By THE STAR STAFF More than 6,000 Puerto Rico police officers say they never received the salary increase announced earlier this month and are now calling for a mass protest this Thursday at 10 a.m. in front of Police Bureau headquarters. Police Association President Gabriel Hernández said the government’s public celebration of a “substantial” raise on July 15 does not match the reality on the ground. Hernández said only about 40% of officers saw any change in their paychecks

Belinda Hill, founder and executive director of Solo por Hoy By THE STAR STAFF The organization Solo por Hoy, in addition to assisting people who are homeless or in danger of losing their home, as part of its mission has reinforced its programs to provide rapid response assistance to citizens who are left homeless by emergencies such as fires, earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. “Emergencies are actually our daily bread. That you are homeless is an emergency and our mission i

By THE STAR STAFF A new episode of the docuseries Speak UP, Speak OUT is prompting renewed attention to the United States’ decades-long sterilization campaign in Puerto Rico, an initiative that left lasting trauma for thousands of women and remains a stark example of reproductive coercion in U.S. history. The episode, titled Declared Unfit to Reproduce – Eugenics, revisits the government-backed program that began in 1937, when sterilization was made legal on the island under

By THE STAR STAFF The New Progressive Party (NPP) escalated its criticism of Popular Democratic Party (PDP) figure Pablo José Hernández on Friday, arguing that the young leader misused the anniversary of the commonwealth (ELA) status to attack Gov. Jenniffer González Colón instead of articulating a vision for the political formula he claims to defend. NPP Secretary General Jorge Santini said Puerto Ricans expected Hernández to reflect on the commonwealth’s legacy and outline

PDP President Pablo José Hernández By THE STAR STAFF Popular Democratic Party President Pablo José Hernández marked the 74th anniversary of Puerto Rico’s Constitution this weekend with a pointed warning about what he considers the island’s most corrosive political threat: the erosion of public trust driven by corruption and the outsized influence of money in government. Speaking before an audience in Cayey, he set aside the customary debate over the commonwealth’s legacy to f

By THE STAR STAFF At a time when limited power generation availability has contributed to multiple events affecting electric service for hundreds of thousands of customers since July 16, LUMA President and Chief Executive Officer Janisse Quiñones emphasized the need for greater collaboration among all components of Puerto Rico’s electric sector to continue strengthening the reliability and resilience of the Island’s electric system. During her visit to Aibonito, Quiñones high

By THE STAR STAFF Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, José Aponte, warned about the historic increase in cyber fraud schemes, which according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) cost the United States, including Puerto Rico, over $28.7 billion in 2025. The legislator raised concerns about the unprecedented increase in the use of ransomware for attacks on health, electricity and database infrastructure in financial institutions. “Since 2011, we have been w

Mayor of Toa Alta Clemente “Chito” Agosto By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Department of Housing has revoked reconstruction approvals for several families in the Villa Esperanza community, prompting residents and Mayor Clemente “Chito” Agosto to demand that the agency restore the aid and apply its criteria consistently across all cases. Neighbors reported that the agency withdrew their CDBG‑MIT reconstruction approvals citing the absence of electrical service from LUMA Energ

Authorities warn that most wildfires in Puerto Rico are caused by human actions and can be avoided through public education, community responsibility, and preventive measures (Puerto Rico Responders.) By THE STAR STAFF The sustained increase in wildfires in Puerto Rico during 2026 has raised alarms among authorities and environmental organizations, who insist that prevention remains the best tool for addressing this emergency. With this goal in mind, the non-profit organizati

Puerto Rican flags and U.S. flag hang outside in a community in northern Puerto Rico, on Oct. 25, 2017. A new study documents a deepening crisis of public trust and sovereignty in Puerto Rico. (Erika P. Rodríguez/The New York Times) By THE STAR STAFF People in Puerto Rico are losing faith not only in their elected leaders but in the very idea that the island’s government can meaningfully chart its own course, according to a new study that documents a deepening crisis of trust