Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San Juan (Agenzia Fides) - Over 80% of children in Puerto Rico live in areas of extreme poverty, and the percentage of local teenagers who do not work or attend school is twice that of the United States. According to a recent study, carried out by the Consejo Nacional de La Raza, a Hispanic group that deals with the defense of civil rights, the enormous economic disparities could spread among the children of the island and the United States. The document reports a child poverty rate in Puerto Rico three times higher than that registered in the U.S.A., with about 500 000 poor children and other 786 000 who live in areas with very high poverty rate. Furthermore, compared to any other State of the American Union, Puerto Rico has the highest rate of children, 56%, who are raised by a single parent, or whose parents do not have a permanent job, 54%. The activists have asked the government more programs aimed at reducing poverty and increasing financial support for children and their parents. However, in the proximity of the general election to be held in November, politicians are particularly focused on the problem of deadly drugs and violence as well as the future political status of the island. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 28/7/2012)
