Episode Details

"Las Carpetas" de Puerto Rico were secret surveillance files created by the Puerto Rican Police—often in collaboration with the FBI—between the 1940s and late 1980s. These files tracked the political beliefs, activities, associations, and even daily lives of thousands of Puerto Ricans, particularly those advocating for Puerto Rican independence or considered "subversive" by U.S.-aligned authorities.

📁 What Were "Las Carpetas"?

• Literal meaning: "Carpetas" means "folders" in Spanish.
• Function: They were physical dossiers of intelligence and surveillance records.
• Targets: Over 100,000 Puerto Ricans, including:
  • Independence activists
  • Students
  • Professors
  • Artists
  • Union members
  • Ordinary citizens suspected of sympathizing with nationalist causes.

🕵️‍♂️ Methods of Surveillance

• Phone tapping
• Infiltrating political groups
• Taking secret photographs
• Recording conversations
• Monitoring public appearances
• Blacklisting people from jobs

Many people were denied employment, harassed, or socially ostracized because their names appeared in these files—even if they had committed no crime.

🇺🇸 U.S. Government Involvement

• The FBI played a direct role, especially during the Cold War, when any anti-U.S. sentiment was equated with communism.
• The goal was to crush the Puerto Rican independence movement and maintain U.S. control over the island.

💥 Exposure and Aftermath

• In the 1980s, a legal and political movement forced the Puerto Rican government to acknowledge the existence of "Las Carpetas".
• In 1992, after lawsuits and protests, many individuals were allowed to access their own files.
• The event became a symbol of:
  • Government overreach
  • Suppression of free speech
  • Colonial control

📚 Cultural Impact

• Books, documentaries, and podcasts have been made about this dark chapter in Puerto Rico’s history.
• The scandal surrounding Las Carpetas is often compared to COINTELPRO in the U.S., which targeted civil rights leaders like MLK.

🧠 Why It Still Matters

• "Las Carpetas" are a reminder of colonial repression.
• They show how the U.S. and Puerto Rican governments targeted their own citizens to prevent political dissent.
• Today, they are often cited in discussions around freedom, autonomy, and historical justice for Puerto Rico.