Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2019-07-29)

32

Protests PuertoRico

OnJuly22,

demonstratorsshut

downtheExpreso

LasAméricas,

leadingtomore

confrontationswith

lawenforcement

Policeusedteargasonprotesters,who’vegatheredoutsidethe

governor’smansionmostnightssincethemessagesbecamepublic

Corruptionallegationsdoggedtheadministration;twoformerofficialshave

beenchargedwithcrimesincludingtheft,moneylaundering,andwirefraud

TwoyearsafterPuertoRicodeclaredbankruptcy,andwiththedevastationunleashedbyHurricaneMaria

stillhobblingitseconomicrecovery,publicfrustrationhasreacheda boilingpoint.Peoplebeganpouringinto

thestreetsofOldSanJuanonJuly13,afterinvestigativejournalistspublishedmessagessentbyPuertoRico

GovernorRicardoRossellóandhisinnercircledisparagingpoliticalfoesandordinarycitizensalike.Sincethen

theprotestshavegrownin sizeandintensity,leadingtoa massdemonstrationonJuly22,in whichanestimated

100,000peoplefloodeda highwaynearSanJuan’sfinancialcenter.OnJuly24,PuertoRico’sspeakerofthe

Housegavethebesiegedgovernorhourstoresign,sayinghewouldotherwisebeginimpeachmentproceedings.

Earlierthesameday,a judgeimposeda four-monthhaltonseveraldozenpiecesoflitigationthatarepartof

bankruptcyproceedings.Thepoliticalchaosmayhavesubsidedbythen,butpublicangermaycontinuetomount.

�MichelleKaske