<p>波多黎各聖胡安（美聯社）——波多黎各州長珍妮弗·岡薩雷斯於週日簽署了一項有爭議的法案，批評者稱這對民主構成打擊，並將使在這個長期以政府透明度不足而聞名的美國領土上獲取公共信息變得更加困難。</p>
<p>岡薩雷斯表示，該法案修訂了現有法律，以提供更明確的規則，避免混淆，並減少她所稱的 “相當數量的訴訟”。她還表示，該法案對不合規行為設定了處罰。</p>
<p>十多個新聞組織和民權團體拒絕了該法案，指出僅在短時間內舉行了一天的公開聽證會。</p>
<p>“波多黎各的領導人竟然會不遺餘力地損害其選民獲取信息的權利，並降低島上新聞自由的質量，這是不可想象的，” 無國界記者組織北美執行董事克萊頓·韋默斯説。</p>
<p>根據新法，政府機構現在有 20 個工作日而不是 10 個工作日來交付少於 300 頁或創建時間不超過三年的文件。</p>
<p>對於超過 300 頁或超過三年曆史的文件，機構現在有最多一個月的時間來發布，並可延長 20 天。</p>
<p>“儘管廣泛反對，州長仍簽署該法案，明確表明她對政府透明度的興趣不大，” 波多黎各美國公民自由聯盟表示。“（該法案）並不符合任何人的最佳利益，除了那些希望阻礙或防止公眾獲取他們有權看到的信息的公職人員。”</p>
<p>本月早些時候，一 coalition of journalism organizations and civil society groups 向州長髮出了一封信，要求她否決該法案，稱其為 “對公眾知情權的危險侵犯”。</p>
<p>信中指出，該法案不僅將政府機構發佈請求信息的時間加倍，還將 “允許政府在沒有司法審查的情況下將信息歸類為機密，並消除對請求信息者的個人隱私保護。”</p>
<p>該法案還取消了 “政府在 2019 年法律下提供請求格式信息的先前義務，使數據分析變得更加困難……（並且）還將允許政府因信息分散在多個文件或機構中而拒絕有效請求，” 信中指出。</p>
<p>在波多黎各獲取公共信息長期以來一直很困難，常常迫使當地媒體組織在能夠承擔的情況下訴諸法院，儘管政府在 2019 年批准了一項法律以允許獲取州機構持有的公共信息。</p>
<p>2019 年法律指出，在波多黎各，“公民和媒體在請求公共信息時，面臨昂貴且可能需要數月的自由裁量權法院程序。儘管獲取信息的權利在憲法中得到保障，但缺乏執行的程序機制導致頻繁的侵犯。”</p>
<p>2019 年法律還指出，“許多政府承諾透明，但從未真正致力於此。這是導致公眾對政府信任度下降的因素之一，政府在決策中已變得複雜、官僚和不透明。”</p>
<p>幾年前，一家當地報紙習慣性地發佈其公共信息請求及自州機構未收到回應的時間。</p>
<p>波多黎各參議院在十月中旬以 18 票贊成、9 票反對通過了該法案，且沒有舉行公開聽證會。眾議院在 11 月僅經過一天的聽證會後以 29 票贊成、24 票反對通過了該法案。</p>

<p>波多黎各州長珍妮弗·岡薩雷斯簽署了一項有爭議的法案，批評者認為該法案限制了公眾獲取信息的權利，削弱了民主和新聞自由。該法案延長了政府機構發佈文件的時間，並允許在沒有司法審查的情況下將信息歸類為機密。新聞和公民權利團體反對該法案，稱其對透明度和公眾信任構成威脅。儘管廣泛反對，該法案仍在有限的公眾聽證會上通過</p>

<p>SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González signed a polemic bill on Sunday that critics say is a blow to democracy and will make it more difficult to access public information in a U.S. territory long known for its lack of government transparency.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>波多黎各聖胡安（美聯社）——波多黎各州長珍妮弗·岡薩雷斯於週日簽署了一項有爭議的法案，批評者稱這對民主構成打擊，並將使在這個長期以政府透明度不足而聞名的美國領土上獲取公共信息變得更加困難。</p>
</div><p>González said the bill amends an existing law to provide more defined rules, avoid confusion and reduce what she said was a “considerable number of lawsuits.” She said it also sets penalties for non-compliance</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>岡薩雷斯表示，該法案修訂了現有法律，以提供更明確的規則，避免混淆，並減少她所稱的 “相當數量的訴訟”。她還表示，該法案對不合規行為設定了處罰。</p>
</div><p>More than a dozen journalism organizations and civil rights groups have rejected the bill, noting that only one day of public hearings was held on short notice.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>十多個新聞組織和民權團體拒絕了該法案，指出僅在短時間內舉行了一天的公開聽證會。</p>
</div><p>“It is inconceivable that Puerto Rico’s leaders would go out of their way to harm their constituents’ access to information and degrade the quality of press freedom on the island,” said Clayton Weimers, executive director for Reporters Without Borders in North America.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>“波多黎各的領導人竟然會不遺餘力地損害其選民獲取信息的權利，並降低島上新聞自由的質量，這是不可想象的，” 無國界記者組織北美執行董事克萊頓·韋默斯説。</p>
</div><p>With the new law, government agencies now have 20 business days instead of 10 to hand over documents with fewer than 300 pages or that were created less than three years ago.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>根據新法，政府機構現在有 20 個工作日而不是 10 個工作日來交付少於 300 頁或創建時間不超過三年的文件。</p>
</div><p>Agencies also now have up to one month to release documents longer than 300 pages or more than three years old, with a 20-day extension upheld.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>對於超過 300 頁或超過三年曆史的文件，機構現在有最多一個月的時間來發布，並可延長 20 天。</p>
</div><p>“By signing this measure into law, despite widespread opposition, the governor makes it clear that her interest is not in government transparency,” the ACLU of Puerto Rico said. “(The law) is not in anyone’s best interest, except for any public official who seeks to hinder or prevent the public from receiving the information they have a right to see.”</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>“儘管廣泛反對，州長仍簽署該法案，明確表明她對政府透明度的興趣不大，” 波多黎各美國公民自由聯盟表示。“（該法案）並不符合任何人的最佳利益，除了那些希望阻礙或防止公眾獲取他們有權看到的信息的公職人員。”</p>
</div><p>Earlier this month, a coalition of journalism organizations and civil society groups sent a letter to the governor asking that she veto the bill, calling it a “dangerous infringement on the public’s right to know.”</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>本月早些時候，一 coalition of journalism organizations and civil society groups 向州長髮出了一封信，要求她否決該法案，稱其為 “對公眾知情權的危險侵犯”。</p>
</div><p>The letter noted the bill not only doubles the length of time government agencies have to release requested information, it would also “allow the government to classify information as confidential without judicial review and eliminate personal privacy protections for those requesting information.”</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>信中指出，該法案不僅將政府機構發佈請求信息的時間加倍，還將 “允許政府在沒有司法審查的情況下將信息歸類為機密，並消除對請求信息者的個人隱私保護。”</p>
</div><p>The bill also removes “the government’s previous obligation under the 2019 law to provide information in the requested format, making data analysis more difficult …(and) would also allow the government to deny valid requests because the information is spread across several documents or agencies,” according to the letter.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>該法案還取消了 “政府在 2019 年法律下提供請求格式信息的先前義務，使數據分析變得更加困難……（並且）還將允許政府因信息分散在多個文件或機構中而拒絕有效請求，” 信中指出。</p>
</div><p>Obtaining public information in Puerto Rico has long been difficult, often forcing local media organizations that could afford it to go to court despite the government approving a law in 2019 to allow access to public information held by state agencies.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>在波多黎各獲取公共信息長期以來一直很困難，常常迫使當地媒體組織在能夠承擔的情況下訴諸法院，儘管政府在 2019 年批准了一項法律以允許獲取州機構持有的公共信息。</p>
</div><p>The 2019 law noted that in Puerto Rico, “citizens and the press are subject to discretionary court processes that are costly and can take months when they request public information. Although the right to access information is enshrined in the Constitution, the lack of a procedural mechanism to enforce it leads to frequent violations.”</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>2019 年法律指出，在波多黎各，“公民和媒體在請求公共信息時，面臨昂貴且可能需要數月的自由裁量權法院程序。儘管獲取信息的權利在憲法中得到保障，但缺乏執行的程序機制導致頻繁的侵犯。”</p>
</div><p>The 2019 law also stated that “many governments have promised transparency but have never committed to it. This is one of the factors that has contributed to the erosion of public trust in the government, which has become a complex, bureaucratic, and opaque structure in its decision-making.”</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>2019 年法律還指出，“許多政府承諾透明，但從未真正致力於此。這是導致公眾對政府信任度下降的因素之一，政府在決策中已變得複雜、官僚和不透明。”</p>
</div><p>Several years ago, one local newspaper made it a habit to publish its requests for public information and how much time had passed without receiving a response from state agencies.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>幾年前，一家當地報紙習慣性地發佈其公共信息請求及自州機構未收到回應的時間。</p>
</div><p>Puerto Rico’s Senate approved the bill in mid-October with 18 votes in favor and nine against, with no public hearings held. The House passed it in November after only one day of hearings, with 29 votes in favor and 24 against.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>波多黎各參議院在十月中旬以 18 票贊成、9 票反對通過了該法案，且沒有舉行公開聽證會。眾議院在 11 月僅經過一天的聽證會後以 29 票贊成、24 票反對通過了該法案。</p>
</div>

波多黎各州長簽署了一項法案，批評者認為這將限制公眾獲取信息的渠道