During this period, the impact of press freedom on the country was mainly linked to the general election process in November.
In September, the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission (CEE) threatened to sue the Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI) for allegedly obtaining confidential and privileged information about citizens.
In a report on September 24, the CPI revealed that nearly 900,000 deceased individuals were listed in the General Register of Voters (RGE). The journalistic investigation found that about 5,872 deceased individuals between 2015 and September 30, 2020, were active in the RGE, meaning they voted in the elections between 2016 and 2020.
The president of the Puerto Rico Journalists Association (Asppro), Nydia Bauzá, described the threat of a lawsuit as an attempt to “gag” the press and added that “journalists will continue with our informative and oversight function.”
In April, Senator Thomas Rivera Schatz disclosed confidential and private information about journalists who investigated the financial reports of legislator José “Memo” González. Both belong to the New Progressive Party (PNP).
The senator revealed the electoral number, workplace, photo, and name of journalist David Cordero Mercado, from El Nuevo Día, and other individuals listed under the same address in the Electoral Register. It occurred a day after the publication of the report signed by Cordero and another journalist, Benjamín Torres Gotay.
