist and political commentator.
Officials in Washington were expected to watch the next round of voting closely. The Trump administration has been working to advance the right-wing wave in Latin America as it seeks allies for its aggressive push against drug traffickers.
De la Espriella, 47, a lawyer who has never held office, rose in the polls in the final stretch of the campaign by pitching himself as an antiestablishment outsider and stoking fears that the left would turn Colombia into Venezuela, the failed authoritarian state next door.
He also capitalized on widespread security concerns, promising to crack down on the armed groups and gangs that many Colombians say have made extortion a fact of life. In a seeming nod to Bukele’s prison system in El Salvador, de la Espriella pledged to build 10 maximumsecurity prisons in the jungle.
Cepeda, 63, is a staunch ally of Petro’s who ran on a platform of continuity and a promise to defend victims of the country’s armed conflicts, as well as the poor. While experts say Cepeda benefited from the left’s strong base — and a recent, sizable increase to the minimum wage — it was not clear if his reserved personality and policy-focused speeches would appeal to voters the way Petro’s galvanizing presence did.
“Petro paved the way for someone who isn’t charismatic like him, but who is more substantive,” said Eduardo Ayala, a political scientist who attended a rally for Cepeda in the capital, Bogotá.
Many of de la Espriella’s supporters echoed their candidate’s claim that Cepeda would be more radical than Petro. “It would be a disaster,” said Klaudia Rincón, an eighth grade math teacher from Barranquilla, the coastal Caribbean city where De la Espriella cast his vote, as she headed to the polls. “Total communism.”
Voters, commenters and analysts agreed that the election had been like no other in living memory.
De la Espriella’s campaign combined oldfashioned populism with new stunts including artificial intelligence-generated videos realistically depicting his political rivals plotting against him. To get around a rule against wearing campaign garb to the polls, his supporters were told to wear the canary-yellow jersey of Colombia’s national soccer team.
Many voters said Sunday that despite de la Espriella’s bombast, they were reassured by his running mate, José Manuel Restrepo, a seasoned
economist who was finance minister under a previous conservative president, Iván Duque.
The right’s vote, which was split between de la Espriella and Valencia, could coalesce around the far-right candidate in the second round. Experts said centrist voters might move toward the left in the runoff, but that Cepeda would need to assure them that he would not move to nationalize industries or otherwise adopt far-left measures that would affect the economy.
He has an uphill battle, not only because of anti-left sentiment but because of disappointment in many quarters with Petro, whose term was marked by personal and government scandals and runaway spending that left a debt of pandemic-era levels, economists said.
In de la Espriella, he faces a flashy figure who captivated a broad following with virtuosic speeches delivered from a bulletproof box, a tiger mascot and a catchy slogan of “Firme por la Patria!” (“Standing Strong for the Homeland!”)
For many voters, the spectacle seemed to eclipse his lack of experience.
“He looks like an intelligent guy,” said Silvia Garcia, a retired interpreter who voted for the candidate in Barranquilla, predicting he would build a strong Cabinet.
Many voters appeared to overlook de la Espriella’s links to notorious Colombian clients such as Alex Saab, a close ally of Venezuela’s former leader, who has been extradited to the United States.
“It’s like a doctor treating a criminal, a guerrilla or a paramilitary,” a voter in Bogotá, Fabián Campos, said of de la Espriella’s legal career. “If it’s your job, you provide the service.”
Turnout was high on Election Day, and international observers said there had been no major problems despite predictions of fraud on both sides, and threats and violent attacks on the campaign trail, including the fatal shooting of two de la Espriella campaign workers.
Esteban González Pons, head of the European Union’s election observation mission in Colombia, called the electoral process “orderly, calm, transparent and fluid.”
Turnout was high among Colombians living abroad, with the majority of voters in the United States voting for de la Espriella, results showed. In Miami-Dade County, Florida, voters had lined up starting days ago outside the consulate, many wearing yellow jerseys and shouting his campaign slogans.
In many ways, the vote was a referendum on the legacy of the departing president. His term was defined by the historic representation of Indigenous, Afro-Colombian and LGBTQ+ communities, but also by a stalled legislative agenda, digressive public speeches and a rocky relationship with Trump.
By REBECCA ROBBINS and GINA KOLATA
For decades, an annual gathering of oncologists has featured drug trials that were run mainly at American and European hospitals.
But at this year’s meeting, which was held in Chicago over the weekend, the signs are everywhere of China’s ascendance as a powerhouse in drug development — and of the threat that many believe it poses to American biotechnology.
The clearest sign: In what appears to be a first, one of the conference’s five coveted headliners was a presentation of a clinical trial conducted only in China.
That milestone at the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, reflects the dizzying growth of China’s biotechnology sector. In just a few years, it has transformed from a sleepy industry into a juggernaut rapidly inventing and testing cutting-edge medicines.
“This tells us that the Chinese biotech industry has arrived,” said Dr. Otis Brawley, a professor at Johns Hopkins who has attended the ASCO meeting every year since 1989.
But a growing contingent of U.S. officials, executives and doctors worry that the shift in drug innovation to China poses dangerous risks for research, American patients and biotech workers. They raise concerns about losing control over new medicines and about ceding America’s long-standing dominance in the field.
With Chinese companies churning out patents, papers in medical journals and new clinical trials, U.S. biotech startups say they are struggling to keep up and are facing deep disadvantages.
“I think the concerns are valid and very real,” said Dr. Robert Califf, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. “The U.S. is being seriously threatened.”
As tensions between Washington and Beijing have escalated, Democrats and Republicans have sounded the alarm about America’s reliance on China for generic drugs and raw materials.
Taking particular aim at China, President Donald Trump signed legislation that barred government agencies from contracting with certain foreign biotech service providers in adversarial countries. China’s surge into cutting-edge drug development intro-
In a photo from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the annual meeting for the society in Chicago, May 31, 2025. One of the conference’s coveted headliners this year was a presentation of a clinical trial conducted only in China. (Zach Boyden-Holmes/ASCO via The New York Times)
duces a new dimension of risk, critics say.
There is another worry. Will drugs work as well in American patients as they do in Chinese patients?
For reasons that researchers do not fully understand, Asian patients with lung cancer tend to live longer and respond better to immunotherapies than people of other ethnicities, according to some studies.
Yet China has a very high rate of smoking, and former smokers tend to fare worse when they get lung cancer. Further complicating the picture is differences in treatment — the cancer drugs typically used in China are often not the same as in the United States.
“In general, things look better in China,” said Dr. Peter Marks, who was a longtime FDA official before resigning last year.
“It’s a fraught area right now. I think many of us have real concerns.”
Marks, who has since joined Eli Lilly as an executive overseeing its work on infectious diseases, stressed that he was not speaking for Lilly.
On the other side of the debate are
those who warn that throttling competition from China would deprive Americans of new medicines. Ultimately, they say, the best data, no matter where it comes from, should win out.
In clinical trials, “patients either do well or they don’t, at the end of the day,” said Bob Duggan, a co-chief executive of Summit Therapeutics, based in Miami.
Summit bought the rights to the experimental drug from China, ivonescimab, that got top billing at ASCO. The company is testing the drug in separate studies in American patients, and is seeking to bring it to market in the United States and other parts of the world. The Chinese company that invented the drug, Akeso Biopharma, already sells it in China.
Its lung cancer study data, presented at ASCO’s plenary session, compared death rates in patients who received ivonescimab along with chemotherapy, compared with those who got standard treatment with chemotherapy and a drug that unleashes the immune system to fight the tumor. Those who got ivonescimab had a 34% lower death rate, according to the study published Sunday in the Lancet.
“It’s not a home run, but it’s not a loss,” said Dr. Roy Herbst, incoming director of the Dartmouth Cancer Center. The improvement, he added, was “incremental.”
China’s rising influence
In the last few years, the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies have been filling their pipelines by turning to China, where prices are low, regulatory hurdles are fewer, and development timelines are quick.
So far this year, about half of such ma-
jor deals involved a drug from China, up from next to nothing in the 2010s, according to DealForma, which tracks drug industry transactions.
That trend will be on vivid display at ASCO. Beyond ivonescimab, other presentations feature experimental cancer drugs invented and tested in China that have been scooped up by big drugmakers like Pfizer, Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb.
In particular, the drug bought by Merck impressed the field with results, announced earlier this month, showing it slowed tumor progression in Chinese patients with advanced lung cancer.
A Chinese company typically retains the rights to sell its drug in China. The big drugmakers buy the U.S. rights, spurning offerings from American startups that are developing similar medicines.
Critics of China also point to an increasingly worrisome pattern. Chinese drug developers race to essentially copy U.S. inventions. As protection, some U.S. biotech startups have imposed new measures to maintain secrecy, like refusing to publish papers or present posters at conferences.
For now, big multinational pharmaceutical companies are developing most drugs invented in China for introduction to the U.S. market. But some fear that if more Chinese companies assume a direct role, American patients could become dangerously reliant on the Chinese government for access to vital brand-name drugs.
There is a risk, Marks said, of “creating a new Strait of Hormuz.”
Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., has called for prohibiting the FDA from reviewing data from China and curbing the dealmaking between major U.S. drugmakers and Chinese companies. But his proposals have not gained much traction.
LEGAL NOTICE
TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA ESTADO LIBRE
ASOCIADO DE PUERTO
RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA DE PUERTO RICO SALA SUPERIOR DE AGUADILLA GISELA
BARRETO PELLOT Peticionarias EX-PARTE
Civil Núm.: AG2026CV00478. Sobre: EXPEDIENTE DE DOMINIO. Catastro Número: (025-010-031-40-001). EMPLAZAMIENTO POR 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 MÁS ADELANTE SE DESCRIBIRÁ 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:// 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 expresarse dentro del referido término, el Tribunal podrá dictar sentencia, previo a escuchar la prueba de valor de la parte peticionaria en su contra, 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. “RUSTICA: predio de terreno identificado con la letra A en el plano, ubicado en la Calle Pardillo del barrio Ga-
lateo Bajo de Isabela, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de trece mil cuatrocientos setenta punto dos mil seiscientos veintinueve (13,470.2629) metros cuadrados. En lindes al NORTE, con Sonia Pellot Tavarez; al SUR, con Agustín Hernández; al ESTE, con terrenos pertenecientes a Pedro Figueroa Mercado, Octavio V. Colon Colon, Melody Acevedo Segui, Zoraida Figueroa Rosado y Zohei Lavina Pellot González; y al OESTE, con Sonia Pellot Tavarez y con Agustín Hernández.” Catastro número: 025-010-031-40-001. Representa a la parte peticionaria el abogado cuya información se consigna de inmediato: Lcdo. Moisés Rodríguez Torres R.U.A. Núm. 17201 P.O. Box 1661, Isabela, Puerto Rico, 00662 Tel / Fax: (787) 872-1277 moisesrod2001@gmail.com
Se le informa, además, que el Tribunal ha señalado vista en este caso para el 11 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2026, A LAS 2:45 DE LA TARDE, mediante videoconferencia, a la cual usted puede comparecer asistido por abogado 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, para que comparezcan si quieren alegar su derecho. Toda primera mención de persona natural y/o jurídica que se mencione en el mismo, se identificará en letra tamaño 10 puntos y negrillas, conforme a lo dispuesto en las Reglas de Procedimiento Civil, 2009. 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. En Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, a 29 de abril de 2026. SARAHI REYES PÉREZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. ARLENE GUZMÁN PABÓN, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE VEGA BAJA HACIENDA DEL MAR
OWNERS
ASSOCIATION, INC.
Demandante Vs. MARGARET MARY NEWHALL, T/C/C/ MARGARET NEWHALL
Demandados Civil Núm.: VB2024CV00494. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO.
EDICTO DE SUBASTA (B51219, Finca 16,481). Yo, ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ
COLLAZO, Alguacil del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Vega Baja, al Público
HAGO SABER: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que se me libró con fecha de 24 de febrero de 2026 por la Secretaría de este Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor con dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o letra bancaria con similar garantía, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada de epígrafe sobre la siguiente propiedad inmueble perteneciente a la parte demandada, la cual se describe a continuación: Número de Catastro: Apartamento Multivacacional: B512, Semana 19. CONDOMINIO CLUB VACACIONAL
HACIENDA DEL MAR de Vega Alta. Cabida: 101.42 Metros Cuadrados. This specific vacation club right is coupled with a special property right to the above mentioned Unit B-512 and includes the right to use such unit during the 19 week of each year until December 31, of the year 2070, such week commencing at 12:00 noon on the 19 Saturday of each calendar year and ending at 12:00 noon of the same day of the following week, coupled with the membership in the Hyatt Vacation Club o a successor club. Notwithstanding this specific vacation club right allocation of right to use a specific week in Unit B-512 the use of the said unit during the described time interval is subject to the exercise by the owner of certain priority rights during a fixed period of the prior to the commencement of said interval. In the absence of such exercise, other owners of vacation club rights in the Haciendas del Mar, Vacation Club Regime and owners of timeshare or vacation club rights in resorts throughout the world affiliated to the Hyatt Vacation Club, may use the unit to with this vacation right pertains during the above described interval on a first come, first come, first serve reservation basis, and the owner of this vacation club right may use units of this Vacation Club Regime and in such other affiliated resorts, as more fully described in the Deed of Dedication of Hacienda del Mar, a Vacation Club Regime to the vacation club regime. This vacation club right has been assigned a share of 1/52 of 1.2575% in the Facilities and common expenses of the vacation club regime. Esta descripción de la propiedad corresponde a la finca número 16,481 inscrito por asiento
abreviado al folio 4385 del tomo 332 de Vega Alta, Registro de la Propiedad Bayamón, Sección III. La venta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a Hacienda del Mar Owners Associaton, Inc. el importe de la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por la siguiente cantidad: $15,185.88, por concepto de cuotas de mantenimiento de los elementos comunes correspondientes a la unidad B512, semana 19 del Condominio Club Vacacional Hacienda del Mar de Vega Alta. La fecha y hora de la subasta es como sigue: SUBASTA: Se celebrará el día 2 DE JULIO DE 2026, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta de dicha propiedad se llevará a efecto en mi oficina situada en el local que ocupa este Tribunal en el Centro Judicial de Vega Baja, advirtiéndose que el que obtuviere la buena pro de dicha propiedad consignará en el acto del remate el importe de su oferta en moneda legal, en adición a los gastos de la subasta, siendo éste el mejor postor. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante el título del inmueble y las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistiendo, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Si se declara desierta la subasta se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudicarse al demandante la finca dentro de los veinte (20) días siguientes, si así lo estimare conveniente, por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento del caso de epígrafe están disponibles en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Vega Baja, durante horas laborables. Además, están disponibles en el Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC). Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda persona que tenga interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, si alguna, y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general el presente edicto se publicará en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico dos (2) veces por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones. Se fijará, además, por espacio de dos (2) semanas mediante avisos por escrito visiblemente colocados en tres (3) lugares
públicos del Municipio donde ha de celebrarse la subasta, estos lugares serán: la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la comandancia de la Policía más cercana al Tribunal de Vega Baja. Se notificará a la parte demandada copia del edicto de subasta mediante correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Expido el presente edicto bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal de Vega Baja. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, a 14 de mayo de 2026. ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, ALGUACIL SUPERIOR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
SALA DE VEGA BAJA
HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS
ASSOCIATION, INC.
Demandante Vs. MARGARET MARY NEWHALL, T/C/C/ MARGARET NEWHALL
Demandados
Civil Núm.: VB2024CV00494. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA (B61246, Finca 15,540). Yo, ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ
COLLAZO, Alguacil del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Vega Baja, al Público HAGO SABER: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que se me libró con fecha de 24 de febrero de 2026 por la Secretaría de este Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor con dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o letra bancaria con similar garantía, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada de epígrafe sobre la siguiente propiedad inmueble perteneciente a la parte demandada, la cual se describe a continuación: Número de Catastro: Propiedad Multivacacional: Apartamento Multivacacional: B612, Semana 46. CONDOMINIO CLUB VACACIONAL
HACIENDA DEL MAR de Vega
Alta. Cabida: 101.42 Metros Cuadrados. This specific vacation club right is coupled with a special property right to the above mentioned Unit B-612 and includes the right to use such unit during the 46 week of each year until December 31, of the year 2070, such week commencing at 12:00 noon on the 46 Saturday of each calendar year and ending at 12:00 noon of the same day of the following week, coupled with the membership in the Hyatt Vacation Club o a successor club. Notwithstanding this specific vacation club right allocation of right to use a specific week in Unit
B-612 the use of the said unit during the described time interval is subject to the exercise by the owner of certain priority rights during a fixed period of the prior to the commencement of said interval. In the absence of such exercise, other owners of vacation club rights in the Haciendas del Mar, Vacation Club Regime and owners of timeshare or vacation club rights in resorts throughout the world affiliated to the Hyatt Vacation Club, may use the unit to with this vacation right pertains during the above described interval on a first come, first come, first serve reservation basis, and the owner of this vacation club right may use units of this Vacation Club Regime and in such other affiliated resorts, as more fully described in the Deed of Dedication of Hacienda del Mar, a Vacation Club Regime to the vacation club regime. This vacation club right has been assigned a share of 1/52 of 1.2575% in the Facilities and common expenses of the vacation club regime. Esta descripción de la propiedad corresponde a la finca número 15,540 inscrito en tomo de hoja móvil número 87 de Vega Alta, Registro de la Propiedad Bayamón, Sección III. La venta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a Hacienda del Mar Owners Associaton, Inc. el importe de la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por la siguiente cantidad: $14,875.16, por concepto de cuotas de mantenimiento de los elementos comunes correspondientes a la unidad B612, semana 46 del Condominio Club Vacacional Hacienda del Mar de Vega Alta. La fecha y hora de la subasta es como sigue: SUBASTA: Se celebrará el día 2 DE JULIO DE 2026, A LAS 9:40 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta de dicha propiedad se llevará a efecto en mi oficina situada en el local que ocupa este Tribunal en el Centro Judicial de Vega Baja, advirtiéndose que el que obtuviere la buena pro de dicha propiedad consignará en el acto del remate el importe de su oferta en moneda legal, en adición a los gastos de la subasta, siendo éste el mejor postor. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante el título del inmueble y las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistiendo, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Si se declara desierta la subasta se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudi-
carse al demandante la finca dentro de los veinte (20) días siguientes, si así lo estimare conveniente, por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento del caso de epígrafe están disponibles en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Vega Baja, durante horas laborables. Además, están disponibles en el Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC). Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda persona que tenga interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, si alguna, y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general el presente edicto se publicará en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico dos (2) veces por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones. Se fijará, además, por espacio de dos (2) semanas mediante avisos por escrito visiblemente colocados en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio donde ha de celebrarse la subasta, estos lugares serán: la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la comandancia de la Policía más cercana al Tribunal de Vega Baja. Se notificará a la parte demandada copia del edicto de subasta mediante correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Expido el presente edicto bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal de Vega Baja. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, a 14 de mayo de 2026. ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, ALGUACIL SUPERIOR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE VEGA BAJA. HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS
ASSOCIATION, INC.
DEMANDANTE VS. MARGARET MARY NEWHALL, t/c/c/ MARGARET NEWHALL DEMANDADOS
CIVIL NUM. : VB2024CV00494. SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA (B512-45, Finca 15,512). Yo, FREDDY OMAR RODRIGUEZ COLLAZO, Alguacil del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Vega Baja, al Público HAGO SABER: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que se me libró con fecha de 24 de febrero de 2026 por la Secretaría de este Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública
subasta y al mejor postor con dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o letra bancaria con similar garantía, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada de epígrafe sobre la siguiente propiedad inmueble perteneciente a la parte demandada, la cual se describe a continuación: Número de Catastro: Apartamento Multivacacional: B512, Semana 45. CONDOMINIO CLUB VACACIONAL HACIENDA DEL MAR de Vega Alta. Cabida: 101.42 Metros Cuadrados. This specific vacation club right is coupled with a special property right to the above mentioned Unit B-512 and includes the right to use such unit during the 45 week of each year until December 31, of the year 2070, such week commencing at 12:00 noon on the 45 Saturday of each calendar year and ending at 12:00 noon of the same day of the following week, coupled with the membership in the Hyatt Vacation Club o a successor club. Notwithstanding this specific vacation club right allocation of right to use a specific week in Unit B-512 the use of the said unit during the described time interval is subject to the exercise by the owner of certain priority rights during a fixed period of the prior to the commencement of said interval. In the absence of such exercise, other owners of vacation club rights in the Haciendas del Mar, Vacation Club Regime and owners of timeshare or vacation club rights in resorts throughout the world affiliated to the Hyatt Vacation Club, may use the unit to with this vacation right pertains during the above described interval on a first come, first come, first serve reservation basis, and the owner of this vacation club right may use units of this Vacation Club Regime and in such other affiliated resorts, as more fully described in the Deed of Dedication of Hacienda del Mar, a Vacation Club Regime to the vacation club regime. This vacation club right has been assigned a share of 1/52 of 1.2575% in the Facilities and common expenses of the vacation club regime. Esta descripción de la propiedad corresponde a la finca número 15,512 inscrito en tomo de hoja móvil número 86 de Vega Alta, Registro de la Propiedad Bayamón, Sección III. La venta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a Hacienda del Mar Owners Associaton, Inc. el importe de la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por la siguiente cantidad: $15,015.98, por concepto de cuotas de mantenimiento de los elementos comunes correspondientes a la unidad B512, semana 45
del Condominio Club Vacacional Hacienda del Mar de Vega Alta. La fecha y hora de la subasta es como sigue: Subasta: Se celebrará el día 2 de julio de 2026, a las 9:35 a.m. La subasta de dicha propiedad se llevará a efecto en mi oficina situada en el local que ocupa este Tribunal en el Centro Judicial de Vega Baja, advirtiéndose que el que obtuviere la buena pro de dicha propiedad consignará en el acto del remate el importe de su oferta en moneda legal, en adición a los gastos de la subasta, siendo éste el mejor postor. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante el título del inmueble y las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistiendo, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Si se declara desierta la subasta se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudicarse al demandante la finca dentro de los veinte (20) días siguientes, si así lo estimare conveniente, por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento del caso de epígrafe están disponibles en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Vega Baja, durante horas laborables. Además, están disponibles en el Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC). Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda persona que tenga interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, si alguna, y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general el presente edicto se publicará en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico dos (2) veces por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones. Se fijará, además, por espacio de dos (2) semanas mediante avisos por escrito visiblemente colocados en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio donde ha de celebrarse la subasta, estos lugares serán: la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la comandancia de la Policía más cercana al Tribunal de Vega Baja. Se notificará a la parte demandada copia del edicto de subasta mediante correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Expido el presente edicto bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal de Vega Baja. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, a 14 de MAYO de 2026. FREDDY OMAR RODRIGUEZ COLLAZO, ALGUACIL SUPERIOR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU-
NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CIDRA HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. Demandante Vs. MARIA ISABEL PÉREZ PLANELLAS y ADA DEL CARMEN PÉREZ PLANELLAS
Demandados Civil Núm.: CD2024CV00362. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. Yo, ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, Alguacil del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Vega Baja, al Público HAGO SABER: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que se me libró con fecha de 27 de abril de 2026 por la Secretaría de este Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor con dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o letra bancaria con similar garantía, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada de epígrafe sobre la siguiente propiedad inmueble perteneciente a la parte demandada, la cual se describe a continuación: Número de Catastro: Propiedad Multivacacional: Apartamento Multivacacional: B-708 SEMANA 15. CONDOMINIO CLUB VACACIONAL HACIENDA DEL MAR de Vega Alta. Cabida: 101.42 Metros Cuadrados. Located in the Sabana Ward of the Municipality of Vega Alta. This specific vacation club right is coupled with a special property right to the above mentioned unit B-708 and includes the right to use such unit during 15 week of each year until December 31 of the year 2070, such week commencing at 12:noon on the 15 Saturday of each calendar year and ending at 12:00 noon of the same day of the following week, coupled with the membership in the Hyatt Vacation Club o a successor club. Notwithstanding this specific vacation club right allocation of a right to use a specific week in unit B-708, the use of the said unit during the described time interval is subject to the exercise by the owner of certain priority rights during a fixed period of the time prior to the commencement of said interval. In the absence of such exercise, other owners of vacation club rights in the Haciendas del Mar, Vacation Club Regime and other owners of timeshare or vacation club rights in resorts throughout the world affiliated to the Hyatt Vacation club, may use the unit to with this vacation right pertains during the above described interval on a first come, first serve reservation basis, and the owner of this vacation club right may use units of this vacation club Regime and in such other affiliated resorts, as more fully described in the
Deed of Dedication of Haciendas del Mar, a Vacation Club Regime to the vacation club regime. This vacation club right has been assigned a share of 1/52 of 1.2194% in the facilities and common expenses of the vacation club regime. Se separa de la finca 14170, inscrito al folio 201 del tomo 257 de Vega Alta. Esta descripción de la propiedad corresponde a la finca número 18258 inscrito en tomo de hoja móvil número 105 de Vega Alta, según inscripción 1ra. La venta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a Hacienda del Mar Owners Associaton, Inc. el importe de la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por la siguiente cantidad: $13,611.30 por concepto de principal de cuotas de mantenimiento de los elementos comunes correspondientes a la unidad B 708, semana 15, del complejo vacacional Hacienda del Mar La fecha y hora de la subasta es como sigue: SUBASTA: Se celebrará el día 2 DE JULIO DE 2026, A LAS 9:45 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta de dicha propiedad se llevará a efecto en mi oficina situada en el local que ocupa este Tribunal en el Centro Judicial de Vega Baja, advirtiéndose que el que obtuviere la buena pro de dicha propiedad consignará en el acto del remate el importe de su oferta en moneda legal, en adición a los gastos de la subasta, siendo éste el mejor postor. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante el título del inmueble y las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistiendo, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Si se declara desierta la subasta se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudicarse al demandante la finca dentro de los veinte (20) días siguientes, si así lo estimare conveniente, por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento del caso de epígrafe están disponibles en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Cidra, durante horas laborables. Además, están disponibles en el Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC). Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda persona que tenga interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, si alguna, y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general el presente edicto se publicará en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico dos (2) veces por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones.
Se fijará, además, por espacio de dos (2) semanas mediante avisos por escrito visiblemente colocados en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio donde ha de celebrarse la subasta, estos lugares serán: la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la comandancia de la Policía más cercana al Tribunal de Vega Baja. Se notificará a la parte demandada copia del edicto de subasta mediante correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Expido el presente edicto bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal de Vega Baja. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, a 14 de mayo de 2026. ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, ALGUACIL SUPERIOR. LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CAROLINA HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
Demandante Vs. ZULMA IVETTE RIVERA CASTILLO
Demandados Civil Núm.: CA2024CV03148. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. Yo, ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, Alguacil del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Vega Baja, al Público HAGO SABER: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que se me libró con fecha de 30 de abril de 2026 por la Secretaría de este Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor con dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o letra bancaria con similar garantía, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada de epígrafe sobre la siguiente propiedad inmueble perteneciente a la parte demandada, la cual se describe a continuación: Número de Catastro: Propiedad Multivacacional: Apartamento Multivacacional: A-306 SEMANA 22. CONDOMINIO CLUB VACACIONAL HACIENDA DEL MAR de Vega Alta. Cabida: 101.42 Metros Cuadrados. Located in the Sabana Ward of the Municipality of Vega Alta. This specific vacation club right is coupled with a special property right to the above mentioned unit A-306 and includes the right to use such unit during 22 week of each year until December 31 of the year 2070, such week commencing at 12:noon on the 22 Saturday of each calendar year and ending at 12:00 noon of the same day of the following week, coupled with the membership in the Hyatt Vacation Club o a successor club. Notwithstanding this specific vacation club right allocation of a right to use a specific week in unit A-306, the use of the said unit during the described time interval is
subject to the exercise by the owner of certain priority rights during a fixed period of the time prior to the commencement of said interval. In the absence of such exercise, other owners of vacation club rights in the Haciendas del Mar, Vacation Club Regime and other owners of timeshare or vacation club rights in resorts throughout the world affiliated to the Hyatt Vacation club, may use the unit to with this vacation right pertains during the above described interval on a first come, first serve reservation basis, and the owner of this vacation club right may use units of this vacation club Regime and in such other affiliated resorts, as more fully described in the Deed of Dedication of Haciendas del Mar, a Vacation Club Regime to the vacation club regime. This vacation club right has been assigned a share of 1/52 2.63132% in the facilities and common expenses of the vacation club regime. Se separa de la finca 12642, inscrito al folio 55 del tomo 232 de Vega Alta. Esta descripción de la propiedad corresponde a la finca número 13141 inscrito en tomo de hoja móvil número 49 de Vega Alta, según inscripción 1ra. La venta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a Hacienda del Mar Owners Associaton, Inc. el importe de la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por la siguiente cantidad: $18,800.58 por concepto de principal de cuotas de mantenimiento de los elementos comunes correspondientes a la unidad A306, semana 22, del complejo vacacional Hacienda del Mar La fecha y hora de la subasta es como sigue: SUBASTA: Se celebrará el día 2 DE JULIO DE 2026, A LAS 9:50 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta de dicha propiedad se llevará a efecto en mi oficina situada en el local que ocupa este Tribunal en el Centro Judicial de Vega Baja, advirtiéndose que el que obtuviere la buena pro de dicha propiedad consignará en el acto del remate el importe de su oferta en moneda legal, en adición a los gastos de la subasta, siendo éste el mejor postor. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante el título del inmueble y las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistiendo, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Si se declara desierta la subasta se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudicarse al demandante la finca dentro de los veinte (20) días siguientes, si así lo estimare conveniente, por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento del caso de epígrafe es-
tán disponibles en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Carolina, durante horas laborables. Además, están disponibles en el Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC). Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda persona que tenga interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, si alguna, y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general el presente edicto se publicará en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico dos (2) veces por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones. Se fijará, además, por espacio de dos (2) semanas mediante avisos por escrito visiblemente colocados en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio donde ha de celebrarse la subasta, estos lugares serán: la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la comandancia de la Policía más cercana al Tribunal de Vega Baja. Se notificará a la parte demandada copia del edicto de subasta mediante correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Expido el presente edicto bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal de Vega Baja. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, a 14 de mayo de 2026. ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, ALGUACIL SUPERIOR. LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CIALES HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
Demandante Vs. GLORIA HAYDEE
BURGOS GREGORY, SUCESIÓN DE ANGEL RAFAEL CABIYA SAN MIGUEL, COMPUESTA POR MILDRED HAYDEE, IVELISSE DEL CARMEN Y ÁNGEL RAFAEL, TODOS DE ABELLIDOS CABIYA BURGOS
Demandados
Civil Núm.: CI2025CV00368. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. Yo, ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, Alguacil del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Vega Baja, al Público HAGO SABER: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que se me libró con fecha de 1 de mayo de 2026 por la Secretaría de este Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor con dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o letra bancaria con similar garantía, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada de epígrafe
sobre la siguiente propiedad inmueble perteneciente a la parte demandada, la cual se describe a continuación: Número de Catastro: Propiedad Multivacacional: Apartamento Multivacacional: A-503 SEMANA 25 CONDOMINIO CLUB VACACIONAL HACIENDA DEL MAR de Vega Alta. Cabida: 101.42 Metros Cuadrados. Located in the Sabana Ward of the Municipality of Vega Alta. This specific vacation club right is coupled with a special property right to the above mentioned unit A-503 and includes the right to use such unit during 25 week of each year until December 31 of the year 2070, such week commencing at 12:noon on the 25 Saturday of each calendar year and ending at 12:00 noon of the same day of the following week, coupled with the membership in the Hyatt Vacation Club o a successor club. Notwithstanding this specific vacation club right allocation of a right to use a specific week in unit A-503, the use of the said unit during the described time interval is subject to the exercise by the owner of certain priority rights during a fixed period of the time prior to the commencement of said interval. In the absence of such exercise, other owners of vacation club rights in the Haciendas del Mar, Vacation Club Regime and other owners of timeshare or vacation club rights in resorts throughout the world affiliated to the Hyatt Vacation club, may use the unit to with this vacation right pertains during the above described interval on a first come, first serve reservation basis, and the owner of this vacation club right may use units of this vacation club Regime and in such other affiliated resorts, as more fully described in the Deed of Dedication of Haciendas del Mar, a Vacation Club Regime to the vacation club regime. This vacation club right has been assigned a share of 1/52 of 2.63132% in the facilities and common expenses of the vacation club regime. Se separa de la finca 12651, inscrito al folio 100 del tomo 232 de Vega Alta. Esta descripción de la propiedad corresponde a la finca número 12929 inscrito en tomo de hoja móvil número 46 de Vega Alta, según inscripción 1ra. La venta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a Hacienda del Mar Owners Associaton, Inc. el importe de la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por la siguiente cantidad: $11,721.12 por concepto de principal de cuotas de mantenimiento de los elementos comunes correspondientes a la unidad A503, semana 25, del complejo vacacional Hacienda del Mar La fecha y hora de la subasta es como sigue: SUBASTA: Se celebrará el día 2 DE JULIO DE 2026, A LAS 9:55 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta de dicha propiedad se llevará a
efecto en mi oficina situada en el local que ocupa este Tribunal en el Centro Judicial de Vega Baja, advirtiéndose que el que obtuviere la buena pro de dicha propiedad consignará en el acto del remate el importe de su oferta en moneda legal, en adición a los gastos de la subasta, siendo éste el mejor postor. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante el título del inmueble y las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistiendo, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Si se declara desierta la subasta se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudicarse al demandante la finca dentro de los veinte (20) días siguientes, si así lo estimare conveniente, por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento del caso de epígrafe están disponibles en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Ciales, durante horas laborables. Además, están disponibles en el Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC). Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda persona que tenga interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, si alguna, y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general el presente edicto se publicará en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico dos (2) veces por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones. Se fijará, además, por espacio de dos (2) semanas mediante avisos por escrito visiblemente colocados en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio donde ha de celebrarse la subasta, estos lugares serán: la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la comandancia de la Policía más cercana al Tribunal de Vega Baja. Se notificará a la parte demandada copia del edicto de subasta mediante correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Expido el presente edicto bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal de Vega Baja. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, a 14 de mayo de 2026. ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, ALGUACIL SUPERIOR. LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE VEGA BAJA HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. Demandante Vs. JOHN C. ESPOSITO,
BARBARA DENISE
ESPOSITO T/C/C
BARBARA DENISE
BURNS Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES, COMPUESTA POR AMBOS
Demandados
Civil Núm.: VB2024CV00639. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. Yo, ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, Alguacil del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Vega Baja, al Público HAGO SABER: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que se me libró con fecha de 1 de mayo de 2026 por la Secretaría de este Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor con dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o letra bancaria con similar garantía, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada de epígrafe sobre la siguiente propiedad inmueble perteneciente a la parte demandada, la cual se describe a continuación: Número de Catastro: Propiedad Multivacacional: Apartamento Multivacacional: B-706 SEMANA 11. CONDOMINIO CLUB VACACIONAL HACIENDA DEL MAR de Vega Alta. Cabida: 101.42 Metros Cuadrados. Located in the Sabana Ward of the Municipality of Vega Alta. This specific vacation club right is coupled with a special property right to the above mentioned unit B-706 and includes the right to use such unit during 11 week of each year until December 31 of the year 2070, such week commencing at 12:noon on the 11 Saturday of each calendar year and ending at 12:00 noon of the same day of the following week, coupled with the membership in the Hyatt Vacation Club o a successor club. Notwithstanding this specific vacation club right allocation of a right to use a specific week in unit B-706, the use of the said unit during the described time interval is subject to the exercise by the owner of certain priority rights during a fixed period of the time prior to the commencement of said interval. In the absence of such exercise, other owners of vacation club rights in the Haciendas del Mar, Vacation Club Regime and other owners of timeshare or vacation club rights in resorts throughout the world affiliated to the Hyatt Vacation club, may use the unit to with this vacation right pertains during the above described interval on a first come, first serve reservation basis, and the owner of this vacation club right may use units of this vacation club Regime and in such other affiliated resorts, as more fully described in the Deed of Dedication of Haciendas del Mar, a Vacation Club
Regime to the vacation club regime. This vacation club right has been assigned a share of 1/52 of 1.2194% in the facilities and common expenses of the vacation club regime. Se separa de la finca 14168, inscrito al folio 191 del tomo 257 de Vega Alta. Esta descripción de la propiedad corresponde a la finca número 18159 inscrito en tomo de hoja móvil número 104 de Vega Alta, según inscripción 1ra. La venta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a Hacienda del Mar Owners Associaton, Inc. el importe de la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por la siguiente cantidad: $11,956.69 por concepto de principal de cuotas de mantenimiento de los elementos comunes correspondientes a la unidad B706, semana 11, del complejo vacacional Hacienda del Mar La fecha y hora de la subasta es como sigue: Subasta: Se celebrará el día 2 DE JULIO DE 2026, A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta de dicha propiedad se llevará a efecto en mi oficina situada en el local que ocupa este Tribunal en el Centro Judicial de Vega Baja, advirtiéndose que el que obtuviere la buena pro de dicha propiedad consignará en el acto del remate el importe de su oferta en moneda legal, en adición a los gastos de la subasta, siendo éste el mejor postor. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante el título del inmueble y las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistiendo, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Si se declara desierta la subasta se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudicarse al demandante la finca dentro de los veinte (20) días siguientes, si así lo estimare conveniente, por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento del caso de epígrafe están disponibles en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Vega Baja, durante horas laborables. Además, están disponibles en el Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC). Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda persona que tenga interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, si alguna, y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general el presente edicto se publicará en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico dos (2) veces por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones. Se fijará, además, por espacio
de dos (2) semanas mediante avisos por escrito visiblemente colocados en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio donde ha de celebrarse la subasta, estos lugares serán: la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la comandancia de la Policía más cercana al Tribunal de Vega Baja. Se notificará a la parte demandada copia del edicto de subasta mediante correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Expido el presente edicto bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal de Vega Baja. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, a 14 de mayo de 2026. ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, ALGUACIL SUPERIOR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE VEGA BAJA HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS
ASSOCIATION, INC.
Demandante Vs. RAMON LORCA MONTE, MARIA DOLORES RODRIGUEZ ROGER Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES, COMPUESTA POR AMBOS
Demandados Civil Núm.: VB2025CV00321. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. Yo, ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, Alguacil del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Vega Baja, al Público HAGO SABER: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que se me libró con fecha de 1 de mayo de 2026 por la Secretaría de este Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor con dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o letra bancaria con similar garantía, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada de epígrafe sobre la siguiente propiedad inmueble perteneciente a la parte demandada, la cual se describe a continuación: Número de Catastro: Propiedad Multivacacional: Apartamento Multivacacional: A-606 SEMANA 32. CONDOMINIO CLUB VACACIONAL HACIENDA DEL MAR de Vega Alta. Cabida: 101.42 Metros Cuadrados. Located in the Sabana Ward of the Municipality of Vega Alta. This specific vacation club right is coupled with a special property right to the above mentioned unit A-606 and includes the right to use such unit during 32 week of each year until December 31 of the year 2070, such week commencing at 12:noon on the 32 Saturday of each calendar year and ending at 12:00 noon of the same day of the following week, coupled with the membership in the Hyatt Vacation Club o a successor club. Notwithstan-
ding this specific vacation club right allocation of a right to use a specific week in unit A-606, the use of the said unit during the described time interval is subject to the exercise by the owner of certain priority rights during a fixed period of the time prior to the commencement of said interval. In the absence of such exercise, other owners of vacation club rights in the Haciendas del Mar, Vacation Club Regime and other owners of timeshare or vacation club rights in resorts throughout the world affiliated to the Hyatt Vacation club, may use the unit to with this vacation right pertains during the above described interval on a first come, first serve reservation basis, and the owner of this vacation club right may use units of this vacation club Regime and in such other affiliated resorts, as more fully described in the Deed of Dedication of Haciendas del Mar, a Vacation Club Regime to the vacation club regime. This vacation club right has been assigned a share of 1/52 of 2.63132% in the facilities and common expenses of the vacation club regime. Se separa del Régimen Vacacional Haciendas del Mar, inscrita al folio 145 del tomo 232 de Vega Alta finca 12660. Esta descripción de la propiedad corresponde a la finca número 13639 inscrito en tomo de hoja móvil número 57 de Vega Alta, según inscripción 1ra. La venta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a Hacienda del Mar Owners Associaton, Inc. el importe de la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por la siguiente cantidad: $17,671.09 por concepto de principal de cuotas de mantenimiento de los elementos comunes correspondientes a la unidad A606, semana 32, del complejo vacacional Hacienda del Mar. La fecha y hora de la subasta es como sigue: Subasta: Se celebrará el día 2 DE JULIO DE 2026, A LAS 10:05 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta de dicha propiedad se llevará a efecto en mi oficina situada en el local que ocupa este Tribunal en el Centro Judicial de Vega Baja, advirtiéndose que el que obtuviere la buena pro de dicha propiedad consignará en el acto del remate el importe de su oferta en moneda legal, en adición a los gastos de la subasta, siendo éste el mejor postor. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante el título del inmueble y las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistiendo, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Si se declara desierta la subasta se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudicarse al demandante la finca
dentro de los veinte (20) días siguientes, si así lo estimare conveniente, por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento del caso de epígrafe están disponibles en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Vega Baja, durante horas laborables. Además, están disponibles en el Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC). Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda persona que tenga interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, si alguna, y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general el presente edicto se publicará en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico dos (2) veces por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones. Se fijará, además, por espacio de dos (2) semanas mediante avisos por escrito visiblemente colocados en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio donde ha de celebrarse la subasta, estos lugares serán: la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la comandancia de la Policía más cercana al Tribunal de Vega Baja. Se notificará a la parte demandada copia del edicto de subasta mediante correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Expido el presente edicto bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal de Vega Baja. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, a 14 de mayo de 2026. ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, ALGUACIL SUPERIOR. LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE VEGA BAJA HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. Demandante Vs. WILLIAM SALVATORE CAPRIO Y PAULA MADELINE OLSON Demandados
Civil Núm.: VB2024CV01024. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. Yo, ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, Alguacil del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Vega Baja, al Público HAGO SABER: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que se me libró con fecha de 1 de mayo de 2026 por la Secretaría de este Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor con dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o letra bancaria con similar garantía, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada de epígrafe sobre la siguiente propiedad in-
mueble perteneciente a la parte demandada, la cual se describe a continuación: Número de Catastro: Propiedad Multivacacional: Apartamento Multivacacional: B-111 SEMANA 4. CONDOMINIO CLUB VACACIONAL HACIENDA DEL MAR de Vega Alta. Cabida: 101.42 Metros Cuadrados. Located in the Sabana Ward of the Municipality of Vega Alta. This specific vacation club right is coupled with a special property right to the above mentioned unit B-111 and includes the right to use such unit during 4 week of each year until December 31 of the year 2070, such week commencing at 12:noon on the 4 Saturday of each calendar year and ending at 12:00 noon of the same day of the following week, coupled with the membership in the Hyatt Vacation Club o a successor club. Notwithstanding this specific vacation club right allocation of a right to use a specific week in unit B-111, the use of the said unit during the described time interval is subject to the exercise by the owner of certain priority rights during a fixed period of the time prior to the commencement of said interval. In the absence of such exercise, other owners of vacation club rights in the Haciendas del Mar, Vacation Club Regime and other owners of timeshare or vacation club rights in resorts throughout the world affiliated to the Hyatt Vacation club, may use the unit to with this vacation right pertains during the above described interval on a first come, first serve reservation basis, and the owner of this vacation club right may use units of this vacation club Regime and in such other affiliated resorts, as more fully described in the Deed of Dedication of Haciendas del Mar, a Vacation Club Regime to the vacation club regime. This vacation club right has been assigned a share of 1/52 of 1.2194% in the facilities and common expenses of the vacation club regime. Se separa de la finca 14135, inscrito al folio 26 del tomo 259 de Vega Alta. Esta descripción de la propiedad corresponde a la finca número 17099 inscrito en tomo de hoja móvil número 98 de Vega Alta, según inscripción 1ra. La venta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a Hacienda del Mar Owners Associaton, Inc. el importe de la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por la siguiente cantidad: $11,490.40 por concepto de principal de cuotas de mantenimiento de los elementos comunes correspondientes a la unidad B111, semana 4, del complejo vacacional Hacienda del Mar. La fecha y hora de la subasta es como sigue: SUBASTA: Se celebrará el día 2 DE JULIO DE 2026, A LAS 10:10 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta de dicha
propiedad se llevará a efecto en mi oficina situada en el local que ocupa este Tribunal en el Centro Judicial de Vega Baja, advirtiéndose que el que obtuviere la buena pro de dicha propiedad consignará en el acto del remate el importe de su oferta en moneda legal, en adición a los gastos de la subasta, siendo éste el mejor postor. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante el título del inmueble y las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistiendo, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Si se declara desierta la subasta se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudicarse al demandante la finca dentro de los veinte (20) días siguientes, si así lo estimare conveniente, por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento del caso de epígrafe están disponibles en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Vega Baja, durante horas laborables. Además, están disponibles en el Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC). Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda persona que tenga interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, si alguna, y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general el presente edicto se publicará en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico dos (2) veces por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones. Se fijará, además, por espacio de dos (2) semanas mediante avisos por escrito visiblemente colocados en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio donde ha de celebrarse la subasta, estos lugares serán: la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la comandancia de la Policía más cercana al Tribunal de Vega Baja. Se notificará a la parte demandada copia del edicto de subasta mediante correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Expido el presente edicto bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal de Vega Baja. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, a 14 de mayo de 2026. ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, ALGUACIL SUPERIOR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE VEGA BAJA HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS
ASSOCIATION, INC.
Demandante Vs. ROBIN JEANNE CERRATI
Demandados Civil Núm.: VB2024CV01026. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. Yo, ALG. FREDDY OMAR RODRÍGUEZ COLLAZO, Alguacil del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Vega Baja, al Público HAGO SABER: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que se me libró con fecha de 1 de mayo de 2026 por la Secretaría de este Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor con dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o letra bancaria con similar garantía, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada de epígrafe sobre la siguiente propiedad inmueble perteneciente a la parte demandada, la cual se describe a continuación: Número de Catastro: Propiedad Multivacacional: Apartamento Multivacacional: B-808 SEMANA 43. CONDOMINIO CLUB VACACIONAL HACIENDA DEL MAR de Vega Alta. Cabida: 101.42 Metros Cuadrados. Located in the Sabana Ward of the Municipality of Vega Alta. This specific vacation club right is coupled with a special property right to the above mentioned unit B-808 and includes the right to use such unit during 43 week of each year until December 31 of the year 2070, such week commencing at 12:noon on the 43 Saturday of each calendar year and ending at 12:00 noon of the same day of the following week, coupled with the membership in the Hyatt Vacation Club o a successor club. Notwithstanding this specific vacation club right allocation of a right to use a specific week in unit B-808, the use of the said unit during the described time interval is subject to the exercise by the owner of certain priority rights during a fixed period of the time prior to the commencement of said interval. In the absence of such exercise, other owners of vacation club rights in the Haciendas del Mar, Vacation Club Regime and other owners of timeshare or vacation club rights in resorts throughout the world affiliated to the Hyatt Vacation club, may use the unit to with this vacation right pertains during the above described interval on a first come, first serve reservation basis, and the owner of this vacation club right may use units of this vacation club Regime and in such other affiliated resorts, as more fully described in the Deed of Dedication of Haciendas del Mar, a Vacation Club Regime to the vacation club regime. This vacation club right has been assigned a share of 1/52 of 1.2194% in the facili-
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
The Maratonistas of Coamo defeated the Peces Voladores of Salinas 7-2 on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the Double-A South section finals with their eighth straight victory going back to the regular season.
By THE STAR STAFF
The Maratonistas of Coamo and the Patrulleros of San Sebastián won their respective sectional finals games on Sunday as Superior Double-A Baseball League postseason play continued.
Coamo defeated the Peces Voladores of Salinas, 7-2, for its eighth straight victory.
The Maratonistas began the streak by winning its final three games of the regular season. They then swept the Brujos of Guayama 3-0 in the sectional semifinals and now hold a 2-0 lead in the Southern Section Finals.
A solo home run by Luis Rodríguez broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Maratonistas the lead in the seventh inning. A fourrun outburst in the next inning extended their advantage. William Rivera also homered for Coamo.
Reinaldo Espada pitched 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the win in relief, while Jean Ramos took the loss after allowing
By THE STAR STAFF
The Valencianas of Juncos, the Prodigiosas of Sabana Grande and the Leonas of Ponce all opened the Women’s Softball Premier League (LPSF by its initials in Spanish) season with victories.
Juncos swept a doubleheader against the Costaneras of Guánica with scores of 10-0 and 11-1 at Felipe Díaz Park in Juncos.
In the first game, Xeana Kamalani pitched three innings, recording four strikeouts to earn the victory. Additionally, Alexis Bermúdez struck out all three batters she faced during an inning in relief.
The Valencianas offense was led by Stormy Kotzelnick, who stole three bases, scored three runs, and drove in one run to emerge as the game’s standout player.
In the second game, Venezuelan pitcher Alondra Pérez dominated from the circle, striking out six batters over three innings of work.
At the plate, Elicia D’Orazio and Gretchen Negrón each drove
four runs over 2.1 innings.
In the Northwest Section, the Patrulleros of San Sebastián rallied to tie their series with a 4-3 victory in 11 innings over the Libertadores of Hormigueros.
A single by Boris Rodríguez drove in Jesús Tavares for the go-ahead run. Reliever Oscar Rivera was credited with the win after pitching two innings, while closer Marvin Galarza took the loss.
Rolando Camacho hit a home run for the Patrulleros in the ninth inning. Tavares and Camacho each collected three hits to lead San Sebastián’s offense.
Juncos’ Xeana Kamalani pitched three innings, recording four strikeouts, to earn the victory in the opening game of a doubleheader sweep.
in three runs to lead Juncos.
Meanwhile, the Prodigiosas and the Leonas of Ponce split a doubleheader held at Toño Feliciano Park in Ponce.
The Prodigiosas took the first game, 7-2, thanks to a solid performance by Morgan Smith, who pitched all six innings to earn her second victory of the season.
Sabana Grande’s Chloe Malau’ulu hit the first home run of the 2026 LPSF season.
The Leonas responded in the second game with a 9-2 victory. Nachally Rivera pitched all five innings to earn the win, while Janiliz Rivera led the offense with two runs batted in.
Separately, the doubleheader between the Caribeñas of Salinas and the Grises of Humacao was postponed due to rain.
The first game has been rescheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Julia Díaz García Park in Humacao.
NBA Conference Finals (Best-of-7)
Western Conference
Game 1
San Antonio Spurs 122, Oklahoma City Thunder 115 (2OT)
Game 2
Oklahoma City 122, San Antonio 113
Game 3
Oklahoma City 123, San Antonio 108
Game 4
San Antonio 103, Oklahoma City 82
Game 5
Oklahoma City 127, San Antonio 114
Game 6
San Antonio 118, Oklahoma City 91
Game 7 (San Antonio wins series 4-3) San Antonio 111, Oklahoma City 103
Eastern Conference Game 1
New York Knicks 115, Cleveland Cavaliers 104 (OT)
Game 2
New York 109, Cleveland 93
Game 3
New York 121, Cleveland 108
Game 4 (New York wins series 4-0) New York 130, Cleveland 93
NBA Finals (Best-of-7; all times Eastern) Game 1
Wednesday
New York Knicks at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. (ABC)
Game 2
Friday
New York at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. (ABC)
By THE STAR STAFF
Nicholas Snyder and Lauren Kettlewell were crowned champions of the 2026 National Tennis Championship in Guaynabo on Saturday.
“Throughout the entire week, we witnessed high-level
Nicholas Snyder won the men’s championship at this past weekend’s National Tennis Championship in Guaynabo, defeating defending champion Luca Hotze Martínez in the final, 6-4, 6-2.
tennis and extraordinary participation from players across the island,” said Dr. William Micheo, president of the tournament host Puerto Rico Tennis Association, in a written statement.
Snyder claimed the men’s championship after defeating defending champion Luca Hotze Martínez in a hard-fought final, winning in straight sets with scores of 6-4, 6-2.
To reach the final, Snyder defeated Edgardo Piovanetti in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-2, while Hotze Martínez advanced after prevailing over Juan Marrero 7-6(3), 6-3.
In the women’s category, Lauren Kettlewell Sotomayor won the national championship after defeating Aurora Lugo, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a thrilling final.
Kettlewell Sotomayor returned to the championship match after having been a finalist in the 2025 edition.
She advanced to the final after overcoming Siena Schintler in three sets -- 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 -- in the semifinals, while Lugo secured her spot following an injury-related retirement by her opponent, Carolina Castro.
The day’s matches also determined the doubles champions. In the men’s division, the duo of Snyder and Hotze Martínez claimed the title by defeating Stephan González Cruz and Marrero, 6-3, 6-4. In women’s doubles, the championship went to Lugo and Schintler, who secured the crown with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Dakota Fordham and Natalia Ponsa.
By THE STAR STAFF
Although Puerto Rico fell to Mexico 3-1 (16-25, 2519, 25-20 and 25-12) in the fifth-place match of the Girls’ U17 Pan American Cup in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the island squad left a positive impression following a dominant start and standout individual performances that reflected the group’s potential.
Team Puerto Rico began with authority, taking a 10-1 lead powered by the combined offense of Arianna Pantojas, Elizmar Vázquez and Anna Aquino, as well as solid blocking spearheaded by Aquino, Carinialys Kuilan Román and Eliany Quiñones. A spike by Kelysha Domínguez sealed the first-set victory.
Mexico responded in the subsequent sets with greater offensive stability and contributions from Rebeka Negrete, Emily Camarena and Maia Villalpando, managing to tie the match and then take control. Puerto Rico remained competitive in stretches -- particularly in the third set, where the exchange of points remained tight until the final moments.
Statistically, Puerto Rico once again demonstrated strength at the net, holding an advantage in blocks (9-8),
while Kuilan Román led all scorers in the match with 15 points -- followed by Aquino with 12 -- reaffirming the emerging talent within the youth program.
Mexico closed out the tournament with five players reaching double-digit scoring, while Puerto Rico finished in sixth place with a 1-3 record.
Puerto Rico fell to Mexico 3-1 in Sunday’s fifth-place match of the Girls’ U17 Pan American Cup in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. (NORCECA)
Answers to the Sudoku and Crossword on page 21
