Puerto Rico

PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico (pop. 3.2 million) was devastated by hurricane Maria in 2017. Its government did not have resources to repair the damage. It had been saddled earlier with a US-government appointed fiscal board due to its indebted condition. This board “focused on privatizing and dismantling public services, which in turn caused living expenses and utility costs to soar, even as essential services like electricity, water, health care and education became unreliable or inaccessible.”

Meanwhile tax incentives “have attracted a wave of investors and remote workers further straining the island’s resources and displacing its residents.” In addition, “valuable public land has been sold or leased to wealthy investors for pennies on the dollar, only to be turned into exclusive private schools or luxury private homes.”

On March 22, Vice Pres. Kamala Harris made a lightning visit to Puerto Rico but failed to address any of Puerto Rico’s problems. She posed for photo-ops and attended a fundraiser given by wealthy ex-pat donors.

Source: The New York Times, 3/29/24