Puerto Rico Progress
From Jubilee USA Network
Puerto Rico made its December 1 payment and avoided default. It seems unlikely that they have the liquidity to make the next payment on January 1st.
Yesterday, the Hispanic Federation organized a national day of action and brought hundreds to DC to advocate for solutions to Puerto Rico’s debt and healthcare crisis. Jubilee’s Executive Director, Eric LeCompte, joined eight Members of the House of Representatives and Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Richard Blumenthal for a press conference on Puerto Rico.
More information on the press conference, including quotes from Eric, is available here: http://ow.ly/VovbE
We were honored that some of Puerto Rico’s religious leaders, our partners, came to advocate in Washington. The leaders who joined us from Puerto Rico included: Reverend Heriberto Martinez Rivera, the General Secretary of Puerto Rico’s Bible Society and the head of the interfaith coalition addressing the debt crisis, Lutheran Bishop Felipe Lozada and Methodist Bishop Rafael Moreno Rivas.
Jubilee USA’s views on Puerto Rico continue to feature regularly in major mainstream and religious media outlets. A few highlights:
CBS News – “As Debt Crisis Deepens, Puerto Rico’s Fate in the Balance”
National Catholic Reporter – “Puerto Rico’s Debt Crisis”
ValueWalk – “Puerto Rico Expected to Float ‘Superbond’ Offer in Private Meeting Today”
Finally, we are grateful for the leadership of Archbishop Wenski and the partnership of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops who just released a letter this week calling for Congress to extend bankruptcy protection to Puerto Rico.
Press release from Archbishop Wenski and the Archdiocese of Miami calling for action on Puerto Rico