On January 16, when Puerto Rico’s former governor received a pardon from President Donald Trump, many Puerto Ricans were filled with anger and disbelief. “WHAT?” one user wrote in response to the news published by the local newspaper El Nuevo Día. Another referred to Trump as “the savior of corruption.”

This pardon isn’t just about Wanda Vázquez. It reflects how federal power repeatedly protects Puerto Rico’s political class while demanding austerity and sacrifice from the rest of the population. For the powerful, being accountable is optional, and cooperating with the justice system doesn’t guarantee fairness.

Two cooperating witnesses in the federal case against Vázquez faced certain consequences. The former governor, however, did not. In any system that claims to uphold the rule of law, this reversal of the norm should set off alarm bells. In Puerto Rico, it simply reinforced a belief held across the political spectrum: Justice is swayed by power, money, and political expediency.

This case didn’t come out of nowhere. For years, Puerto Rican politics has been characterized by a blurry line between public office and private gain. Vázquez denied any wrongdoing and maintained that she never lobbied for personal favors. Nevertheless, reports have documented actions related to business interests and the quiet exploitation of ethical gray areas.

Vázquez took office following the resignation of Ricardo Rosselló, whose administration crumbled after the release of messages exchanged between the governor and members of his inner circle. These messages, widely condemned as vulgar, misogynistic, racist, and homophobic, also revealed discussions about manipulating media coverage, targeting political opponents, and casual references to certain matters. Public outrage forced Rosselló from office, marking a rare instance where public anger translated into political change.

Vázquez later lost the New Progressive Party’s 2020 gubernatorial nomination to Pedro Pierluisi, who himself is a well – known figure, before getting caught up in her own scandal.

In 2022, the FBI arrested Vázquez on bribery charges related to her 2020 campaign. It was alleged that she offered to appoint a banker’s preferred financial regulator in exchange for donations. In 2025, she pleaded guilty to a campaign finance violation, becoming the first former governor of Puerto Rico to do so. However, she and her co – conspirators were pardoned after a relative made a contribution to a Trump – aligned political action committee.

The economic cost of corruption in Puerto Rico

Corruption in Puerto Rico isn’t just a moral failing; it’s an economic disaster.

Puerto Rico’s economy has been in a long – term recession for nearly two decades. The median household income is low, and roughly a certain percentage of the population lives in poverty. Young people leave the island not out of choice but because opportunities have been systematically taken away.

Billions of dollars that could have been used for infrastructure, education, and public services have instead been diverted into inflated contracts, legal settlements, patronage networks, and crisis management. For example, of the 581 road repair projects started after a certain event in 2017, only a small number have been completed, while funds disappear. Officials still keep their perks. The University of Puerto Rico faces repeated challenges despite its crucial role in social mobility. Corruption has ensured that any economic growth rarely benefits the general population.

The decay of infrastructure is perhaps the most obvious sign. Only a small fraction of highways are in good condition. Public transportation is still inadequate. The power grid, which has been privatized, mismanaged, and politically involved, fails with alarming frequency. According to a report, between 2021 and 2024, each household, on average, lost electricity about 19 times and was without power for almost 27 hours. Each power failure encourages people to leave the island, which in turn reduces the tax base, speeding up the economic decline. Corruption doesn’t just coexist with these problems; it makes them worse.

Puerto Rico has tried to fix corruption before

In 2016, the implementation of a certain board was supposed to bring order, reduce deficits, and restore credibility. Instead, it made austerity measures more entrenched while leaving the political culture that caused the crisis largely unchanged.

Corruption scandals continued under the board’s supervision. Government officials were arrested. Illegal schemes, including environmental violations involving activities in protected coastal areas such as a specific location, persisted because enforcement was weak. In recent years, federal investigations have linked contractors associated with politically influential families to these issues, including cases where individuals related to the in – laws of the governor were investigated by the F.B.I. in October 2025.

In this context, Trump’s pardon did more than just forgive a former governor. It directly interfered with Puerto Rico’s already fragile justice system. Local accountability mechanisms are restricted by federal oversight, political partisanship, and a long history of selective enforcement.

Loyalty to power matters more than cooperation with the law

When a former governor is pardoned while cooperating witnesses are left vulnerable, the message is clear: Loyalty to power is more important than cooperation with the law.

The justifications offered by the pardon’s supporters, such as it being a legal right, correcting an injustice, or being a kind act, ring hollow in Puerto Rico.

In a place where corruption is widely recognized as a systemic problem, the pardon serves to strengthen the problem, not solve it. It tells current officials that even if federal prosecutors get involved, they can avoid the consequences. It tells future whistle – blowers that cooperation may not protect them. And it tells the public that being cynical is reasonable.

This message is especially harmful given Puerto Rico’s colonial status. As a U.S. territory, the island lacks full representation but has to bear the full impact of federal decisions. Puerto Ricans are told to endure austerity, accept cuts, and trust institutions, while watching those institutions protect the very people who contributed to the crisis.

Trump’s pardon should not be seen as an isolated political favor but as an intervention that exacerbates Puerto Rico’s government’s worst traits. It rewards a political class whose corruption has cost the island an estimated amount since the early 2000s, about $527 million a year, roughly a certain percentage of the annual government budget, according to estimates by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico and another organization. The pardon weakens the deterrent effect and shows that federal power can entrench colonial – related problems rather than fix them.

Democracy cannot work when justice is seen as something that can be negotiated.