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At-large Rep. Ramón Torres Cruz reacted on Thursday to press reports that Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) Executive Director Gabriela Boffelli had said that the requests of Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera central government agencies in Puerto Rico would have to be referred first to the La Fortaleza chief of staff and not to the PRFAA.
“This government fails in trying to limit the work and mission of the candidate who received the most votes in the last elections,” the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker said. “Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández said that the economic development agenda is the priority for the benefit of all Puerto Ricans. No one can be against that, unless partisan political pettiness is their agenda.”
Torres pointed out that the precedents are not positive, because the majority New Progressive Party (NPP) delegation in the Senate already denied the resident commissioner the office space that the previous two resident commissioners, Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia and now-Gov. Jenniffer González Colón used for years in the Tropical Medicine building in the Capitol District.
“They also left all pending cases in the Resident Commissioner’s office at zero,” Torres added. “When Pablo José Hernández Rivera returned to Washington as resident commissioner in January, there was no transition. Now, and now, Boffelli admits that the governor is giving PRFAA the task of not communicating with the resident commissioner. Political pettiness is damaging to the country.”
The former PDP electoral commissioner went on to say that, in contrast, the resident commissioner expressed himself in the chamber in favor of the governor’s request to declare a state of emergency due to the energy situation.
“He also contacted her when the tsunami warning was issued to make himself available and collaborate, and publicly reiterated his willingness to work as a team,” Torres said. “That is the work dynamic that must prevail. It is what the people ask for and deserve.”
