The investigation launched by the Office of the Special Independent Prosecutor Panel (FEI) into former Permits Management Office (OGPe) officials has intensified concerns within Puerto Rico’s business community, prompting the island’s most influential industrial trade group to issue an urgent call to shield economic development from political disputes. Amid escalating public disagreements among senior government […]
The investigation launched by the Office of the Special Independent Prosecutor Panel (FEI) into former Permits Management Office (OGPe) officials has intensified concerns within Puerto Rico’s business community, prompting the island’s most influential industrial trade group to issue an urgent call to shield economic development from political disputes.
Amid escalating public disagreements among senior government officials, the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association (PRMA) warned that the island cannot afford for its investment climate to be undermined by controversies unrelated to business productivity. PRMA President Rafael Vélez Domínguez stressed that protecting investor confidence must remain a priority, noting that the organization’s roughly 1,000 member companies generate more than 62% of Puerto Rico’s Gross Domestic Product.
“It is our duty to ensure that the investment climate is not lacerated by noises that are alien to the productivity of companies. Industrial development and the confidence of local and foreign investors must remain protected and isolated from public sector disputes,” said Vélez Domínguez.
The association cautioned that questioning or discrediting institutional processes tied to incentives and tax decrees due to government controversies poses a serious risk to private‑sector confidence and could discourage both retention and attraction of capital.
PRMA Executive vice president Karen Mojica Franceschi added that Puerto Rico cannot allow its economic competitiveness tools to become arenas for political conflict, emphasizing that decrees, incentives, and reshoring strategies are institutional assets critical to business expansion.
“Our absolute priority has to be to defend and protect the companies that sustain our economy, as well as to ensure the transparency and robustness of the government systems that facilitate investment,” said Mojica Franceschi, who also noted that companies in key sectors – pharmaceuticals, medical devices, technology and distribution – have expressed concern about the current environment.
The business sector’s warnings come as the FEI formally agreed to appoint a special independent prosecutor to investigate former OGPe officials Norberto Almodóvar Vélez and Charlene Neuman Rivera. The probe follows a referral from the Department of Justice and the submission of additional evidence by former Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) Secretary Sebastián Negrón Reichard, who filed a complaint alleging undue intervention in permitting processes.
Negrón Reichard’s complaint, filed June 15 before the OPFEI, alleges that senior officials in La Fortaleza, including Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech, engaged in a pattern of interference and retaliation tied to a federally funded procurement process at the OGPe.
Justice’s Public Integrity and Comptroller Affairs Division concluded that there was sufficient cause to believe the former officials may have violated Articles 254 and 261 of the Penal Code, as well as provisions of the Government Ethics Act. The FEI appointed independent prosecutors Fabiola Acarón Porrata‑Doria and Ileana Agudo Calderón to lead the investigation, which now includes supplemental information submitted by Negrón.
The panel also authorized prosecutors to pursue any other public officials who may have participated in the alleged conduct. Under Law 2‑1988, they have 90 days to complete the investigation and determine whether to file criminal charges.
Domenech escalated the administration’s internal crisis on Thursday after filing two sworn petitions—one before the Office of Government Ethics (OEG) and another before the Department of Justice—accusing former Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) Negrón Reichard of multiple acts of corruption and serious conflicts of interest.
For the private sector, the case underscores long‑standing concerns about the stability and transparency of Puerto Rico’s permitting system, a critical component of the island’s competitiveness. OGPe’s performance directly affects construction timelines, industrial expansion, and the ability of multinational manufacturers to operate efficiently. Any indication of irregularities within the agency reverberates across the investment landscape.
As the investigation proceeds, business leaders are urging the government to protect the credibility of the institutions that underpin Puerto Rico’s economic strategy, warning that uncertainty in regulatory processes could jeopardize decades of industrial development and the island’s position as a global manufacturing hub.
