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Due to ongoing uncertainty caused by the policies of President Donald Trump and a significant increase in the cost of essential products such as eggs, Popular Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers Gretchen Hau Irizarry and Swanny Enit Vargas Laureano are urging Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to take the issue of food security in Puerto Rico seriously, regardless of political affiliations.
The opposition legislators implored the governor on Thursday to adopt existing measures aimed at promoting agriculture.
“Puerto Rico needs an immediate action plan to prevent consumers from facing further repercussions,” Hau said. “The government of Jenniffer González has remained completely silent in the face of this crisis, failing to propose any measures to strengthen local production or reduce dependence on imports.”
Vargas emphasized that “[t]he importance of food security on the island must not continue to be underestimated.”
“Puerto Rico cannot go without a plan while prices continue to rise,” she said. “Our call to the governor is clear: do not wait for the situation to deteriorate before taking action.”
The lawmakers referred to House Bills 1426 and 1427, which have been filed over the past four years by Rep. Héctor Ferrer Santiago, the current PDP majority leader in the lower chamber. The bills aim to strengthen the purchase and production of Puerto Rican agricultural products to achieve full and sustainable development within the agricultural industry, enabling the government to acquire as many local products as possible.
Previously, former Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia vetoed the measures, but they have recently been re-filed by the PDP delegation.
“The lack of sustainable local production prevents the island from achieving stability in the supply of basic products,” the legislators said, adding the reminder that Puerto Rico imports 85% of the food it consumes. “The cost of essential goods for Puerto Ricans is increasingly rising, directly impacting working families. We have seen substantial increases in prices for essential products, such as eggs. Global inflation and the production crisis in the United States, along with Trump’s policies, could exacerbate the problem.”
