Puerto Rico Morning Brief Wednesday, November 4, 2026

The chair of the Democratic Party in Puerto Rico, Luis Dávila Pernas, said the US legislative elections could directly affect the stability of the federal funds the island receives, particularly for Medicaid. In a radio interview, he explained that a change in the composition and leadership of the federal House of Representatives could make it easier to include provisions to keep that funding in place. Dávila Pernas considered it likely that President Donald Trump would approve them if they are part of broader budget bills needed to keep the federal government running.

The Puerto Rico Office of Government Ethics has filed complaints against Francisco Domenech, former Secretary of the Governor’s Office, and Deputy Secretary Itza García, former Deputy Secretary. The office alleges they violated its organic law by using their posts for personal gain and for the benefit of third parties. It seeks a civil sanction of three times any economic benefit, restitution of public funds, and retention of accumulated funds. Both have until Monday, November 23, to respond.

Supermarkets in Puerto Rico have faced electric bill increases of up to 39% between September and October, said Manuel Reyes-Alfonso, executive vice president of the Multisectorial de la Industria de Alimentos (MIDA). He spoke in an interview on Normando en la Mañana. Reyes-Alfonso said the October bill rose almost 39% from the previous month, and that the average supermarket pays $5,000 to $6,000 more per month for electricity alone. He attributed the increase mainly to the fuel adjustment charge applied since the summer.

Pizza Hut temporarily closed 56 restaurants in Puerto Rico, deepening the crisis at Encantos Restaurants, the island operator of several franchises. The shutdown puts roughly 700 additional jobs at risk, on top of nearly 2,000 layoffs that followed the closure of the Taco Bell and KFC operations. EL VOCERO confirmed the closures after multiple reports from laid-off employees. The restaurants were closed, with notices posted indicating a temporary shutdown.

Cataño Mayor Hiram Torres Montalvo announced the cancellation of eight municipal contracts whose annual amounts total $913,000. The cancellations come from a review of contracting during his first two weeks leading the administration. The move is part of his 90 x 90 initiative, aimed at strengthening oversight and administration of public funds. Among the canceled contracts are those of Publicidad Tere Suárez, LLC and SBGB, LLC, the firm of attorney Jaime Sanabria, at $150,000 a year each.

The National Hurricane Center listed no active systems in the Central Atlantic basin as of November 4.

Domenech and García have until Monday, November 23, to respond to the ethics complaints.