Borinquen MadeDated notes on Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico news: economy and politics
This desk gathers dated notes on the economy and politics of Puerto Rico, taken from named outlets. It is not the magazine's historical archive. Each note cites its outlet. It is not original reporting.
A dated, sourced desk. Each note names its outlet. It is not original reporting. Figures are those the source published. If sources disagree, both layers are left in place.
Mitigation Amendment 4: Housing keeps covered projects and the risk assessment
The file approved by HUD in August 2024 links analyses for PR-10, Bauta, Patillas dam, and Trauma Center, without stating that they are disbursed or completed.
CDC archive: $13 million created the first Vector Control Unit
The historic release of September 27, 2016 documents the award to the Science, Technology, and Research Trust; it is an archive, not a new announcement of 2026, and it distinguishes obligated funds from subsequent results.
Carolina Cell C: a businessman disputes DRNA over 5 vs nearly 17 cuerdas
14–15 Sep 2026. Rivera Ortiz requests Quiles' intervention. Guevara would have said 5 ropes; Hacienda Campo Rico claims about 17 within a 35-zone. DRNA uses inspections/photos; there would be no survey. Allegation ≠ finding.
ENDI: Carraízo and La Plata rise for the second day (39.25 / 44.46 m)
Carraízo +9 cm at 39.25 observation; La Plata +6 cm at 44.46 adjustments; 9/19 upward; follow-up reservoirs 736/737.
HUD allocates $1.932 billion for Puerto Rico’s electric system
June 22, 2021. Table 1 disaster 4339: $1,932,347,000; block $2B PR+USVI under P.L. 115-123. Allocated ≠ disbursed.
Metro: LUMA — only 1,485 miles cleared last year (FEMA $16 million)
Goal ~16,000 miles; 32 FEMA projects required 5,265 miles / $610 million ≠ completed; USACE 8 projects ~$47 million; NEPR rate $131M/$137M FY27–28.
Each FEMA funding step is one event, not the whole project
Sep 15, 2026. federalShareObligated can be partial, $0, or de-obligation. Recipient ≠ Applicant. Filter: stateAbbreviation.
SBA physical-damage loans: up to $500,000 for homes and $2 million for businesses
Diary September 15, 2026; byline deep link SBA disaster physical-damage-loans. Loan≠grant; insurance is subtracted; collateral rules; combined cap with EIDL.
Senate: review of P.S. 1435 on the Code of Special Procedures
Sep 15, 2026, 9:30 a.m. Legal Committee. Codifies special civil procedures; 3-year statute of limitations vs. directors/shareholders. View ≠ law.
Housing posts Amendment 20 to the recovery plan approved by HUD in March
The official form identifies final version, annexes, comments, data of needs and projections; approval of the plan does not equate to disbursement.
Daily monitoring: the La Plata reservoir reports an increase of 14 centimeters in 24 hours
La Plata reaches 44.40 meters (operational adjustments); Carraízo rises to 39.16 and remains under observation with the rationing plan on pause.
New blackout leaves more than 179,000 LUMA customers without power
Unit 5 of Central San Juan went out of service; Caguas, Bayamón, and San Juan account for most of the outages.
2024 dengue in Puerto Rico: 6,291 cases and 11 deaths, per CDC
The CDC/PRDH report documents 52.3% hospitalization, 264 severe cases, and a predominance of DENV-3; the local emergency was declared in March 2024 after exceeding the epidemic threshold.
Auditors: 183 of 198 power-grid rebuild projects remain unfinished
Sep 14, 2026. Sep 11, 2025. >$13 billion obligated to the grid; $3.7 billion permanently unobligated for construction. 3 recs, FEMA concurred.
HUD allocates $166.3 million in recovery funds to Puerto Rico for Fiona
May 18, 2023. $144.0M unmet need + $21.6M mitigation; split $165.6M / $667k. Allocated ≠ disbursed.
Mujica: raising the minimum pension to $1,000 is “fiscal irresponsibility”
September 14, 2026. Letter to the governor and legislative presidents. Section 83.4 of the Adjustment Plan: 10-year ban on defined benefit pensions. One-year fund ≠ permanently funded benefit.
Six days later, the major Irene declaration opened three kinds of assistance
The release of August 28, 2011 separated individual assistance, cost-shared public repair, and territorial mitigation.
Treasury: Puerto Rico’s homeowner aid fund paid out 100% and helped 8,983 households
Diary Sep 14, 2026; byline press release Treasury jy1594. Allocation ~$75.6 million of the HAFP-0112 plan; disbursed≠theft; waiting list included.
Congressional report: $20.2B in recovery aid and the gap between allocated and spent
Diary Sep 13 2026; byline CRS Nov 13 2020 in EveryCRSReport. FEMA/SBA/HUD: obligations, awards and expenditures are not the same verb.
DRNA: 23 shoreline surveys in seven months, more than all 18 in 2025
Sep 13, 2026. Quiles: Jan 1–Jul 31, 23 certifications; 30 cases still with surveyors. Boundary = limit with the Maritime-Terrestrial Zone (Regulation 4860 / Law 23-1972). Alleged speed ≠ construction permit.