Mayors Protest in front of Governor’s Mansion; 40% of Island still without Power

Protesters joined 28 town mayors at La Fortaleza demanding a speedier restoration of electricity to their municipalities. The Mayors Association, consisting of all Popular Democratic Party (PDP) mayors, marched to the Governor’s mansion demanding attention and denouncing what one mayor called “political discrimination” against PDP towns.

As the protest continued to pick up steam, the Governor’s Chief of Staff, William Villafañe met with a group of mayors from both major Puerto Rican political parties (the PDP and the New Progressive Party, or NPP) and hashed out a preliminary agreement that allows mayors to assign workers to work alongside existing Electric Power Authority (PREPA) crews to fix the energy grid. Some mayors left the meeting uncertain of the handshake deal, citing a lack of formal documentation of the agreement, however the news was seen as a positive step by most outside observers. Some municipalities have already begun fixing their own electric cables and forming alternative or temporary means of electrification. Four months after last year’s hurricanes ravaged Puerto Rico, almost half of the Island remains without power.

Governor Ricardo Rosselló was criticized widely in the press and in social media for not meeting with the mayors, and PREPA leadership was also absent from the meeting. The Governor was also harshly criticized for passing on the meeting in favor of inaugurating a new Dave and Buster’s arcade restaurant.

Governor Calls on Diaspora to Vote in Midterms

Governor Rosselló followed through on his pledge to energize Puerto Rican communities in the U.S. and urged them to vote against those who pledged to help Puerto Rico but voted against the Island’s interests in Congress. In a town hall in Kissimmee, Florida, the heart of the Puerto Rican community in the Sunshine State, Rosselló urged Puerto Ricans to register to vote and make their voices heard in the midterm elections. The Governor got into a public argument with Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio over the new tax reform law’s harmful impact on Puerto Rico. Florida Governor Rick Scott attended the event, along with Senator Bill Nelson. Scott plans to challenge Nelson for the Senate seat in November.

Uncertainty Over Federal Government Funding leaves Hurricane Relief Bill in Limbo

Washington continues to lurch from one stopgap spending bill to the next, frustrating advocates of disaster relief funding for Puerto Rico. In December, the House passed an $81 billion relief bill that was criticized by Democrats for failing to include federal match waivers for Puerto Rico and for containing anti-labor policy riders, among other so-called “poison pill” provisions. The Senate has been negotiating a different package that Puerto Rican authorities hope will include additional funding for Medicaid for the Island but the details are still unclear.