Juan Dalmau Ramírez, secretary general of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), questioned the results of Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Oversight Board as the panel marks ten years of existence on the island, asking what benefits it has brought citizens. Dalmau said recent increases in costs and rates have contributed to the closing of commercial establishments.
"The Board has cost more than $2 billion and, in 2025 alone, $50 million went to salaries and professional contracts," Dalmau said.
While poor administration is one factor, he said, the PROMESA law also bears responsibility. In 2016 the United States Congress imposed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) and established a fiscal control board whose members were not elected by the Puerto Rican people. Ten years later, the structural problems of the island’s economy persist.
Dalmau maintained that austerity measures have affected essential services, including education, the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and the island’s towns. He added that the bankruptcy process of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA (AEE); PREPA) remains unresolved. "The Board has cost more than $2 billion and, in 2025 alone, $50 million went to salaries and professional contracts," Dalmau said.
The PIP leader also questioned PROMESA’s undemocratic character, noting that the seven board members were not elected by citizens even though they make decisions that directly affect the lives of the entire Puerto Rican population.