AMERICA/PUERTO RICO - The population suffers from hunger and misery for a debt it will never be able to pay

Friday, 4 December 2015 economy area crisis poverty

PUERTO RICO

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Miami (Agenzia Fides) - Puerto Rico is facing a tremendous financial crisis with its debt beyond $ 70 billion. This was emphasized by the Archbishop of Miami (USA), Mgr. Thomas Wenski.
In a recent letter to Congress, Mgr. Wenski, as Chairman of the Internal Justice and Human Development of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States, denounced: "The people of Puerto Rico suffer from poverty, hunger, persistent unemployment and other social problems, as a result of the financial crisis that weighs on the economy of the country". Puerto Ricans "have no responsibility for the situation, but suffer most the consequences".
According to the local press, on Tuesday, December 1, Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said in the Senate that the financial situation of Puerto Rico marks "the beginning of a very long and chaotic process" The country has been mired in recession for a decade. Over 45% of the Puerto Rican population lives in poverty, according to Census Bureau data.
In his letter, Archbishop Wenski urges Congress to pass a bill called "Puerto Rico Chapter 9 Uniformity Act", which would give the government of Puerto Rico the same protections regarding bankruptcy that are granted to American cities. The statement by the archdiocese of Miami points out: "Since Puerto Rico is not a sovereign nation, nor a state, it has virtually no chance to pay its debt and deal with the crisis".
Mgr. Wenski wrote: "Financial instruments should encourage development, not deprivation. We all have a shared responsibility to protect our brothers and sisters, the poor and vulnerable in the world". (CE) (Agenzia Fides 04/12/2015)