The President of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Luis Ferrao Delgado, has recommended Dr. Dharma Vásquez Torres to temporarily fill the position of President of the Campus of Medical Sciences (RCM), following the dismissal of Dr. Ilka Ríos yesterday.
“After conducting interviews, evaluating the resumes of the candidates, and consulting with the Vice Presidents, Dr. Orestes Quesada, Executive Vice President for Academic and Research Affairs, Dr. Rosaura Ramirez Ordonez. “Associate Vice President for Academic and Research Affairs, Dr. Mayra B. Charise Cordero, Vice President for Student Affairs, “I recommend Dr. Dharma Vásquez Torres for the position of interim rector of the Medical Sciences Campus and his resume is included,” reads a letter sent by Ferrao Delgado to UPR Board Chair Ricardo Dalmau Santana.
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From the letter sent yesterday, it appears that among the candidates interviewed were Dr. Jose Hoyek, Dr. Deborah Silva and Dr. Lilis Nazario, all from the Campus College of Medicine, and Dr. Wanda Maldonado, from the College of Pharmacy.
Vasquez Torres comes from the Graduate School of Public Health, and according to Ferrao Delgado, his recommendation has the support of doctors Quesada and Charez.
Given this process that the Regional Coordination Mechanism is going through, Governor Pedro Pierluisi stated that he does not know Vázquez Torres. However, he supported the decision taken by the Chair of the Universal Periodic Review.
“It looks good to me, because now it is clear that the facility is returning to normal and the board of directors will be responsible for setting the right date at the right time,” the governor said during a visit to Quebradillas.
On the other hand, the appointment of Ríos Reyes led to a series of resignations at RCM and prompted the student body to declare an indefinite strike. Despite this, even when Ferrao Delgado asked him to resign, Ríos Reyes clung to his chair. As it emerged yesterday, at least 10 of the 14 board members voted to fire Ríos Reyes.
After her dismissal, Ríos Reyes said she felt “very good and satisfied.”
“The campaign was for Ilka to resign. The now-fired university president said: “Others have resigned with the same campaign and banners, and I have not resigned.” He added that he was leaving “with his head held high, doing part of the cleaning that had to be done in the building because those who accused me of being a fraud, being corrupt, well, time will tell who will come out in the end.” Different charges from the federal government,” the fired official said in an interview with the Telemundo Primera Question program.
The Student Council expresses its rejection of the recommendation.
Due to serious ethical and professional concerns, the General Student Council of the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus (UPR) today expressed its opposition to the possible appointment of Dr. Dharma Vásquez Torres as interim president of that campus. Students questioned Vazquez Torres’ appointment after she allegedly expressed support for the dismissed university president, Ilka Ríos Reyes, despite the “ethical accusations” raised against her.
The name of Vázquez Torres appeared after the publication of a letter sent by the President of the Universal Periodic Review, Luis Ferrao Delgado, to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation, Ricardo Dalmão Santana, recommending a professor of the Graduate School of Public Health to fill the vacant position after the dismissal of Dr. Elka Ríos Reyes. “We strongly express that we do not support the appointment of Dr. Dharma Vasquez as interim head of the RCM. We are deeply concerned about his ethical and professional character because he was one of the people who signed letters of support for the dismissed rector, Dr. Ilka Ríos,” said a written statement issued About the organization.
“We call on President (Luis) Ferrao and the Board of Directors not to install Dr. Dharma Vasquez as interim president because this will not foster an environment of healthy coexistence in the RCM,” adds the communication, in which they also recommend his appointment of Dr. Lelis Nazario to fill the position. Nazario, who is part of the campus’ medical school, was one of the candidates for the position interviewed by Ferrao, according to the president’s letter to the board, in which he recommended Dr. Vasquez Torres. “We recommend Dr. Lilis Nazario, because we know that she will provide the peace and return to normalcy that the Medical Sciences Campus needs after the hectic month of September. Students expressed their reinforcement by the appointment of former University Rector Dr. Ilka Ríos Reyes.