Power4PuertoRico: US and Puerto Rican Governments Share Blame for Slow Reconstruction: Both the US and Puerto Rican governments share responsibility for the slow reconstruction. OCIF Orders Liquidation of Banex International Bank in Puerto Rico: Banex International Bank was ordered to liquidate due to insolvency and financial deficiencies.
Accountability and instability defined the week. A joint assessment placed blame for the island’s slow reconstruction on both the US and Puerto Rican governments, while regulators ordered Banex International Bank into liquidation over insolvency and financial deficiencies. Add to that a still-active seismic sequence in the south-southwest following a magnitude 4.8 earthquake, and residents in several parts of the island had reason to feel uneasy this week.
Daily life showed mixed signals. Employment grew 0.9% in August with 8,700 new jobs added, even as unemployment climbed to its highest level since 2023, a reminder that growth and hardship can coexist. Meanwhile, roughly 22,000 people received notices about recovering pandemic rental assistance funds, and the San Juan power plant’s unit #6 and seven portable generators remained limited to diesel amid the Bay Pilots–New Fortress dispute, at least until Monday. On a brighter note, NASA opened its first Earth Information Center in the Caribbean, and entrepreneurs donated a 3,740-acre natural area to the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico.
On water, Carraízo fell 0.18 m over the week to 40.63 m, still within AAA’s seguridad band, as rationing for its customers remained paused since September 2. Next week, watch whether AAA confirms publicly that east-side rationing in Río Grande, Canóvanas and Loíza has ended, and whether the Canóvanas filtration plant returns to operation.
The week on the water — every reservoir’s readings, the rain over the watersheds and the pace toward the next band line — is in today’s Water Week in Review.
The week’s developments
| Development | Theme | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Power4PuertoRico: US and Puerto Rican Governments Share Blame for Slow Reconstruction | Government | Sep 21 |
| OCIF Orders Liquidation of Banex International Bank in Puerto Rico | Economy | Sep 23 |
| San Juan Power Plant Limited to Diesel Until Monday Amid Bay Pilots–New Fortress Dispute | Community | Sep 20 |
| NASA Opens First Earth Information Center in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean | Infrastructure | Sep 20 |
| 22,000 Pandemic Rental Aid Recipients Get Recovery Notices in Puerto Rico | Government | Sep 20 |
| South Puerto Rico Seismic Sequence Remains Active After 4.8 Magnitude Quake, At Least 16 Aftershocks Recorded | Government | Sep 20 |
| Entrepreneurs Donate 3,740-Acre Ecological Treasure in Puerto Rico | Community | Sep 20 |
| Puerto Rico employment grows in August but unemployment hits highest level since 2023 | Economy | Sep 21 |
What to watch
| Watch | Why |
|---|---|
| Río Grande, Canóvanas and Loíza | whether AAA says in public that the east-side rationing is over, and posts that the Canóvanas filtration plant is back in operation. |
The live picture is on the water page, the power tracker and the legislature tracker; each development above opens the full write-up. This is the 4th Week in Puerto Rico (last week’s is here).
Sources: the linked reporting; AAA’s reservoir chart and rationing notices; the US Drought Monitor. Reservoir levels are AAA’s chart readings, and the drought map is a weekly expert synthesis of indicators, not a rainfall total.