Susanne Ramirez de Arellano: Sadly, this treatment of Puerto Rico is no surprise. Because of the island’s colonial status, it is consistently overlooked and ignored. Nothing has made this clearer than the response to this disaster.
Consider that, as we speak, some vital supplies ships may not be able to reach the island because they don’t meet the requirements of an obscure rule, known as the Jones Act, which requires that all cargo ships docking in Puerto Rico carry a United States flag and an American crew.
Puerto Ricans have long maintained that the Jones Act, which is imposed on all US ports, is crushing the island’s economy. While a waiver was issued after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, that hasn’t happened yet this time. This is shameful. Not only should it be waived, but it should be removed all together.
It’s also time to address the other slow-burning crises that Puerto Rico is facing. The island is suffering the most crushing economic and fiscal crisis of its history, brought about by a massive $70bn debt, which prompted the establishment of a fiscal control board, and a looming budget gap of more than $20bn.
To make matters worse, a soaring 12% unemployment rate has fueled a population decline that exceeds the 1950s Great Migration, stripping the island of its human capital as people head to mainland US in search of jobs.
Like the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, these socio-economic crises are largely under-covered by mainstream press and ignored by politicians in Washington DC. More here.