Judge grants injunction request to keep UPR gates open

By THE STAR STAFF

Judge Anthony Cuevas of the San Juan Judicial Center issued a ruling Thursday in favor of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), granting the institution’s request for an injunction to safeguard free access to its campuses.

The court established that access to the university’s facilities cannot be obstructed, nor can the academic or administrative operations of the university be interfered with, guaranteeing that students, faculty, staff and visitors can access the facilities normally. Judge Cuevas also emphasized that the Puerto Rico Penal Code and current civil provisions prohibit any act that impedes access to essential public institutions, such as those dedicated to education and health.

A strike at the UPR Cayey Campus, called by the Workers’ Union last month and supported by the Brotherhood of Non-Teaching Exempt Employees (HEEND), had kept the gates of the campus closed and led to the suspension of in-person activities. As a contingency measure, the administration activated online classes to avoid disrupting the academic calendar.

The HEEND, for its part, denied late last month that the closure was due to a conflict between unions and blamed the administration for “improvisation in administrative processes.”

Thursday’s court ruling reaffirms the role of the UPR as a public institution serving society, dedicated to teaching, research and community outreach. The order applies to all 11 campuses that comprise the university system. During the hearing held at the San Juan Judicial Center, several university officials testified, including Dr. Myrna L. Quiñones Feliciano, chancellor of the Medical Sciences Campus (RCM by its initials in Spanish); Dr. Lisette Marrero Valladares, interim chancellor of the Arecibo Campus; and Dr. Rochellie Martínez Vivas, interim chancellor of the Cayey Campus.

The chancellors emphasized the crucial importance of ensuring academic and administrative continuity at UPR, as well as the provision of essential services to the public. In the specific case of the RCM, they emphasized that hundreds of people visit its university clinics daily in search of health care and services, reflecting the institution’s direct impact not only on the university community but also on the well-being of the Puerto Rican people.