Labor and Human Resources Secretary María del Pilar Vélez Casanova Slight uptick in unemployment rate largely tied to seasonal factors, labor secretary says By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico’s labor market continued to strengthen in June, with the island’s labor force participation rate climbing to 45.2%, according to the latest Household Survey and Nonfarm Payroll Employment Report from the Department of Labor and Human Resources (DTRH by its initials in Spanish). The figure mar

Financial Oversight and Management Board Executive Director Robert F. Mujica Jr. By THE STAR STAFF The Financial Oversight and Management Board has informed Gov. Jenniffer González Colón that it has concerns with three executive orders issued recently because of the intended use of Emergency Reserve Funds. In a letter sent Monday, the oversight board confirmed it had reviewed Executive Orders 2026‑027, 2026‑032 and 2026‑033, which declare separate states of emergency related

By THE STAR STAFF Immigration Judge Elvin Talavera Peraza released Inocencia Rodríguez on bail Tuesday while her immigration proceedings continue, ACLU of Puerto Rico Executive Director Annette Martínez Orabona announced. “We welcome the fact that Inocencia can remain free, alongside her family and community,” Martínez Orabona said in a written statement. “However, this victory does not erase the injustice of her detention, nor does it make a $5,000 bail amount reasonable. In

Pressure on the González Colón administration escalated sharply this past Saturday, when Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz publicly urged both La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech Fernández and Assistant Chief of Staff Itza García Rodríguez (front row, third and second from right) to resign, describing them as “a burden” and arguing that “prudence and decency” required their removal while under investigation. By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón annou