Puerto Rico Has Its Own Constitution—But Who Holds the Power?

Your voice matters! Leave a voice message of up to 60 seconds. / ¡Tu voz cuenta! Deja un mensaje de voz de hasta 60 segundos. Puerto Rico has a Constitution, elected officials, and its own courts. But how much authority does its government actually exercise—and who has the final say? Join Edwin Ortiz, host of Puerto Rico, Open Your Eyes, as we examine three powerful examples of the limits of Commonwealth self-government: Congress’s conditions on the 1952 Constitution, the blocking of Puerto Rico’s 2014 Recovery Act, and the nullification of its 2022 labor reform under PROMESA. We explain why Puerto Rico could not authorize Chapter Nine bankruptcy filings for its public entities—and why the Supreme Court also blocked its local restructuring alternative. We distinguish Congress’s direct actions from decisions made by federal courts and the Financial Oversight and Management Board. This is the first of a two-part series. In our upcoming second episode, we will explore Puerto Rico as a proposed eighteenth autonomous community of Spain: its regional president, parliament, governing powers, and representation in Spain’s national parliament in Madrid. The Canary Islands will provide a concrete comparison. Do these examples change how you understand Puerto Rico’s political status? Share your thoughts in the comments, subscribe, and share this conversation. READ, WATCH, AND LISTEN Substack: https://substack.com/@puertoricoopenyoureyes YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PuertoRicoOpenYourEyes Podcast and listening platforms: https://rss.com/podcasts/puerto-rico-open-your-eyes/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RLJrBUuligvF675jKmVJO TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@puerto.rico.open1 Official website: https://puertoricoabranlosojos.com/ Open Your Eyes app: https://app.puertoricoabranlosojos.com/ SUPPORT OUR WORK Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PuertoRicoOpenYourEyes Crowdfunder — Proyecto Puerto Rico en España: https://www.crowdfunder.com/p/project-puerto-rico-in-spain OUR INITIATIVES The National Puerto Rico & Spain Initiative: https://tnprsi.org/ Proyecto Puerto Rico en España: https://proyectopuertoricoenespana.com/ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK The National Puerto Rico & Spain Initiative: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582909199852 Proyecto Puerto Rico en España: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebo

Puerto Rico Has Its Own Constitution—But Who Holds the Power? | Part 1 of 2