Puerto Rico Morning Brief Wednesday, October 7, 2026

La Fortaleza has closed ranks around Family Secretary Suzanne Roig, who faces scrutiny over $38.5 million in contracts. Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano said Roig remains in her post and has the confidence of Gov. Jenniffer González Colón. He added that this confidence is not a blank check and that every cabinet member stays subject to evaluation. Peña Payano said the governor alone decides how, in what manner and when people enter her team and when she removes them.

Popular Democratic Party at-large Representative Ramón Torres took to the FBI a complaint about allegedly issued unofficial voter identification cards. He alleges one of them was printed on an unofficial machine at the New Progressive Party committee in Arecibo. Torres first brought the matter to the State Elections Commission (CEE), whose president, Jorge R. Rivera Rueda, referred it on September 8 to the Puerto Rico Department of Justice to determine whether a crime was committed. Article 12.12 of the Electoral Code makes it a felony to falsify, imitate or obtain a voter ID card without entitlement, or to try to pass off a false card as genuine.

Certain bondholders of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) again criticized the Financial Oversight and Management Board for backing the temporary generation contract awarded to Power Expectations. In their statement, they said the board’s members should be replaced or the board dissolved for being an obstacle to successfully restructuring PREPA. They said the board performed no basic due diligence when it received a version of the contract signed by "Jhoby Weaks," who purported to act as Enchanted Rock’s Caribbean chief operating officer.

Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero said Puerto Rico has activated its protocol, as have federal health authorities, to guard against any situation tied to the alleged pneumonic plague outbreak in Russia. Speaking at the En Récord conference, he said the US government has asked Russia for information about what happened. That includes exactly which organism infected a researcher whose death followed, and how widespread it may be or whether it was contained at the site. Ramos Otero said the CDC and the agencies in charge of entry into the United States are monitoring airports and ports. If there were any suspicion, he said, he assumes the plane or ship would be stopped.

The Government of Puerto Rico on Tuesday, October 6, rejected the $1.3 billion calculation LUMA Energy submitted to the Supreme Court as the consequence of annulling the extension of its contract. The Executive maintains that about 70% of that amount corresponds to operating balances, accounts payable and other obligations that a change of operator would not cause. According to the Executive, PREPA does not owe LUMA the amounts that make up that 70%. It also says the system’s liquidity problems cannot be attributed to an eventual transition.

As of October 7, the National Hurricane Center lists 1 active Atlantic system; the nearest is Tropical Storm Isaias, 1,828 miles from San Juan. None is threatening Puerto Rico.