We’re Opening a San Juan Bureau

Part of starting something up is that you have to take risks once in a while to see if your idea sticks.

Such is the case of tonight’s big news announcement from The Latino Newsletter.

We’re seven weeks from our first anniversary, and lately, I’ve felt a shift. The Latino Newsletter is getting noticed, and if we want to make it to our second anniversary in 2026, it’s time to take some chances.

One of my longtime dreams as a journalist is finally becoming real.

We’re opening a bureau in Puerto Rico, a place I’ve written about and covered for more than 35 years.

This development meets one of our strategic goals for 2025.

I know what you might be thinking. A bureau? That sounds a bit exaggerated and gimmicky.

For me, it’s not. It is exactly what I have always wanted to do out of Puerto Rico, and now that we have a team in place, there is no way I won’t be using any other word besides bureau.

My journalism and writing work has always included Puerto Rico. When I started blogging in the early 2000s, and even before that, when I worked with my academic advisor during my Harvard undergrad years to create a customized Puerto Rican Studies curriculum, there was always a clear thread connecting me back to the island, my first home.

Technology has made it easier for this to happen, and operating a newsroom in an online world is not that impossible a task.

With that said, our San Juan bureau begins tonight.

Here is our team:

Susanne Ramirez de Arellano: Columnist
Carlos Berríos Polanco: Correspondent

I am one lucky editor.

Susanne Ramirez de Arellano

I have met and worked with a lot of Puerto Rican journalists, both on the island and in the diaspora. I have loved working with them all, and Susanne Ramirez de Arellano is at the top of my list. The Latino Newsletter is thrilled that she will be part of our team.

Susanne is one of the most respected journalists I know. I’m grateful for her mentorship and for always being there. She was UPI’s first female bureau chief in El Salvador during the civil war. At Univision Puerto Rico, she led the newsroom, added international coverage, and expanded the six o’clock broadcast, helping it become the island’s top-rated newscast. She’s worked for ABC News, CNN International, and the Associated Press. Her portfolio is extensive, across several publications and platforms, including Bloomberg, NBC Think, The Guardian, Latino Rebels, El Nuevo Día, BELatina, and, of course, The Latino Newsletter. Susanne Ramirez de Arellano brings a strong voice and hard-won perspective to everything she writes. Her pieces about Puerto Rico always get attention.

Carlos Berríos Polanco

I had the honor to edit and publish Carlos Berríos Polanco’s excellent work starting in 2021. He’s a joy to work with, always keeping the bar high and delivering. It’s no coincidence that Carlos has been a regular contributor to The Latino Newsletter, filing stories that have made national headlines.

Carlos is a writer and photojournalist from Caguas. His work focuses on climate, conflict, and the places where they collide. He was the Caribbean Correspondent for Latino Rebels and has reported across the region in both English and Spanish. His writing has appeared in several outlets, including 9 Millones, NACLA, Unicorn Riot, and Puerto Rico's Center for Investigative Journalism. His photography and video work have been featured by NBC News, Telemundo, The Intercept, and in Bad Bunny’s “El Apagón” documentary. In 2024, Carlos won Best Written Feature from the Journalists Association of Puerto Rico. He is one of Puerto Rico's most talented multimedia journalists.

Our Plans

Starting next week, we’ll begin work on a new four-part reporting series. It’s part of an exciting initiative that will go public on April 15. Carlos will be reporting out of Puerto Rico. I’ll be his editor.

Susanne will also have a new column to share. Her previous ones are some of our most popular pieces at The Latino Newsletter.

If you want to connect with us to learn more about our work in Puerto Rico, hit me up.

Let’s do this.

We want to keep The Latino Newsletter accessible without paywalls. To help, you can donate here. Any amount (one-time or monthly) will keep us going.

What We’re Reading

SCOTUS Rules on Wrongly Deported Man: As NBC reports, “The court partly granted and partly rejected an emergency request filed by the Justice Department contesting a judge’s order that Kilmar Abrego Garcia be retrieved from a prison in El Salvador where he was sent March 15 along with men alleged to be Venezuelan gang members.”

About the Author

Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder and publisher of The Latino Newsletter.

Do you believe in creating new journalism lanes for Latinos and Latinas? Do you believe that U.S. mainstream outlets will never understand our community? Consider donating to The Latino Newsletter. Any little bit helps to keep this newsletter free and accessible to all. ¡Gracias mil!