The short version
- Metro Puerto Rico reported that on Wednesday, Oct. 28, Senator Carmelo Ríos Santiago suspended a public hearing on Senate Resolution 286 citing national security information he was not authorized to reveal
- Ríos Santiago told the hearing there is an unauthorized movement regarding an arrest warrant for Raúl Castro and that Puerto Rico could serve as a support base similar to its reported past role with Venezuela according to Primera Hora
- NotiCel reported the commissions will hold an executive meeting with the secretary of economic development before a site visit originally set for Nov. 6
- WAPA reported the suspension follows a federal judge in Florida issuing an arrest order against Raúl Castro related to the 1996 downing of two Brothers to the Rescue planes
Hearing Suspended Over National Security
Puerto Rico Senate Vice President Carmelo Ríos Santiago suspended a joint public hearing on the future of the former Roosevelt Roads naval base in Ceiba on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Metro Puerto Rico reported that Ríos Santiago said he had received information related to Cuba and a possible U.S. military intervention that he was not authorized to disclose. The hearing was examining Senate Resolution 286, which directs an investigation into the viability and impact of reusing the base for U.S. national security purposes and its economic and social consequences for Puerto Rico.
According to Primera Hora, Ríos Santiago stated there is "un movimiento no autorizado para divulgación sobre la orden de arresto de Raúl Castro" and that Puerto Rico could be used as a support base as it reportedly was for operations related to Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. He said the events are not under the Senate's control or jurisdiction and that the hearing would be postponed until more information is available. The senator had contacted Economic Development Secretary Carlos Ríos Pierluisi and Ceiba Mayor Samuel Rivera Báez, who had been scheduled to testify.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Restaurants & bars in Ceiba
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Hay un movimiento no autorizado para divulgación sobre la orden de arresto de Raúl Castro y la posibilidad de que Puerto Rico, como fue en el pasado para el efecto de Nicolás Maduro, sea una de esas bases de apoyo
Our translation: There is an unauthorized movement for disclosure about the arrest warrant for Raúl Castro and the possibility that Puerto Rico, as it was in the past for the effect of Nicolás Maduro, is one of those support bases
The source's own statement, as quoted by Metro Puerto Rico. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Details of the Legislative Inquiry
NotiCel reported that the commissions chaired by Ríos Santiago and Senator Nitza Morán Trinidad agreed to continue the investigation with an executive meeting before conducting a site visit to the facilities. The visit had been scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6. Morán Trinidad said it is important to understand what is happening and how it affects Puerto Rico, adding that the resolution allows them to investigate the potential use of Roosevelt Roads.
Cubita NOW reported that Ríos Santiago announced he would request an executive session before any inspection. WAPA reported that an intervention in Cuba is under consideration following the issuance of an arrest warrant against former Cuban President Raúl Castro by a federal judge in Florida. The sources note that no official confirmation from the Pentagon or the White House has been provided that Washington is preparing a military intervention against Cuba.
Where the sources differ
All sources agree that Senator Carmelo Ríos Santiago suspended a public hearing on Oct. 28 about the future of Roosevelt Roads in Ceiba due to national security information related to Cuba and an alleged arrest warrant for Raúl Castro. Metro Puerto Rico, Primera Hora, NotiCel and WAPA quote Ríos Santiago directly on the unauthorized information, the comparison to Venezuela, and the need for an executive meeting before a Nov. 6 site visit. Cubita NOW adds context about V-22 Osprey aircraft and Marine units but notes the intervention remains a hypothesis by the legislator, not a confirmed Pentagon plan. NotiUno repeats the basic facts without new details. Sources differ slightly on emphasis: some stress the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue case as the basis for the warrant while others focus on the legislative resolution and economic impacts.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the exact source of the information received by Ríos Santiago, whether any U.S. agency has confirmed plans to use Roosevelt Roads, or if the executive meeting has been scheduled. No statements from the Pentagon, the White House, the Department of Defense or Cuban officials appear in the coverage. The articles also do not indicate what economic or social impacts the senators expect from potential military reuse of the base or whether the arrest warrant has led to any concrete operational orders.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Puerto Rico podría ser base de una intervención militar en Cuba
- Reporting ¿Roosevelt Roads serviría de base militar en una posible intervención a Cuba?
- Reporting Senador revela supuesta información no autorizada sobre posible intervención militar en Cuba
- Reporting Puerto Rico podría servir como base de apoyo militar ante posible intervención en Cuba
- Reporting Base militar en Puerto Rico se prepara para apoyar posibles intervención en Cuba y arresto de Raúl Castro
How we checked this
Metro Puerto Rico, Primera Hora, NotiCel, WAPA and Cubita NOW all reported on Senator Carmelo Ríos Santiago's announcement suspending the Roosevelt Roads hearing. The details of the arrest warrant against Raúl Castro rest primarily on Primera Hora and WAPA while the full text of Senate Resolution 286 is described across multiple outlets. No official U.S. government confirmation of any intervention plans was included in any of the reports.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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