Puerto Rico Defaults On Debt Payment

A homeless man stands in front of a closed down business in Puerta de Tierra in the outskirts of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
A homeless man stands in front of a closed down business in Puerta de Tierra in the outskirts of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ricardo Arduengo, File / AP Photo
A homeless man stands in front of a closed down business in Puerta de Tierra in the outskirts of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
A homeless man stands in front of a closed down business in Puerta de Tierra in the outskirts of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ricardo Arduengo, File / AP Photo

Puerto Rico Defaults On Debt Payment

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Puerto Rico defaulted today on a $422 million debt payment, but some of the country’s larger creditors have agreed to forestall legal action. The hope is that further talks can help solve the U.S. territory’s liabilities, which total around $72 billion. 

Many human rights observers say that the focus on money has distracted attention away from the suffering of the Puerto Rican people. 

We talk about the human costs of the debt crisis with Eric LeCompte, executive director of Jubilee USA, an alliance of NGOs and faith communities advocating for economic and social justice.