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With Bankruptcy, Puerto Rico Faces Long Uphill Battle

NPR
Published May 22, 2017 at 1:40 PM EDT
The El Capitolio de Puerto Rico, the Legislative House, is pictured on May 16, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the U.S. territory struggles under a mountain of debt. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)
The El Capitolio de Puerto Rico, the Legislative House, is pictured on May 16, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the U.S. territory struggles under a mountain of debt. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

Earlier this month, U.S. territory Puerto Rico filed for a type of bankruptcy, saddled with $123 billion in debt obligations. The news has impacted government pensions, shut down schools and inspired protests.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with Maria Enchautegui( @MEnchaut), director of the economics department at the University of Puerto Rico, about how Puerto Ricans are feeling about the latest austerity measures.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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