San Juan, Puerto Rico — As summer temperatures soar and the start of the school year draws near, the Puerto Rico Department of Education (DE) has failed to disclose essential information about school infrastructure — specifically, the availability of air conditioners and the condition of electrical substations needed to operate them.
In response, the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI) filed a lawsuit on July 22, 2025, in the San Juan Court of First Instance against Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés for failing to comply with a formal request for public information made nearly a month ago.
On June 27, 2025, CPI journalist Tatiana Díaz Ramos formally requested copies of reports prepared by the firm M2A Group detailing evaluations of air conditioning systems and electrical substations in 709 school facilities. The request also sought confirmation of whether the firm completed inspections at more than 300 additional schools by June 30, as the Department had publicly stated it would. Despite repeated follow-ups by phone and email, the agency has yet to release the requested information.
Information about school infrastructure is of vital public interest, particularly when public funds are being used to improve electrical and ventilation systems during the hottest time of year,” said Carla Minet, executive director of the CPI. “The Department’s inaction not only undermines transparency but also violates the constitutional right of access to information that belongs to the press and the public.
“The government cannot arbitrarily or passively withhold information produced as part of its public duties. In Puerto Rico, access to information is not optional — it is a fundamental right,” Minet added.
The CPI’s petition for mandamus was filed by attorneys Luis José Torres Asencio, Steven P. Lausell Recurt, and Judith Berkan of the Inter American University School of Law’s Legal Clinic. The lawsuit asserts that the Department has a ministerial obligation to provide the requested records, which constitute public documents generated and maintained by the agency.
According to the legal claim, the Department’s refusal violates both the constitutional right to access public information under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Transparency and Expedited Procedure for Access to Public Information Act (Act 141 of 2019). The suit also highlights that this right is recognized as a fundamental human right under the inter-American legal framework, essential for democratic participation and government accountability.
CPI emphasizes that it has exhausted all administrative remedies and that no other effective means exist to obtain the information, warranting the court’s intervention.
This translation was generated with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and clarity.
