A prominent activist in Puerto Rico says he is once again unable to access his verified Facebook page.

Pedro Julio Serrano, founder of Puerto Rico Para Todes, a Puerto Rican LGBTQ advocacy group, sent to the Washington Blade a screenshot of an email he sent to Meta, Facebook’s parent company, on July 24 that said he has “been trying to recover my page since July 19 when it was hacked.”

The link to Serrano’s Facebook page has been changed to facebook.com/beonrightpath.

“The Meta Pro Team is telling me that I can no longer recover it,” wrote Serrano. “I have to file this impersonating report in order to close the other page that is impersonating me, but it tells me that the url of the impersonating profile is invalid, even though my friends and family can still see the page. I was verified previous to the Meta Verified program because I am a public figure.”

“I beg you to delete the account whose url is facebook.com/beonrightpath,” he added.

Dev, a Meta Pro Team representative, responded to Serrano’s email on July 25. The representative provided him with his case number, and added “your call has been scheduled and you might receive a call shortly.” 

Hitesh, a Meta Support Pro representative, on July 30 emailed Serrano and asked him to provide a copy of a photo ID and a signed statement. The same Meta Support Pro representative in an email to Serrano on July 23 provided him with steps on how to report the issue to Facebook. 

Arthur, another Meta Pro Team representative, sent a similar email to Serrano on July 19. Joy, yet another Meta Pro Team representative, sent a similar email to Serrano the next day. 

Nick, a second Meta Support Pro representative emailed Serrano on Aug. 11.

“I completely understand that the delay in the response from the dedicated team might be affecting your work,” wrote the representative. “I apologize for the inconvenience. Trust me, I am continuously trying to get in touch with (sic) the regarding the update and I am very positive that we will be getting a revert soon.”

“Now my request to you is that please allow me few more time (sic) so that once I get the update I will myself deliver the message to you,” added the representative. “I really appreciate your patience, I do.”

“One of my main tools for activism is my Facebook page because it connects me to a network of leaders and activists who spread the word and take action on matters related to our struggle,” Serrano told the Blade on Friday. 

“My page was verified before the subscription service because of my public profile nationally and internationally,” he added. “It’s the way that people can know that what is posted comes from me. I need this tool to continue the work against the bigots who want to take us back.”

Serrano said he last spoke with a Meta representative on the telephone two weeks ago. He did acknowledge “they have been writing to me almost every day asking me for more time to resolve the issue.”

“I thank the Meta support group for always responding, even if it takes a few days; but the issue hasn’t been resolved,” Serrano told the Blade on Friday. “They have all my info, copies of my IDs, a signed statement, everything. They know it’s me. They just need to help me recover my page.”

Meta has not responded to the Blade’s requests for comment.

Religious fundamentalists launch ‘campaign of harassment and threats’ against Serrano

Serrano in 2020 was unable to access his Facebook pages for more than two months.

He received an alert in August 2020 that said he violated community guidelines and was “pretending to be a well-known person or public figure.” Serrano on Oct. 21, 2020, received a message from Facebook that said his suspension was a “mistake” and his access had been restored.

Serrano in a complaint he filed with the Puerto Rico Police Department on July 12 said “fundamentalist leaders” in the U.S. commonwealth have launched “a campaign of harassment and threats” against him. Serrano lost access to his verified Facebook page a week later.

Serrano on Friday told the Blade his inability to access his Facebook account is “related” to the complaint he filed.

“The last time that it happened in 2020 I was subjected to a similar public attack from fundamentalist leaders,” he said. “It is not a coincidence.”

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The family of a Chicago man who died on an Atlantis Events-chartered cruise last week is searching for answers about the circumstances that led to his death.

Reports indicate Jonathan Mindrum, 36, died on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas at around 3 a.m. on Jan. 24.

The ship left Miami on Jan. 21 and returned to the city on Jan. 28. The itinerary that Atlantis Events posted to its website notes the ship was scheduled to arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 7 a.m. on Jan. 24.

Jim Walker, a Miami-based lawyer who publishes Cruise Law News, a blog that covers “everything the cruise lines don’t want you to know,” published a social media post from Mindrum’s sister, Jennifer Mindrum, in which she requested information about her brother’s death.”

“I believe I saw him die,” said one man in response to the post.

“The party Tuesday night/Wednesday morning was the Neon Playground party in Studio B, which is one of the ship’s entertainment venues that they convert into a nightclub for parties,” he said. “Around 3 a.m. they stopped the music briefly and announced ‘code alpha alpha alpha’ over the intercom, which is code for life-threatening medical emergency.”

The man said Jonathan Mindrum “was seated in one of the front rows of seats overlooking the dance floor, and was surrounded by people trying to get him to wake up.”

“At one point someone tried to pry his eyelids open, but he was not responsive,” said the man in his post. “The Care Team came down and took him to the medical center outside of Studio B and then closed the doors.”   

The man said “the rumor mill aboard the ship is saying that he took a fentanyl-laced ecstasy tablet that he purchased on board. I don’t know that for sure, but that’s just what people are saying.”

The Washington Blade has not independently verified this claim.

Jennifer Mindrum told the Blade during a telephone interview that her brother died on board the ship and authorities brought his body to the coroner’s office in San Juan once it docked. They later released it to a local funeral home.

Jonathan Mindrum’s body remains in Puerto Rico.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson on Monday confirmed “we had a death onboard and that it was unexpected and not suspicious.” Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell on Tuesday in an emailed statement to the Blade also confirmed Jonathan Mindrum passed away on the Oasis of the Seas.

“Mr. Mindrum did unfortunately pass away onboard Oasis last week, but the circumstances regarding his death were not suspicious,” said Campbell. “We are very saddened by this loss and our condolences go out to his friends and family.”

Craig Mindrum, Jonathan Mindrum’s father, in a statement to the Blade said his son was a “brilliant person as a professional consultant and thinker.” Craig Mindrum also noted his son was completing a master’s degree in data science at Northwestern University.

“He had a very bright future ahead of him, so losing him is a loss not just to us but to the world,” said Craig Mindrum. 

“We are in the depths of grief about losing Jonathan, and we also have important questions about the circumstances of his death and emergency services provided to him,” he added.

Campbell noted to the Blade there “were no other deaths or major medical incidents during our cruise and nothing else out of the ordinary occurred.” He also said Atlantis Events does “not get involved in guest’s personal medical issues of any type.”

“These are the responsibility of the operating cruise line and we do not have access to guest medical records,” said Campbell. “We are made aware of the situation and the cruise line’s care response teams follow up with family members directly. We only are involved when asked by the family, which has not occurred in this case.”

Companies have ‘strict zero tolerance policy’ towards onboard drugs

Spencer Yu, a Warner Bros. lawyer and GLAAD board member, in 2009 died from a heart attack while on an Atlantis Events-chartered cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas. Cruise Law News notes speculation that indicates Yu may have died from a drug overdose. 

Joel Taylor, star of the Discovery Channel series “Storm Chasers,” in 2018 died of a suspected overdose on board the Harmony of the Seas, another Royal Caribbean ship that Atlantis Events chartered. Reports indicate Taylor had taken GHB before he lost consciousness and died in his cabin.

“Atlantis and Royal Caribbean both have a strict zero tolerance policy towards any illegal substance use onboard and work with the cruise lines and local authorities to enforce these policies,” Campbell told the Blade. “The policy is in writing both on our website and in all pre-cruise communications.”

“Overall, our 5,200 guests onboard Oasis had a sensational time with no serious incidents of any type,” he added. “Most of the posts we’ve seen on social media were not from people onboard the cruise. We take pride in creating a safe, entertaining and social environment for our community.”

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Puerto Rican LGBTQ+ advocacy group has moved a Pride month event from a popular entertainment venue after its owners refused to allow drag queens and a Drag Queen Story Hour.

Waves Ahead’s Express Yourself Glitter Pride event was to have taken place at Distrito T-Mobile adjacent to the San Juan Convention Center on Saturday.

Waves Ahead Executive Director Wilfred Labiosa this week during a telephone interview with the Washington Blade said his organization last year “did this event the same way” at the same venue with a Drag Queen Story Hour.

“Last year we were approached by the owners and the administration of Distrito to do a Pride event there for the first time,” said Labiosa.

Labiosa told the Blade that Distrito T-Mobile contacted Waves Ahead in February and asked if it could host the same event this year. Labiosa said he told Distrito T-Mobile the event is “the same one as last year.”

“They said yes, exactly the same. Don’t do any changes,” said Labiosa.

Labiosa said Distrito T-Mobile’s owners on June 11 called him and asked him about the Drag Queen Story Hour that was scheduled to be part of the event. Labiosa said he told them to “talk to your administrators because they have the schedule and everything is there with all the details and so forth.”

Distrito T-Mobile’s owners later told Metro Puerto Rico the event “will continue without drag queens as hosts and without Drag Queen Story Hour.” The newspaper published the article hours after Sen. Joanne Rodríguez Veve of Proyecto Dignidad, an anti-LGBTQ+ political party, criticized the event on social media.

“Let kids be kids,” she said in a post that contained the event’s flyer.

Labiosa spoke with Distrito T-Mobile’s owners on Monday after Metro Puerto Rico published the article.

“I said this is unacceptable, that the news told me that we are not having this event as scheduled,” Labiosa said. “[The owners] said no, you cannot have this, you cannot have that. You can only the three musical bands and that’s it, and we said that’s discrimination against segments of our community that are so rich and so important to us and to all the movement. They said, well take it or leave it and I said no.”

Labiosa said the owners called him back and said the event could have a 10-minute segment with a “potpourri of drag queens performing one song after 10 p.m. without books or anything else.”

“I said, well, sorry, no,” Labiosa told the Blade.

Labiosa said Waves Ahead decided to move the event to their San Juan community center. It will take place there on Saturday from 1-9 p.m.

“We’re going to have all the components,” he said.

Amnesty International, the National LGBTQ Task Force, the Hispanic Federation and Centerlink are among the groups that have expressed solidarity with Waves Ahead.

UTUADO, Puerto Rico — Eliana Rodríguez and her father Javier floated on a mattress and pieces of broken debris in flood water in Utuado, Puerto Rico, praying help would come for hours.  

“The rain kept falling and never stopped,” Rodríguez said of the flood water that filled the home she shared with her father. “We sat in the dark when we lost power and when the water became too much, we prayed.”

Hurricane Fiona made landfall on Puerto Rico’s southwestern coast on Sept. 18, inundating Utuado and the surrounding area with 30 inches of rain.

Neighbors eventually rescued Rodríguez and her father. They have now relocated to New York with family, unsure when or if they will return. 

 Rodríguez still grieves for the things she lost in the flood that made her house a home.

“Mi isla es mi alma (my island is my soul),” Rodríguez said, choking back tears.

Fiona, which made landfall two days before the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, knocked out power across Puerto Rico. People in the U.S. commonwealth since Fiona’s landfall continue to struggle with a lack of electricity, drinking water, food and medical necessities. 

Rodríguez’s father, who has a heart condition, went without his medication until they reached the U.S. mainland, where they battled medical red tape to finally get the medication her father needs.

As recovery efforts continue to evolve on the island, humanitarian and grassroots organizations have flocked to “la Isla del Encanto” (the Island of Enchantment) to help Puerto Ricans rebuild. 

Agriculture and infrastructure are among the hardest hit industries on the island.

“Hurricane Fiona destroyed $159 million bananas and other crops,” the island’s agricultural minister said.  

Wilfred Labiosa, executive director of Waves Ahead Puerto Rico, an organization that offers support to marginalized and vulnerable communities, including the LGBTQ+ community, is helping with recovery efforts. 

According to Labiosa, necessities like electricity, drinking water and mental health aid continue to be grave needs that are still unmet and the government is unsure when relief will come. 

“They’re saying water is coming sooner than electricity, while getting electricity to some parts of the island could take months,” Labiosa told the Washington Blade during a telephone interview shortly after Fiona’s landfall.

Labiosa, along with many other Puerto Ricans, has sharply criticized the government for its lack of adequate leadership and oversight of LUMA Energy, the company that holds the exclusive contract to provide electricity to the island. LUMA Energy, which faces zero competition, has consistently failed to provide stable electricity to residents, even before the hurricane. 

Waves Ahead, in collaboration with World Central Kitchen and José Andrés, provides meals for those in need across the island. 

Like most small nonprofit organizations, Waves Ahead relies on donations and funds from the government to provide for those in need. And despite multiple visits by federal legislators, Waves Ahead has not been selected to receive federal aid funds, and Labiosa says that lawmakers do not mention the LGBTQ+ community in discussions of relief efforts.

Fiona’s effect are traumatic, Labiosa says the storm’s destruction hurts more because of the response from Puerto Rico’s central government and local municipalities.

“We haven’t learned anything in the last five years,” Labiosa said, referencing to Maria’s devastating effects.

Labiosa highlighted the burden of outdated infrastructure on the island, which the government has received millions of dollars to improve yet has not.

“The temporary bridge was supposed to be replaced two years ago,” Labiosa said in reference to Bridge PR-123 in Utuado that was built after Maria, and washed away the day Fiona made landfall. 

Waves Ahead is also working on a partnership with the Ricky Martin Foundation to provide resources and help to all affected by Fiona, including focused efforts on the LGBTQ+ community.  

Just like Labiosa, Arianna Lint, executive director of Arianna’s Center, is calling for mental health aid as well as other necessities. 

“We have a very high suicide rate in our community,” Lint said. 

For more than five years, Arianna’s Center has worked extensively in Puerto Rico, serving people of the LGBTQ community through community development and federal legislative efforts. 

Recently, Lint delivered survival kits donated by Gilead Sciences around the island. 

Lint and Gilead Sciences have partnered in an effort to ensure that those living with HIV/AIDS are receiving the medical care they need in the aftermath of the hurricane and destructive flooding.

“One of our largest aliados (allies) is Gilead Sciences, who is promoting the use of PrEP,” Lint said. 

Parts of the island that remain inaccessible due to mudslides and debris from the storm are finding it hard to receive help, especially when it comes to health services for the elderly.

“Our greatest focus is on people left behind and senior people in our community,” Lint said. 

As cleanup and recovery efforts continue in Puerto Rico, one thing is for sure: Cleanup will be a slow process, and many, like Rodriguez and her father, will be faced with the decision to leave their island or stay, uncertain when the cavalry will come.