The Puerto Rico Senate committees investigating the current state of the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Base in Ceiba opened the joint public hearing on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, but postponed the investigation because of recent events related to Cuba. Carmelo Ríos Santiago, chair of the Federal Relations Committee and Senate vice president, said the decision responds to events outside the Senate’s jurisdiction touching national security matters, including an arrest order against former Cuban president Raúl Castro and the possibility that Puerto Rico could again serve as a support base, as happened in the case of Venezuela.
The presidents excused two invited witnesses: Carlos J. Ríos Pierluisi, secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) and former executive director of the Local Redevelopment Authority for Roosevelt Roads, and Ceiba mayor Samuel Rivera Báez. Instead, the committees will continue with an executive meeting and then an on-site inspection at the facilities, scheduled for Friday, November 6.
The executive meeting with the DDEC secretary will discuss any information arising from the War Department, the base, or the DDEC itself. Nitza Morán Trinidad, chair of the Economic Development Committee and coauthor of the measure, reiterated both committees’ commitment and did not rule out holding a public hearing later. Senate Resolution 286, by Morán Trinidad and Ríos Santiago, directs the committees to evaluate the viability and impact of a possible reuse of Roosevelt Roads for United States Army national security purposes and to recommend measures to maximize federal relations and economic and social benefits for Puerto Rico. Senators Migdalia Padilla Alvelo and Roxanna Soto Aguilú also attended the proceedings.