By THE STAR STAFF A mid Holy Week, a time when thousands of Puerto Rican families set out with devotion along the island’s roads and shrines, Sen. Roxanna Soto Aguilú introduced on Monday a package of legislative measures aimed at making people’s faith experience safer, more accessible, and more dignified. These measures, the senator noted, align with Gov. Jenniffer González Colón’s vision of positioning Puerto Rico as an authentic and respectful spiritual destination. “In th

By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico Police Superintendent Joseph González Falcón announced on Monday a security plan for Holy Week that will remain in effect until Sunday, April 5 and will, for the first time, include surveillance at rivers, lakes and ponds. “The public can rest assured that we will not leave any coastal sector without surveillance,” González said at a press conference. “This is a comprehensive plan, precisely designed, that incorporates maritime, aerial, and groun

By THE STAR STAFF District 4 (Mayagüez-Aguadilla) Sen. Karen Román Rodríguez has filed a resolution seeking a comprehensive investigation into the conditions at the Western Detention Center (Centro de Detención del Oeste) in Mayagüez. The move follows multiple complaints from inmates and their families regarding treatment and basic services at the facility. The senator said the resolution aims to address concerns about medical care, food quality, security and rehabilitation p

By THE STAR STAFF AES Corporation announced Monday that it has extended the deadline for its ongoing consent solicitation involving its 5.450% senior notes due 2028. The new expiration time is 5 p.m. (New York City time) on today, March 31, 2026, unless the company decides to end the process earlier. The solicitation had originally been set to expire on March 27. As of the original deadline, investors holding about 49% of the $900 million total outstanding 2028 notes had subm

A layperson leads a Palm Sunday procession at the San Salvador parish on 65th Infantry Avenue in San Juan on Sunday in a service led by Father Abner González. (Capture from video by John McPhaul)

Attorney Julybeth Alicea, president of HR Disruptor, addresses the Puerto Rico Hospitals Association Annual Summit on the use of artificial intelligence in health care. By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Hospitals Association (AHPR by its initials in Spanish) held its annual summit this past weekend on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, where hospital administrators, doctors, healthcare industry professionals and some 21 experts in the field of AI applicati

Former San Juan Mayor Hernán Padilla (Facebook via Pedro R. Pierluisi) By THE STAR STAFF Former San Juan Mayor Hernán Padilla has formally joined a pro-statehood initiative urging the U.S. Congress to certify Puerto Rico as an incorporated territory of the United States, an action supporters argue is long overdue after 128 years under U.S. sovereignty. The effort, coordinated by attorney Gregorio Igartúa and a group of statehood advocates, calls on federal lawmakers and the p

Scott Hempling, the hearing examiner overseeing the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority rate case before the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (LinkedIn) By THE STAR STAFF A procedural dispute has emerged in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) rate case before the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) after bondholders objected to a Feb. 23 filing by the utility, alleging that the submission improperly included advocacy despite a prior order prohibiting it. In response, hear

“No Kings” protesters’ political ideologies ranged from a small Communist Party contingent to the Sierra Club to average people with no particular ideology. (John McPhaul) By JOHN McPAUL jpmcphaul@gmail.com Hundreds if not a thousand or more people turned out on Saturday for the San Juan “No Kings” protest march against the administration of President Donald Trump, carrying signs bearing messages such as “No to Fascism” and “No Thrones in America.” The throng -- unless you w

Labor Secretary María del Pilar Vélez Casanova By THE STAR STAFF The government of Puerto Rico on Sunday announced significant progress for women in the labor force, marking the highest level of female participation recorded in 45 years. According to a new study from the Department of Labor and Human Resources (DTRH by its initials in Spanish), women represented 45.2% of the workforce in 2025, the highest share since 1980. The report, titled “Women’s Participation in the Puer