Puerto Rico's Department of Education (DE) Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés and School Food Authority (AEA) Director Franchesca Reyes Benítez have called on Nelly Ayala León, president of the Asociación de Empleados de Comedores Escolares, to present evidence backing her public claims of food shortages in school cafeterias. Ayala León alleged shortages of rice, eggs and vegetables, difficulty meeting menu requirements, food transfers between schools, and cafeteria employees using their own money to buy food—including for modified or special diets—claiming the union has receipts documenting some purchases.
After the allegations surfaced in media reports, Ramos Parés verified the claims directly with superintendents from Puerto Rico's seven educational regions, who confirmed cafeteria warehouses were functioning and reported no situations matching the complaints. The AEA conducted its own separate check with regional directors, which also failed to corroborate the allegations. Officials said no specific schools, dates, products or circumstances have been publicly identified, and the receipts the union claims to have have not been submitted to the AEA.
Reyes Benítez said the complaint deserves serious attention but requires verifiable facts, stating officials cannot investigate generalities and are committed to identifying, addressing and correcting any real problems.