Debt and Politics in Puerto Rico

Event Summary This event has passed.

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is in the midst of a serious fiscal crisis. While Congress gets closer to passing a rescue bill, including debt restructuring and a federally mandated fiscal control board, the details remain contentious. Without federal intervention, the territory might be forced to default on its biggest payment yet on July 1st, exacerbating the liquidity crisis and conditions in the island. With 45% of the population living in poverty, record outmigration numbers, decaying educational and healthcare systems, more than 12 percent unemployment, and a looming Zika epidemic (the CDC predicts a quarter of the island’s population will contract the virus within a year), the situation is dire. Complicating Puerto Rico’s predicament is its unique political status, which shapes the debate in Washington and San Juan alike. Experts will address Puerto Rico’s immense challenges and discuss the path forward. 

Read the Dialogue’s Puerto Rico Crisis Briefing for more.

Follow this event on Twitter at #DebtPoliticsPR and @The_Dialogue.  

Speakers

Moderator

Barry Bosworth

Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution

Michael Shifter

President, Inter-American Dialogue
@MichaelShifter

Rafael Cox Alomar

Assistant Professor of Law, David A. Clarke
School of Law, University of DC
@rcoxalomar

 

José Raúl Perales

Former Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector,
Department of Homeland Security

 

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