Institutions
Puerto Rico Cooperative Development Commission
The executive-branch commission that leads public policy for cooperative promotion and development. It helps groups organize cooperative enterprises and coordinates attached entities, including COSSEC. Its Governing Board brings government and the cooperative movement together; the statute establishes it separately from other departments.
Arts. 4–5 ↗Art. 9(q) ↗Art. 13 ↗ · Sources consulted:Puerto Rico Cooperative Development Commission · Comisión de Desarrollo Cooperativo de Puerto Rico · CDCOOP
Spanish legal name: Comisión de Desarrollo Cooperativo de Puerto Rico. Spanish legal names are retained. Some English names are functional translations.
- Government level
- State-level
- Branch or grouping
- Executive
- Type
- Board or commission
- Sources consulted
- Oct 18, 2026
What it does
- Explains the cooperative model and supports enterprise formation, organization, and incorporation. The statute provides for technical resources for economic and feasibility studies and permits partnerships for that assistance. Guidance is different from regulatory authorization or a promise of financing.Art. 9(q) ↗Cooperative Promotion, Education and Development Program ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Through its Governing Board, defines and coordinates public policy for the sector. Attached entities retain operational autonomy; their rules must align with that policy, and the Board can address inconsistencies through the statutory procedure.Art. 9 ↗Art. 13(b) ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Prepares its budget request and examines attached entities’ proposed budgets while keeping their resources and statutory purposes separate. It must also publish an annual report on public policy, plans, and results for the governor, Legislature, and cooperative movement.Art. 9(g)–(h) ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Promotes projects, educational partnerships, research, and cooperative statistics. The statute connects that work with the League, UPR’s Institute of Cooperativism, and other organizations; collaboration or board representation does not create administrative subordination of all participants.Arts. 9(c), 12(e)–(l) ↗Art. 12(e)–(l) ↗Art. 18 ↗ · Sources consulted:
In everyday life
If a group wants to organize a service cooperative, it can start with CDCOOP guidance on the model, organization, and feasibility. The agency describes assistance for forming groups, existing cooperatives, and members. The group must then identify legal requirements and the regulator for its activity; receiving guidance does not mean it may begin operating.Clientele and guidance services ↗Art. 9(q) ↗ · Sources consulted:
How to distinguish it from other institutions
CDCOOP provides guidance and promotion; COSSEC handles specialized supervision and share/deposit insurance. An attachment does not permit unrestricted use of the insurance fund for other purposes or make the Commission every cooperative’s insurer.Arts. 9(g), 16 ↗Art. 16 ↗Art. 16 ↗ · Sources consulted:
The promotional role differs from the former Cooperative Inspector’s Office. Act 247 transferred the Inspector’s functions, powers, and career personnel to COSSEC and dissolved that office. The Commission replaced the Cooperative Development Administration; its supervision and liquidation functions were separately transferred to COSSEC.Arts. 14–15 ↗Art. 15 ↗ · Sources consulted:
Official services and information
Confirm requirements, forms, and schedules on the linked official portal.
Where it fits
- Attached entity with operational autonomy: Public Corporation for the Supervision and Insurance of Cooperatives Art. 13(a) ↗Art. 16 ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Commissioner appointed by: Office of the Governor Art. 12 ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Commissioner subject to confirmation by: Senate of Puerto Rico Art. 12 ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Governing Board approves and ratifies executive appointment: Public Corporation for the Supervision and Insurance of Cooperatives Section 3: article 9 ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Commissioner chairs the Board: Public Corporation for the Supervision and Insurance of Cooperatives Art. 5(a)–(b) ↗Art. 5(a)–(b) ↗Representative regime applied in 2026 ↗Section 12 ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Includes the Executive President as nonvoting adjunct from: Public Corporation for the Supervision and Insurance of Cooperatives Art. 5(c)(i) ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Board includes the Secretary or delegate of: Department of Economic Development and Commerce Art. 5(a)(ii) ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Board includes the Secretary or delegate of: Department of Labor and Human Resources Art. 5(a)(iv) ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Board includes the head of the Institute of Cooperativism at: University of Puerto Rico Art. 5(a)(iii) ↗Art. 18: UPR Institute of Cooperativism ↗ · Sources consulted:
- One seat alternating with Agriculture belongs to: Department of Housing Art. 5(a)(v) ↗ · Sources consulted:
- One seat alternating with Housing belongs to: Department of Agriculture Art. 5(a)(v) ↗ · Sources consulted:
Map groupings support navigation; they do not themselves establish reporting authority.
Leadership & appointments
Commissioner of Cooperative Development
The governor appoints the commissioner with Senate advice and consent; the commissioner serves at the governor’s pleasure and chairs the Governing Board. The Senate register lists Liza Alfaro Mercado’s submission on March 20, 2025 and approval on June 9; the session journal expressly records the confirmation vote. The Senate identifies her as commissioner in March 2026, and COSSEC’s July letter identifies her as its Board chair. The executive appointment date is not inferred from Senate submission.Art. 12 ↗Liza Alfaro Mercado row ↗Confirmation vote; printed p. 4219 ↗Participants: Commissioner Liza I. Alfaro Mercado ↗Board chair’s signature ↗ · Sources consulted:
Liza I. Alfaro Mercado
Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Sources & method ↓
- Appointment
- Verification pending
- Confirmation
- Jun 9, 2025
- Term end
- Verification pending
Governance & composition
The Governing Board has ten voting members and two nonvoting adjunct members who may speak. The five government seats are the commissioner, DDEC, the head of UPR’s Institute of Cooperativism, Labor, and one seat alternating between Housing and Agriculture every two years. The five cooperative seats represent the League, savings/credit directors, savings/credit executives, cooperative insurers, and other cooperative types. COSSEC and FIDECOOP participate through their executive heads as adjunct members. Elected savings/credit and other-type representatives serve three years, with at most three consecutive terms; the insurance sector alternates every two years. Quorum requires six voting members. The complete membership, delegations, and current Housing/Agriculture turn remain unverified.Arts. 5–6 ↗Arts. 5(c), 6 ↗Art. 11 ↗Art. 11(f) ↗ · Sources consulted:
| Published member | Seat or representation | Term end |
|---|---|---|
| Liza I. Alfaro Mercado | Commissioner; Governing Board chair | Verification pending |
Members, vacancies, and terms are not certified as a complete roster. An expired term is not automatically treated as a vacancy; some laws allow service until a successor qualifies.
Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
Open research
The portal retains a message identifying Glorimar Lamboy Torres as commissioner. This profile uses the Senate register, session journal, and dated 2026 documents to identify Liza I. Alfaro Mercado. The old message is not used to infer a second incumbent or a vacancy.Welcome message ↗Confirmation of Liza Alfaro Mercado ↗Commissioner identified in March 2026 ↗ · Sources consulted:
The two adjunct members do not raise the vote count to twelve. Housing and Agriculture are not shown as two simultaneous seats: they share an alternating turn whose current occupant requires checking Board records. Participation through a UPR unit does not make the seat the university president’s.Art. 5(a)(iii), (v), (c) ↗Art. 5(c) ↗ · Sources consulted:
Sources & method
The consultation date is not the institution’s own update date.
- PR.gov — Comisión de Desarrollo Cooperativo de Puerto Rico ↗https://pr.gov/directorio-de-agencias/comision-de-desarrollo-cooperativo-de-puerto-rico-cdcoop-5Sources consulted: Oct 17, 2026
- Ley 247-2008 — Comisión de Desarrollo Cooperativo (compilación OGP) ↗https://bvirtualogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/LeyesOrganicas/Pages/247-2008.pdfSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Document revised: Apr 16, 2024
- CDCOOP — Servicios de promoción, educación y desarrollo cooperativo ↗https://cdcoop.pr.gov/QuienesSomos/Pages/Servicios.aspxSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
- Senado — Registro de nombramiento de Liza Alfaro Mercado: presentación y aprobación ↗https://senado.pr.gov/nombramientos?nombre=Alfaro+MercadoSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
- Senado — Diario del 9 de junio de 2025, confirmación de Liza Alfaro Mercado ↗https://senado.pr.gov/document_vault/diario_sesiones/060925.pdfSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Published: Jun 9, 2025
- Senado — Foro de cooperativismo del 18 de marzo de 2026: Liza I. Alfaro Mercado, comisionada ↗https://senado.pr.gov/cooperativismo-y-desarrollo-econmico-centran-foro-impulsado-por-el-senadoSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Published: Mar 18, 2026
- COSSEC — Carta Informativa 2026-21: elección de representante de ejecutivos de cooperativas aseguradas ↗https://docs.pr.gov/files/COSSEC/Documentos%20Cooperativas/Cartas%20Informativas/CARTA%20INFORMATIVA%202026/CARTA%20INFORMATIVA%202026-21.pdfSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Published: Jul 31, 2026
- CDCOOP — Portal publicado, con mensaje de una comisionada anterior ↗https://cdcoop.pr.gov/Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
- Ley 205-2024 — Prevención de explotación financiera; sección 3 reproduce el nombramiento ejecutivo de COSSEC ↗https://bvirtualogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/leyesreferencia/PDF/2020/0205-2024.pdfSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Published: Sep 17, 2024
- Ley 114-2001 — Versión OGP anterior a las enmiendas 99 y 205 de 2024 ↗https://bvirtualogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/leyesreferencia/PDF/Cooperativas/114-2001/114-2001_Anterior.pdfSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Document revised: Jan 9, 2025
- Ley 99-2024 — Reforma fiscal de COSSEC y condiciones de vigencia (secs. 4–5, 11–12) ↗https://bvirtualogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/leyesreferencia/PDF/2020/0099-2024.pdfSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Published: Jun 25, 2024