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The United Public Servants of Puerto Rico (SPUPR) union on Wednesday demanded the dismissal of Nelson Cruz Santiago, the deputy secretary and commissioner of the Ranger Corps of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER).
The union alleges that his actions violate labor rights and undermine union unity.
“Regrettably, we are moving from Guatemala to Guatepeor,” SPUPR President Jessica Martínez Santos said in a written statement. “In recent months, we have observed a pattern of conduct by Mr. Cruz that infringes on workers’ rights and job stability.”
The union reported that Cruz has interfered in union affairs, employing platforms such as WhatsApp to turn members against their union and attempting to influence the organization’s internal decisions. They noted that he has intentionally delayed the appointment of employer members to the grievance and complaint committees, thereby hindering the resolution of labor claims, and has encouraged the formation of alternate committees to weaken the union representation of DNER rangers.
Cruz also faced criticism for comments regarding the “bad image” of rangers in the DNER and for his apparent effort to tie salary increases, as established in Law 156, to performance metrics. “Law 156 does not require any metrics to grant these increases,” Martínez Santos said. “The former Secretary of Natural Resources, Anaís Rodríguez Vega, has already informed the Legislature that the necessary funds to comply with this law are available.”
Additionally, the union rejected any attempts to transfer DNER rangers to the Puerto Rico Police, asserting that those workers are dedicated to their roles in protecting natural resources and working with the police in enforcing environmental laws.
“Our fight is for the recognition of their work as a law enforcement force in environmental protection and as first responders,” the SPUPR emphasized.
The union has urged Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to immediately remove Cruz from his positions and requested that the DNER provide, within 10 days, evidence of efforts made to the Office of Management and Budget or the Financial Oversight and Management Board to comply with the base salary and salary increase for the rangers.
