Domenech, García to leave their posts at La Fortaleza

Pressure on the González Colón administration escalated sharply this past Saturday, when Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz publicly urged both La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech Fernández and Assistant Chief of Staff Itza García Rodríguez (front row, third and second from right) to resign, describing them as “a burden” and arguing that “prudence and decency” required their removal while under investigation.

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced Tuesday that Francisco Domenech Fernández will leave his post as La Fortaleza chief of staff in August, along with Assistant Chief of Staff Itza García Rodríguez.

The governor disclosed the decision during a live address from La Fortaleza, carried on the government’s television channel and social media platforms. Although she did not provide specific reasons for the changes, she said the departures mark the conclusion of a chapter in her administration and thanked both officials for nearly 20 months of service leading the Office of the Chief of Staff.

“Both officials are now stepping down from their public duties this coming August, after having worked and coordinated tirelessly to help me assemble the government of Puerto Rico,” González Colón stated during an address from La Fortaleza. “I thank them for the commitment, dedication, and professionalism with which they have both performed their duties 24/7 throughout this time, since the very first day of our administration.” 

Immediately following the governor’s announcement, Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera, the president of the opposition Popular Democratic Party, said: “Today, the claque [clique] suffers two important casualties. Although the dismissal of Domenech and García is a step in the right direction, the damage has been irreparable. Puerto Rico deserves more and we will continue to monitor corruption and the claque.”

Domenech’s departure follows weeks of intense scrutiny due to an investigation by the Panel on the Special Independent Prosecutor. In mid‑July, the panel broadened a probe that initially centered on former officials at the Permit Management Office, formally adding Domenech and García to determine whether either may face criminal or administrative consequences. Domenech is slated to vacate his post on Aug. 7 and García on Aug. 15.

The controversy stems from the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC by its acronym in Spanish), where former secretary Sebastián Negrón Reichard resigned in May, citing a loss of confidence in the administration. Negrón Reichard later submitted a 70‑page sworn statement outlining alleged irregularities, including assertions that directly involve Domenech, according to local reporting.

Pressure on the administration escalated sharply this past Saturday, when Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz publicly urged both Domenech and García to resign, describing them as “a burden” and arguing that “prudence and decency” required their removal while under investigation.

“If they appreciate the governor, they should step aside,” Rivera Schatz said. “If they don’t, the governor has to act.”

Members of both major parties echoed the demand, along with the president of Puerto Rico’s firefighters union and Hernández Rivera, who called for Domenech’s ouster “and that of his clique” amid the DDEC turmoil.

Domenech, an attorney who ran González Colón’s 2024 gubernatorial campaign, became Puerto Rico’s 21st chief of staff when he assumed the role on Jan. 2, 2025. He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and, as recently as last week, dismissed the possibility of stepping down, saying he continued to enjoy the governor’s confidence. González Colón herself rejected portrayals of Domenech as “untouchable,” while noting she intended to meet with him and García to determine next steps without disrupting her administration’s operations.

The governor also confirmed Domenech’s departure from the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (AAFAF by its initials in Spanish), where he has served as executive director in tandem with the La Fortaleza post.

Upon bidding farewell to public service, Domenech quoted former U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy by way of alluding to the resistance he claimed to have faced while implementing changes within the government.

“Few men are willing to face the disapproval of their peers, the censure of their colleagues, and the wrath of certain special-interest groups,” the outgoing chief of staff said at the press conference. “Moral courage is a far rarer commodity than battlefield bravery or great intelligence. Yet, it is the essential and indispensable quality of those who aspire to transform a world that offers the most painful resistance to change.”

“Serving as chief of staff and director of the AAFAF -- and in the other roles I have held -- has entailed carrying out major changes, in keeping with the commitment the governor made to our people,” Domenech remarked.

“The resistance to this has been more than palpable. A nod to LUMA,” he added, referring to the González Colón administration’s efforts to facilitate the exit of the controversial private operator of the island’s electrical grid.

García said her departure does not mark the end of her commitment to public service, and she quoted the Catholic nun Mother Teresa of Calcutta as she concluded her remarks.

“I am concluding this chapter, but not my commitment to Puerto Rico,” she said. “Wherever life allows me to serve, I will continue to do so with the same passion, responsibility, integrity, and conviction that guided every day of this extraordinary journey. As Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, ‘He who does not live to serve, does not serve to live.’ So, thank you to all of you.”