Jenniffer González aprueba enmiendas a la Ley de Transparencia pese a amplio rechazo

Jenniffer González aprueba enmiendas a la Ley de Transparencia pese a amplio rechazo

The article details the enactment of legislation in Puerto Rico that significantly restricts public access to government information, drawing sharp criticism from civil society and journalistic organizations. Critics argue that this new legal framework represents a substantial regression in constitutional rights, effectively weakening transparency and accountability by introducing bureaucratic hurdles that delay or obstruct the disclosure of public records. Key provisions extend response times for complex requests, allow agencies to classify information as confidential through internal regulations, and remove the obligation to provide data in analyzable formats. Furthermore, the law mandates notifying agency heads about each request, thereby compromising the anonymity of petitioners and potentially chilling citizen engagement. These changes enable entities to reject inquiries based on administrative complexity, making the exercise of the right to information more cumbersome and less effective for ordinary citizens. This development is highly relevant to the open data community, as it actively undermines the technical and legal foundations necessary for data availability and usability. By allowing agencies to withhold data indefinitely or in inaccessible formats, the legislation prevents the reuse and analysis of public information. Consequently, it hinders civic oversight and innovation, placing Puerto Rico among jurisdictions with the weakest open data frameworks globally, and directly conflicts with the principles of transparency and government accountability central to the open data movement.

Source: metro.pr
Published on 2025-12-15