The electoral campaign in Puerto Rico leading up to the elections on November 5 has been marked by citizens' concern over constant power outages, blaming the electric company LUMA Energy. The candidates for governor have had to position themselves in response to this situation.
Candidates Juan Dalmau, Jesús Manuel Ortiz, Jenniffer González, and Javier Jiménez have promised to cancel the contract with LUMA, each proposing different solutions. The arrival of LUMA in 2021 to manage the transmission and distribution of energy has not improved the service and has resulted in increased electricity bills, causing unrest among the population.
One of the candidates, Juan Dalmau, has proposed an energy governance model that is not in private hands, stating that Puerto Rico cannot be economically competitive if the contract with LUMA remains. For her part, candidate Jenniffer González mentioned the importance of an orderly transition to avoid problems in the electrical supply in case of canceling the contract with LUMA.
The vice president of Únete, Natalia Santiago, has reminded that after Hurricane María in 2017, many people died due to lack of access to electrical service, leading to a call for a more resilient and reliable electrical system on the island. Different demonstrations have taken place with slogans against LUMA and demanding a change in the electrical system.
