Hiram Torres Montalvo, secretary of Puerto Rico’s Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO), said Tuesday he does not rule out running for mayor of Cataño but asked for time to consider it once a process opens to replace Mayor Julio Alicea Vasallo, who died last Thursday. Torres Montalvo said he worked with Alicea Vasallo for years at the municipality and has received outreach from former colleagues, but stressed the town is still grieving and he wants to respect the mayor’s funeral process before deciding.
Funeral services began Monday and concluded with burial Tuesday afternoon. Alicea Vasallo’s seat belongs to the Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP), which has said a special election will fill the vacancy. The mayor’s daughter, Julybeth Alicea, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, though she resides in San Juan, not Cataño.
Separately, Torres Montalvo said he has not yet decided on a possible price increase for semi-roasted coffee, noting that a special committee attached to DACO—of which he is not a member—is still meeting and has not issued a final report with findings and recommendations.