Press Releases

San Juan, Puerto Rico (Tuesday, December 9, 2025) – As part of International Anti-Corruption Day, the new Comptroller of Puerto Rico, Attorney Carmen Vega Fournier, led today an unprecedented forum that brought together representatives of the government, academia and civil society to discuss coordinated strategies of transparency, control and prevention. Under the name “A dialogue among the government, academia and civil society,” the event gathered more than 200 participants in a day of deep reflection on the fight against corruption and the importance of a more innovative and collaborative public oversight.

The forum, the first of its kind organized by the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico (OCPR), marked the beginning of a stage focused on strengthening prevention, efficient oversight and interagency communication.

During her opening remarks, the Comptroller emphasized that the forum responds “to our participatory model that promotes proactive alliances with oversight entities and with academia.” Likewise, Vega stressed that she maintains constant and direct communication with the Department of Justice, the Office of Government Ethics and the Office of the Inspector General, stating that “these collaborations are essential in the investigation of cases of embezzlement, fraud and misuse of public funds.”

Also, the attorney and Certified Public Accountant, Vega Fournier, highlighted “it is important to integrate Academia and, in turn, the new generations through internship programs that bring young people closer to public service as an ethical professional option with a sense of purpose, while helping us with academic work and research that strengthen the oversight mission of the OCPR.”

The first panel, titled “Public accountability and transparency from the State,” brought together the country's main officials of the oversight and judicial apparatus. Participants included Attorney Luis A. Pérez Vargas, executive director of the Office of Government Ethics; Attorney Annette del C. Esteves Serrano, deputy director of the Department of Justice; Ivelisse Torres Rivera, inspector of the Office of the Inspector General; Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, federal prosecutor for the District of Puerto Rico; Attorney Ygrí Rivera Sánchez, president of the Panel on the Independent Special Prosecutor; Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, executive director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics; and the Comptroller of Puerto Rico.

The panelists discussed new approaches to detecting acts of corruption, the importance of centralized internal audits and the need to use reliable data to detect warning signs. They also highlighted the collaborative value of the PRECO Group, an interagency space dedicated to the prevention and eradication of corruption. Federal prosecutor Muldrow emphasized the need to strengthen protection and reward programs for whistleblowers, noting that many cases are solved thanks to citizens who alert about irregularities.

The second panel, “Education and research for a culture of integrity,” highlighted the contribution of academia to ethical oversight and to building an informed citizenry. It was composed of Dr. Melvin Rosario Crespo of the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus; Dr. César Rey Hernández of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus; and Dr. Hernán A. Vera Rodríguez of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. The academics agreed that the fight against corruption must begin within the educational system, incorporating ethics, civics and citizenship as essential competencies from the earliest years through university studies. They also stressed that strategic alliances among universities, government entities and civil society organizations can contribute to the development of more sustainable and innovative public policies.

The third panel, “The voice of Civil Society in the Fight against Corruption,” gave space to organizations that lead independent citizen oversight. Participants included Dr. Eneida Torres de Durand of the Center for Public and Corporate Governance; Issel Masses Ferrer of Sembrando Sentido; Oscar J. Serrano of the Center for Investigative Journalism; and Michael G. Carmona Soto of Somos Más PR. The panelists highlighted the importance of independent monitoring, access to public information in usable formats, and collaborations with international organizations to develop tools that strengthen transparency and accountability in public contracting. In addition, they emphasized that civil society plays an irreplaceable role in demanding integrity in the management of public funds.

This first edition of the forum marks a milestone in the OCPR's agenda, demonstrating its commitment to government transparency and the promotion of a culture of integrity. The Comptroller concluded that this effort is the beginning of a sustained agenda of multisectoral collaboration aimed at strengthening public trust and eradicating corruption in Puerto Rico.