Puerto Rico Morning Brief Monday, November 9, 2026

Naguabo authorities urged drivers to avoid state road PR-31 at exit 22 because a surge of water, known as a "golpe de agua," was coming down the Río Blanco and affecting road conditions. The Municipality of Naguabo reported the situation in a social media post and called the highway dangerous. It asked residents to stay away from the area. "¡NO TRANSITEN POR ESTA VÍA!" the town government wrote, meaning "Do not travel on this road."

Puerto Rico’s Senate summoned representatives of Deloitte and Ethree Solutions (E3) to a public hearing on Monday, November 9, at 10:30 AM in the María Martínez hearing room. Senate Vice President Carmelo Ríos Santiago announced the summons and is seeking to establish the companies’ responsibilities in developing and operating the government payment platform. The inquiry follows a public hearing on Thursday, November 5. At that hearing, Education Department officials acknowledged that the ERP rollout has delayed the processing of invoices for services provided. The delays also affected programs that depend on federal funds.

About 60 New York legislators and elected officials volunteered at the Puerto Rico Food Bank’s facilities in Carolina, packing food for families facing food insecurity on the island. The nonpartisan organization Somos Inc. coordinated the service day. Its conference, themed "Abriendo Caminos" (Opening Paths), concluded on Saturday, November 7, and was hosted by Food Bank For New York City together with the Puerto Rico Food Bank. Mari Jo Laborde, president and CEO of the Puerto Rico Food Bank, asked the visitors to carry the experience back to New York and Washington. She urged them to push for SNAP to be extended to Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rico Police Bureau recruited 130 new cadets for its next academy class and expects to bring in 1,000 new officers this fiscal year. Recruitment Director Félix Burgos Guzmán said so on Sunday, November 8, at La Fortaleza’s weekly press conference, "Asunto Semanal." The cadets, class 238A, join the Puerto Rico Police Academy on Monday, November 9, and all have at least a high school diploma. Burgos Guzmán said that, through efforts by Police Superintendent Joseph González, the force now has 17 polygraph examiners, up from three in 2025 (in Yauco, Aibonito and San Juan).

Most economists are not satisfied with the Oversight Board’s performance a decade after the PROMESA law created it, according to a survey by the Puerto Rico Economists Association. Some 76% of respondents disagree or strongly disagree that the policies the Board promoted or approved contributed to Puerto Rico’s economic growth. A similar share says the policies did not aid long-term development. Another 73% question their contribution to the labor market.

The Carraízo reservoir dropped below the spill line on the morning of November 9, falling 8 centimeters to 40.88 meters. It stood in the Safe band (Seguridad), 1.18 meters above the Watch line (Observación).