McClintock: 60% Of NPP Delegates Absent, Party Assembly Picks Rossello For Senate President… Ramon Cabral Jailed… Hundreds Show Support For Rossello… It's All Wright… Parga: NPP Crisis Could Lead To A New Party… 'El Barrio: Puerto Rican New York’… Antonetti OKd As AG… Braulio Agosto Charged With Environmental Law Violations… Fortuño: USA Will Reorganize Ft Buchanan


McClintock: 60% Of NPP Delegates Absent

May 16, 2005
Copyright © 2005 EFE. All rights reserved.

San Juan (EFE) - Senate President Kenneth McClintock assured yesterday that 60% of the New Progressive Party (NPP) delegates were absent from the general assembly at which Pedro Rosselló was voted for as the Senate president.

McClintock mentioned NPP General Secretary Thomas Rivera Schatz said Saturday that total attendance was nearly 5,100 people and, on Sunday, affirmed it was 4,100. Rivera Schatz said 2,026 delegates assisted at the assembly. "If we take yesterday’s [Saturday] numbers, then only 40% participated. If we take toady’s numbers [Sunday], more than 50% didn’t vote for Rosselló. I got more than 2%. This is the first time in political history that abstentions won," McClintock said to EFE. "There was a clear abstention by those who didn’t vote for the NPP president. Those who didn’t hear the Nov. 2 message, should start hearing the May 15 message," he added.

The current Senate president participated yesterday at "Encuentro con la democracia," organized by Yauco Mayor Abel Nazario in support of McClintock.

NPP Assembly Chooses Rossello For Senate President

May 15, 2005
Copyright © 2005 EFE. All rights reserved.

SAN JUAN (EFE) — New Progressive Party (NPP) Secretary General Thomas Rivera Schatz announced that 96.48% of the party delegates who participated in the general assembly on Sunday voted for Pedro Rossello to become the new Senate President.

NPP Sen. Kenneth McClintock is the current president of the Puerto Rico Senate.

Rivera Schatz said 50.5% of the 5,160 NPP delegates participated in the assembly, which was convoked by the NPP directorate.

The event at the Pedrin Zorrilla Coliseum in Hato Rey received a massive support from hundreds NPP members who showed up carrying banners and posters in favor of the party president.

Inside of the coliseum, Rossello’s followers continuously chanted "We want Rossello," while other supporters stayed outside with white banners that read "Rossello for [Senate] President."

People also danced to the music of renowned merengue singer and composer Juan Luis Guerra.

Rossello became senator for the Arecibo district in January after losing the gubernatorial race to now Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila, of the Popular Democratic Party.

Victor Loubriel, who was elected senator for the Arecibo district, resigned his post so that Rossello could step in.

Many NPP leaders, including the majority of NPP mayors, have urged McClintock to step aside and let Rossello take over the Senate presidency, but McClintock has refused.

Ramon Cabral Spends Weekend In Jail

May 15, 2005
Copyright © 2005 EFE. All rights reserved.

SAN JUAN (EFE) - Dominican businessman Ramon Cabral spent the weekend in jail after he was unable to post a $5.1 million bail set by San Juan Superior Court Judge Ana Rivera Vicenti on Saturday.

Defense attorney Orlando Carlo said the bail was excessive and that he would request a reduction on Monday.

Cabral was indicted on three charges of misappropriation of public funds through a scheme against the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.

He decided to cooperate with local authorities and returned to the island on Saturday to avoid an extradition process by the federal authorities.

Cabral, who has been a fugitive of Puerto Rican authorities for the past six years, was arrested near his Santo Domingo residence on Thursday after the U.S. had requested his extradition.

The Dominican contractor arrived on the island on Saturday at 11:20 a.m. accompanied by government agents.

Hundreds Show Support For Rossello

May 15, 2005
Copyright © 2005. All rights reserved.

SAN JUAN - Hundreds of New Progressive Party (NPP) members showed up at the Pedrin Zorrilla Coliseum in Hato Rey where party delegates will vote on whether former governor and now Arecibo Sen. Pedro Rossello should become the new Senate president.

NPP Sen. Kenneth McClintock is the current president of the Puerto Rico Senate.

Inside of the coliseum, Rossello’s followers continuously chanted "We want Rossello," while other supporters stayed outside with white banners that read "Rossello for [Senate] President."

People also danced to the music of renowned merengue singer and composer Juan Luis Guerra.

Rossello became senator for the Arecibo district in January after losing the gubernatorial race to now Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila, of the Popular Democratic Party.

Victor Loubriel, who was elected senator for the Arecibo district, resigned his post so that Rossello could step in.

Many NPP leaders, including the majority of NPP mayors, have urged McClintock to step aside and let Rossello take over the Senate presidency, but McClintock has refused.

It's All Wright All Fight As Decision Is Unanimous

BY CALVIN WATKINS

May 15, 2005
Copyright © 2005 The Dallas Morning News. All rights reserved.

SHOCKING BLOW: Winky Wright, right, stuns Felix Trinidad with a left jab as Wright won a unanimous decision.

LAS VEGAS - (KRT) - Maybe now Winky Wright will get a little respect.

Wright was the stronger, faster and smarter fighter in a 12-round middleweight fight against Felix Trinidad on Saturday night.

Wright, using a jab and an unbreakable defense, won a unanimous decision in front of 14,176 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The fight was a WBC eliminator, making Wright the mandatory challenger for undisputed champion Bernard Hopkins.

Judge Duane Ford scored the fight 120-107. Dave Moretti and Jerry Roth both scored it 119-108.

"A fighter that beats me has to be one of the best in the world, and he's one of the best," Trinidad said. "It was an uncomfortable style, and he had a very stiff jab."

Trinidad (42-2) was beaten so badly that, as a sign of respect, he hugged Wright in the center of the ring when the fight was over.

"He underestimated me a bit," Wright (49-3) said of Trinidad.

Wright fought in obscurity for years as a junior middleweight, only coming to the forefront with two wins over the highly regarded Shane Mosley last year.

Wright moved up in weight to face Trinidad, a knockout artist with notable wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas and David Reid. There was some question about Wright's ability to handle Trinidad's power.

That wasn't an issue.

Trinidad couldn't sustain power because Wright held his arms high, offering a small target.

Wright's jab was the issue, and Trinidad had no answer for it. He was beaten to the punch and had little head movement. Trinidad's only course of action was to throw shots to the body in an attempt to get Wright to lower his arms. He was warned often for low blows, and referee Jay Nady penalized him one point in the ninth round for a shot below the belt.

Trinidad has always had problems against technically sound fighters. He was losing his fight against De La Hoya in September 1999 until he rallied to earn a close decision. In a 12-round technical knockout loss to Hopkins in September 2001, Trinidad was outboxed by a jab and combinations.

The same formula was used by Wright. His left-handed style also gave Trinidad problems in seeing where punches were coming from.

Cabral Arrives In Puerto Rico

May 14, 2005
Copyright © 2005 EFE. All rights reserved.

SAN JUAN (EFE) — Dominican businessman Ramon Cabral, who is accused of illegal activities in Puerto Rico, decided to cooperate with local authorities and return to the island on Saturday to avoid an extradition process by the federal authorities.

National Drug Control Administration spokesman Bueno Torres told EFE that Cabral had left to Puerto Rico accompanied by government agents. They arrived in San Juan at 11:20 a.m.

Cabral, who has been a fugitive of Puerto Rican authorities for the past six years, was arrested near his Santo Domingo residence on Thursday after the U.S. had requested his extradition.

However, Torres said Cabral and the Dominican authorities had agreed to stand before the Puerto Rico justice to avoid the extradition process.

Cabral has been accused of committing fraud against the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.

Parga: NPP Crisis Could Lead To Creation Of A New Party

May 13, 2005
Copyright © 2005 EFE. All rights reserved.

Ponce (EFE) - New Progressive Party (NPP) Sen. Orlando Parga admitted today that the crisis inside the NPP could lead to the creation of a new party that favors statehood.

Parga compared the current panorama inside the PNP with the environment that led to the creation of the New Progressive Party in 1967, after Partido Estadista Republicano declined to participate in a plebiscite.

Parga said the defeated NPP gubernatorial candidate for governor, Pedro Rosselló, is responsible for the party’s crisis because he hasn’t been able to accept with "dignity" that he lost the past election.

"Certainly, the party is going through a crisis. I don’t think it has gotten to the extreme of being a division, but I already lived through the 1967 Partido Estadista Republicano division and I see the same clouds over the future of our party, Parga said during a radio interview.

'El Barrio: Puerto Rican New York,'

May 13, 2005
Copyright © 2005. All rights reserved.

MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK: 'EL BARRIO: PUERTO RICAN NEW YORK,' through June 12. A snapshot of El Barrio - East Harlem, or Spanish Harlem - as seen through archival images and pictures by the contemporary photographer Hiram S. Maristany taken at a revolutionary political moment in the 1960's and early 70's. 1220 Fifth Avenue, at 103rd Street, (212) 534-1672.

Antonetti Approved As Attorney General

May 13, 2005
Copyright © 2005 EFE. All rights reserved.

San Juan (EFE) - The Senate approved yesterday the nomination of Salvador Antonetti Stutts as Puerto Rico attorney general, becoming the ninth appointment approved by the legislative branch.

The appointee received 16 votes in favor and one abstention from Sen. Pedro Rosselló, who had no comment about the Senate session.

Sens. Norma Burgos, José Luis Dalmau, Carlos Díaz, José Garriga Picó, Héctor Martínez, Luis Daniel Muñiz, Margarita Nolasco, Migdalia Padilla, Carlos Pagán, and Bruno Ramos were absent during the vote.

The nominee was endorsed by Judge Juan Torruella of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, who described Antonetti as an excellent person, a good arguer, and very professional.

Braulio Agosto Charged With Environmental Law Violations

May 13, 2005
Copyright © 2005 EFE. All rights reserved.

SAN JUAN (EFE) — A federal grand jury filed criminal charges against automotive business owner Braulio Agosto and employee Juan Agosto Vega for violating environmental laws.

U.S. District Attorney Humbert S. Garcia said both were accused of dumping used waters into a river stream that serves water to El Yunque water plant. They were also accused of conspiring to commit a felony against the federal government.

According to the indictment, the two men emptied septic tank material that came from Mansiones de Hacienda Jimenez housing Project in Rio Grande, into a truck. They would then drive to the site where they would dump the used waters into the river stream, which also feeds the Espiritu Santo River.

Braulio Agosto presides the corporation Mansiones de Hacienda Jimenez Inc. And Juan Agosto Vega was the project administrator.

El Yunque water plant provides potable water for more than 80,000 residents in that area and is also a U.S. National Forest Reserve.

Fortuño Announces USA Will Reorganize Buchanan

May 13, 2005
Copyright © 2005 EFE. All rights reserved.

San Juan (EFE) - Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuno said today that Fort Buchanan will be reorganized, which means resources at the base in Guaynabo will be used in a different way.

Fortuño explained that some operations related to the U.S. Reserve will be consolidated at Buchanan, and work done at Camp Euripides Rubio in Puerto Nuevo and Ramey Base in Aguadilla also will be relocated.

The National Guard Reserve Center in Humacao and Army Reserve Lavergne Center in Bayamón will be closed, Fortuno added.

Fortuno, who said this information will be announced by U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, detailed 113 military personnel and 48 civilians will be affected.

He added, recommendations will go to a commission that will analyze the base re-alignment & closure (BRAC) of military sites, which will have until September to make recommendations. In October, Congress will vote for the changes, which will be implemented in 2006.


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