Governor Jenniffer González completes the first 100 days of her term in office amid a local scenario with enormous challenges, where the urgent solution to Puerto Rico’s energy crisis prevails and, at the federal and global level, a panorama tainted by the uncertainty brought about by the erratic administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
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Lee este artículo en español.
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The first challenge for any new governor is to align campaign promises with reality. Jenniffer González is no exception. However, given the complexity of the current times, it is important to carefully consider this assessment, just three months into office.
A real reality check has been the difficulty in finding solutions to the electricity crisis. In an interview with this newspaper, the governor acknowledged that the LUMA Energy contract was a central issue in her campaign. However, after taking office, the diagnosis presented a twist, revealing that the axes of the problem are the low generation capacity and the debt adjustment plan of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). She promises, in any case, to continue reviewing the contractual relationship with LUMA. It rightly points out that any solution - both in the case of PREPA and in the reconstruction and other social and development plans - must prioritize the responsible use of federal funds.
The so far chaotic environment generated in the early days of the Trump administration represents another flank to González’s administration, particularly because of the high dependence of the government apparatus on federal funds. The governor separates this flow into two strands. Those generated by executive orders and others from appropriations by law. The task is to secure primarily those destined to finance the monumental tasks pending reconstruction.
It is clear that Trump’s leadership prevents making accurate forecasts. What is advisable, as has happened with the back and forth to determine tariffs, is to respond with calm and temperance, following the example of countries that have engaged in dialogue with the White House to find pragmatic solutions. The governor has an ideological affinity with President Trump. Those ties built in her years in Washington should be useful now that the only clear thing is the cuts and adjustments led by Elon Musk’s chainsaw.
In her self-criticism, González recognizes that it is essential to maintain a fluid relationship with the Fiscal Oversight Board. Many of the decisions on the destination of budget allocations require coordination that puts the interests of the people of Puerto Rico first. This same dialogue will be indispensable to complete the tax reforms.
Public opinion has been rather critical of the government’s pace of progress. The governor responds with a series of measures that, in her opinion, show that her administration is moving forward. In an interview with El Nuevo Día, she gives as an example the agility in obtaining permits, the appointment of a czar and a committee to address the energy crisis, the delivery of 300 property titles, the drop in the crime rate and the launching of an office to attend to the elderly, among others.
No one can deny a political leader the possibility of running again. The governor has expressed this desire early on. However, this long-term vision faces reality, since in such a turbulent environment it is difficult to make projections for the future. In any case, the effective execution of all her plans will be crucial to make her reelection aspirations viable.
The governor of Puerto Rico has set a series of tasks for after Easter Week in order to emphasize the government’s actions. It is in her hands to speed up pending appointments, fine-tune the correct use of federal resources, join efforts with the resident commissioner in Washington, enhance the dialogue with the Fiscal Oversight Board, ensure that the cross-cutting task forces do their work and, mainly, after hearing the voice of the people, to recalibrate her government plan.
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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.
