Federal loans of up to $2 million offered to Puerto Rico businesses hit by drought

The short version

• El Vocero reported that businesses in 19 municipalities can apply for EIDL loans of up to $2 million with repayment terms of up to 30 years
• Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora stated the interest rates are fixed at 4% for businesses and small agricultural cooperatives without other credit and 3.625% for eligible nonprofits
• The governor and DDEC secretary announced in-person assistance at the Centro Único de Servicios in San Juan until Nov. 13, 2026, excluding Veterans Day
• Applications must be submitted by July 7, 2027, online at lending.sba.gov or with SBA staff in San Juan

Program details and eligibility

The government of Puerto Rico announced on Thursday, Oct. 22, that the U.S. Small Business Administration is offering Economic Injury Disaster Loans to businesses suffering economic losses from the drought and related water service interruptions. El Vocero reported that the program is available in Caguas, Carolina, Río Grande, San Juan, Trujillo Alto and the contiguous municipalities of Aguas Buenas, Canóvanas, Cataño, Cayey, Ceiba, Cidra, Gurabo, Juncos, Las Piedras, Loíza, Luquillo, Naguabo, San Lorenzo and Toa Baja.

Eligible applicants include small businesses, agricultural cooperatives, aquaculture businesses and most private nonprofit organizations that meet program requirements. The loans, which are not grants, can be used to meet ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met because of the drought. Funds cannot be used to refinance long-term debt. Metro Puerto Rico reported that loan approval and terms will depend on factors including credit history and repayment ability.

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What the sources posted

Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.

Nuestros pequeños y medianos negocios son esenciales para las comunidades y la actividad económica de Puerto Rico. Ante el impacto de la sequía, queremos que los comerciantes conozcan las herramientas federales disponibles y puedan recibir asistencia directa para evaluar sus opciones de recuperación.

Our translation: Our small and medium-sized businesses are essential to the communities and the economic activity of Puerto Rico. In the face of the impact of the drought, we want merchants to know the federal tools available and to be able to receive direct assistance to evaluate their recovery options.

The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.

Interest rates, terms and assistance

According to the SBA, loans can reach $2 million with repayment terms of up to 30 years depending on each applicant's financial evaluation. Fixed interest rates are 4 percent for businesses and small agricultural cooperatives without credit available elsewhere and 3.625 percent for eligible private nonprofits. Primera Hora reported that the application deadline is July 7, 2027.

Governor Jenniffer González Colón and DDEC Secretary Carlos J. Ríos Pierluisi said SBA staff will provide in-person orientation and assistance at the Centro Único de Servicios on the first floor of the Edificio de Fomento Industrial at 355 Roosevelt Avenue in San Juan. Service runs until Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with no service on Wednesday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day. Assistance is also available without appointment at SBA Business Recovery Centers in San Juan; appointments can be booked at appointment.sba.gov. Applications can be filed online at lending.sba.gov. NotiCel reported the SBA contact number is 1-800-659-2955 and the email is disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Where the sources differ

All five sources agree on the core facts: SBA EIDL loans up to $2 million for drought-affected businesses in the same list of municipalities (described as 19, 18 or 17), 30-year terms, 4% and 3.625% interest rates, the July 7 2027 deadline, in-person assistance at the DDEC's Centro Único de Servicios until Nov. 13 2026 excluding Veterans Day, online application at lending.sba.gov, and that the loans are not grants. El Vocero and NotiCel attribute the announcement primarily to the governor and DDEC secretary together or to Ríos Pierluisi; Primera Hora and El Nuevo Día focus on the governor. Slight variations exist in the exact municipality count listed and whether they explicitly mention aquaculture businesses.

What the reports do not say

The reports do not state how many businesses have been affected by the drought, the total amount of funding available, how many applications are expected, what specific losses qualify, or whether any businesses have already received approval. They also do not indicate the governor's or DDEC's estimate of economic impact or any timeline for loan approvals and disbursements.

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Sources

Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.

1. Official ¿Tu negocio sufrió pérdidas por la sequía? Ofrecen préstamos de hasta $2 millonesGovernment of Puerto Rico (Governor and DDEC) · elvocero.com · Spanish · checked Oct 22, 4:35 PM AST
2. Reporting ¿Tu negocio sufrió pérdidas por la sequía? Ofrecen préstamos de hasta $2 millonesEl Vocero (El Vocero) · elvocero.com · Spanish · checked Oct 22, 4:35 PM AST
3. Reporting Anuncian préstamos federales para comerciantes afectados por la sequíaMetro Puerto Rico (Metro Puerto Rico) · metro.pr · Spanish · checked Oct 22, 4:35 PM AST
4. Reporting Disponibles préstamos para comerciantes y agricultores afectados por la sequía en 17 municipiosPrimera Hora (Primera Hora) · primerahora.com · Spanish · checked Oct 22, 4:35 PM AST
5. Reporting Ofrecen préstamos federales de hasta $2 millones a negocios afectados por la sequíaNotiCel (NotiCel) · noticel.com · Spanish · checked Oct 22, 4:35 PM AST
6. Reporting Gobierno de Puerto Rico anuncia asistencia federal para comerciantes afectados por la sequíaEl Nuevo Día (El Nuevo Día) · elnuevodia.com · Spanish · checked Oct 22, 4:35 PM AST

How we checked this

El Vocero, Metro Puerto Rico, Primera Hora, NotiCel and El Nuevo Día all covered the SBA loan announcement based on statements from Governor Jenniffer González Colón and DDEC Secretary Carlos J. Ríos Pierluisi. Details on assistance locations, hours, rates and the non-grant nature of the loans rest on the shared government release and SBA information cited by all outlets.

Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.