From The Star Staff
On Wednesday, the Puerto Rican Workers Central (CPT, as known by its Spanish initials) declined an executive order that grants Francisco Domenech, Chief of Staff at La Fortaleza, expansive authority to terminate governmental contracts and dismiss tenured government employees.
“This order is so arbitrary that it resembles a dictatorial approach, centralizing the administrative authority of all public institutions and entities in one individual: the Chief of Staff,” stated CPT President Emilio Nieves Torres.
In addition to managing the daily functions of the agencies, Domenech will have the power to reject career government appointments and even overturn agency decisions, as per an executive order (EO) recently signed by the governor.
EO 2025-008 outlines the duties and authorities of Domenech, who also holds the position of executive director of the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority. This includes the authority to implement any fiscal control measures he finds necessary, oversee contracts and purchase orders, and mandate audits.
The EO permits Domenech to override appointments and manage personnel transactions, which Nieves Torres claimed contravenes human resources policies and collective bargaining agreements. Furthermore, he emphasized that these actions negatively impact both permanent and temporary staff.
Nieves Torres also pointed out that the order empowers the chief of staff to impose financial controls without a defined legal framework. “These directives conflict with current laws and aim to make recruitment and public administration processes even more politicized,” he remarked.
