Senate president seeks names of owners of La Parguera homes

During an ordinary session on Thursday, Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz requested that designated Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez provide information about the owners of the houses in La Parguera, the seaside sector of Lajas where tensions are rising over the environmental impact of coastal development.

The sector has been in the spotlight as environmental activists claim houses in the protected area were built illegally. They criticized Gov. Jenniffer González Colón for trying to protect her in-laws, who have a house there. “I ask the designated secretary of Natural Resources to provide me with the names of each occupant of the 160 houses and anyone else present in La Parguera,” Rivera Schatz said. “I want to know who their in-laws are, who their cousins are, who they donate to, and what political parties they belong to. We are going to document and verify whether they have cut down any mangroves or made any unauthorized extensions. Some individuals are using these properties as Airbnb rentals.”

On Tuesday, during a full committee meeting, Quiles was questioned about the issue. He was also asked to amend Administrative Order 2025-01 to ensure that ongoing investigations are not archived, particularly concerning properties related to the governor’s in-laws. Rivera Schatz’s comments followed an initial statement from Sen. Eliezer Molina Pérez, who urged the relevant entities to convene and analyze the situation in La Parguera before making any decisions. Molina Pérez warned of a potential conflict between the federal and local governments regarding the matter and anticipated that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) might issue a determination in the coming days.