DACO releases preliminary summary of Holy Week operation

Consumer Affairs Secretary Valerie Rodríguez Erazo

By The Star Staff

Consumer Affairs (DACO by its acronym in Spanish) Secretary Valerie Rodríguez Erazo released preliminary results of the agency’s 2025 Holy Week operation on Wednesday.

“This operation reflects DACO’s new face: one that is present, firm, and proactive,” Rodríguez Erazo said in a written statement. “We will not only inspect in real time, we will also analyze data, anticipate problems, and protect consumers with evidence and strategic action.”

“We will continue forward with operations, requirements, and all available legal tools to guarantee economic justice for all,” she added.

Rodríguez Erazo said that on April 14-15, DACO conducted 177 visits to establishments throughout Puerto Rico, including fish markets, supermarkets and food stores. As a result, 39 violation notices were issued: 22 on Monday and 17 on Tuesday.

The most common violations, grouped by regulation, were:

* Rule 6 (Quality and Safety) – 13 notices for expired products displayed for sale, which were immediately removed by inspectors in accordance with Regulation 7319.

* Rule 18 (Price Labeling) – Eight notices for incorrect, incomplete, or misleading price labeling of food products.

* Rule 24 (Product Availability) – Nine notices for failure to meet the minimum required availability for advertised or basic products.

* Rule 9 (Advertising and Promotions) – Five notices for deceptive practices or lack of evidence to support active promotions.

* Improper Inspection of Services – Four notices for failure to comply with the proper service request process.

On Monday, meanwhile, 29 official violation notices were issued, distributed as follows:

Six supermarket chains with a presence throughout the island, which were required to provide evidence of:

* Inventory available as of April 1, 2025, of basic foodstuffs and essential products.

* Average selling price of those items.

* Information on the arrival of new inventory as of April 2.

* Recent price changes and justified causes.

* Country of origin of each product in inventory.

Additionally, violation notices were sent to 22 new and used car dealers throughout Puerto Rico, from whom the following were requested:

* Number of vehicles (new and used) in inventory as of April 1, 2025.

* Individual selling price of each vehicle.

* Details of vehicles received from April 2 onward.

* Price changes and justification for increases, if any.

* Country of origin of vehicles in inventory.

All affected businesses were given 15 calendar days to submit the required information. DACO warned that failure to comply with this requirement could result in administrative sanctions, pursuant to Articles 3, 6(d), and 14 of Law 5 and its current regulations.