By The Star Staff
Popular Democratic Party Reps. Domingo Torres García, Ángel Fourquet Cordero and José Rivera Madera, along with Jean Paul González Santini, Ponce’s director of economic development, called on Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia on Monday to include in the extraordinary session of the island Legislature the measure that seeks to transfer the Mercedita Airport to the Port Authority of Ponce.
“After the governor’s veto of House Bill 1617, we reiterate our willingness to sit down and discuss a consensus measure that makes the transfer of this airport viable and thereby promote the economic development of the southern region,” said Torres García, author of the measure, in a written statement.
Fourquet Cordero added that the transfer of the airport is crucial for merchants, manufacturers and developers in the south.
“The veto of this measure is a blow to the improvement of the economy of the south and to the comprehensive economic development of our region,” he stressed. “We have the opportunity to make it possible in the extraordinary session.”
González Santini pointed out that the Municipality of Ponce had already responded to the questions of the executive branch and arranged meetings with the Federal Aviation Agency.
“I am surprised by the veto of the bill without the opportunity to be approved in this legislative cycle; 180 days in committee is back to starting from scratch after three years of work,” he said.
As previously reported by the STAR, late last week Pierluisi rejected transferring the airport to the Ponce Port Authority and instead signed an executive order creating a committee that will analyze the transfer and submit a report in 180 days.
Over the weekend, House Minority Leader Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez and Daniel Vega Ortiz, the New Progressive Party candidate for the District 25 seat in the House, promised to take action to make the transfer of the airport to the municipality happen.
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