What’s Up With “La Junta de Control Fiscal”?
- Ana (Puerto Rico)
- Feb 11, 2017
- 2 min read
It is well known that Puerto Rico’s economy has slowly but surely plummeted for years. In other words, the $70 billion debt our island now suffers has not come at a surprise. Instead, it has been caused by years and years of an unjust colonial system and ineffective administrations. For this reason, and after many pleads for help, Congress finally passed the Federal law, P.R.O.M.E.S.A., which created a Federal Control Board responsible for restructuring Puerto Rico’s economy and paying creditors the money that is owed to them. This “Junta de Control Fiscal” was officially chosen on October 1st, 2016, and is made up of seven individuals: José B. Carrión III, Carlos M. García, José Ramón González, Ana J. Matosantos, Andrew C. Biggs, David Skeel and Arthur J. González. Although they are all experts in their field and have studied Puerto Rico’s economic situation intensely, many Puerto Ricans doubt that they are truly committed to the well being of the island.
The formation of this Board puts democratic ideals into question. Since its members were not elected by the people, they seem to be a group of imposed leaders that, by virtue of Section 101 of P.R.O.M.E.S.A., have extra constitutional powers above all Puerto Rican laws and branches of Puerto Rican government, and by virtue of Section 105 of the same law, also enjoy legal immunity. Furthermore, the fact that the governor of Puerto Rico only has the right to voice his opinions, but cannot ultimately vote for decisions, challenges constitutional democratic rights. Additionally, since the Board has not met in Puerto Rico until now, islanders see it as a supernatural and distant group of people that is making decisions for them. In fact, even though five of the Board’s members are Puerto Rican, and therefore have further insight on the island’s situation, they are reprobated because the people did not choose them.
The Fiscal Control Board has in fact been disdained by Puerto Ricans all over the island. For now, they have only met a couple of times and the effect of their union has not yet been greatly felt on the island. For example, they first met in in Manhattan, New York and agreed to take control of the island’s central government, its retirement system, twenty-one private corporations, and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), but they have yet to make any concrete changes.
The truth is that, even though elections were held in November to elect a new governor, seven other leaders were chosen in October by the U.S. Congress to restructure the island’s economy and make decisions without Puerto Rican’s consent. So, in terms of the island’s economic situation, whatever happens from now on is, up to a certain point, out of Puerto Ricans hands. Evidently, this has caused uncertainty and apprehensiveness amongst the Puerto Rican people. Ultimately, the current governor cannot do anything, and, the governor-elect, Ricardo Rosselló will not be able to make any economic changes for his country either. Instead, he must try to represent Puerto Ricans in the best way that he can within the Board, and hope its economic plans benefit the people. Puerto Ricans, on their part, have no choice, but to wait and see what happens.
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