Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer Gonz\u00e1lez has signed into law a contentious bill that critics argue significantly undermines access to public information and press freedom in the U.S. territory, reigniting long-standing concerns over government transparency.<\/p>\n
The legislation, approved by the Senate and House in recent months, amends Puerto Rico\u2019s 2019 transparency law, extending the time government agencies are allowed to respond to public information requests and granting broader discretion to classify records as confidential.<\/p>\n
Governor Gonz\u00e1lez defended the move, saying the amendments provide clearer rules, reduce confusion and address what she described as a \u201cconsiderable number of lawsuits\u201d filed against government agencies. She added that the new law also introduces penalties for non-compliance by public institutions.<\/p>\n
However, the law has drawn sharp criticism from journalism organizations, civil liberties groups and press freedom advocates, many of whom say it weakens democratic accountability.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is inconceivable that Puerto Rico\u2019s leaders would go out of their way to harm their constituents\u2019 access to information and degrade the quality of press freedom on the island,\u201d said Clayton Weimers, executive director of Reporters Without Borders in North America.<\/p>\n
Under the new law, government agencies now have up to 20 business days \u2014 double the previous limit \u2014 to release documents of fewer than 300 pages or created within the past three years. Requests involving larger or older records can now take up to one month, with an additional 20-day extension allowed.<\/p>\n
Civil society groups warn that beyond extended timelines, the law gives authorities greater power to label information as confidential without judicial review. It also removes the obligation for agencies to provide data in the format requested, potentially complicating investigations and data analysis by journalists and researchers.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the ACLU of Puerto Rico said the governor\u2019s decision makes it clear \u201cher interest is not in government transparency,\u201d adding that the law benefits officials who wish to obstruct public scrutiny.<\/p>\n
Opponents have also condemned the legislative process, noting that the bill advanced with minimal public consultation. More than a dozen journalism and civil rights organizations said only one day of public hearings was held, and on short notice.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, a coalition of media and civil society groups urged the governor to veto the bill, calling it a \u201cdangerous infringement on the public\u2019s right to know.\u201d They warned it could allow agencies to deny valid requests simply because information is spread across multiple documents or institutions.<\/p>\n
The Senate passed the bill in mid-October with an 18\u20139 vote and no public hearings. The House approved it in November after a single day of hearings, with a narrow 29\u201324 vote.<\/p>\n
Accessing public information in Puerto Rico has historically been difficult, often forcing media organizations to seek court orders despite constitutional protections. The 2019 transparency law was introduced to address those challenges, acknowledging that costly and lengthy legal processes had contributed to repeated violations of the public\u2019s right to know.<\/p>\n
That law also warned that persistent opacity had eroded public trust, turning government into what it described as a \u201ccomplex, bureaucratic, and opaque structure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some local news outlets previously highlighted the problem by publicly tracking unanswered information requests, sometimes waiting months for responses.<\/p>\n
With the new amendments now in effect, press freedom advocates fear those challenges may deepen, further limiting oversight of public officials and decision-making on the island.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer Gonz\u00e1lez has signed into law a contentious bill that critics argue significantly undermines access to public information and press freedom in the U.S. territory, reigniting long-standing concerns over government transparency. The legislation, approved by the Senate and House in recent months, amends Puerto Rico\u2019s 2019 transparency law, extending the time government<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570":"","facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[2493],"class_list":["post-14724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-americans","tag-puerto-rico--press-freedom--government-transparency--public-information--civil-liberties--journalism--democracy"],"yoast_head":"\n