Press Release

The Institute for Economic Liberty (ILE) and Pacific Legal Foundation published the report How Certificates of Need and Convenience Limit Health-Care Investment and Access in Puerto Rico, which examines Puerto Rico’s Certificate of Need and Convenience law and its implications for investment, competition, and the availability of health-care services on the Island.

The Liberty Justice Center represents public employee Luis Rigau in a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging the Puerto Rico Industrial Commission’s (PRIC) and the United Food and the Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 481’s policy of compelling union membership and seizing union dues from his wages without his consent and despite his clear, written objections.

Four University of Puerto Rico employees exercised their constitutional rights to resign from their union after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME. Because of this decision, this year they were excluded from a one-time publicly funded payment reserved for members of the union—an illegal benefit granted to those who had not exercised their Janus rights.

A comprehensive analysis of federal, state, and municipal taxes challenges the notion that Puerto Rico residents pay less than those living in the 50 states.

Green light for social reinsertion! Law allows ex-convicts to obtain occupational licenses in Puerto Rico; ILE celebrates milestone.

Dr. Ángel Carrión-Tavárez, Director of Research and Public Policy at the Puerto Rico Institute for Economic Liberty, became the first Puerto Rican ever to deliver a presentation at a meeting of this prestigious organization. His address offered a historiographical perspective on Puerto Rico’s colonial relationship with the United States and the origins of el mantengo—a term implying living off public assistance.

The Island moves further away from the United States and is just a few hundredths behind Mexico in the Economic Freedom of North America 2024 report. Puerto Rico ranked last for the second consecutive year among the 51 U.S. jurisdictions.

The study conducted by ILE details the problems caused by excessive occupational regulation and proposes concrete actions for the Island’s government to address them.

The report Acciones de libertad económica para un Puerto Rico justo y próspero (Economic freedom actions for a fair and prosperous Puerto Rico) highlights more than 50 laws and regulations that limit opportunities in Puerto Rico and provide a guide for the next government to establish new public policies that unlock the Island’s potential.

The legal action is based on the unauthorized use of the legendary baseball player’s trademark by the Government of Puerto Rico.