Puerto Rico in Distress

ABI Analysis

This article tests the premise of limited federal court involvement in municipal bankruptcy cases against the real world of Detroit’s restructuring. The study is based on listening to digital audio recordings of court hearings and status conferences throughout the case in nearly real time, coupled with other primary source materials.

Puerto Rico's entrenched economic crisis is leading people to either cut their personal spending to the basics or flee to the mainland to search for jobs, contributing to the struggles of those left on the island, the Associated Press reported on Saturday. Nearly 10 years into a deep economic slump, Puerto Rico is no closer to pulling out, and, in fact, is poised to plummet further.

After openly acknowledging on Monday that it had not made a $58 million bond payment, the Puerto Rico quietly disclosed in a financial filing later that afternoon that it had temporarily stopped making contributions of $92 million a month into a fund that is used to make payments on an additional $13 billion in bond debt, the New York Times reported today.

Puerto Rico defaulted on a $58 million bond payment yesterday, a risky move that seemed to intensify the pressure on creditors for broader debt renegotiation, but might also make future borrowing far more difficult, the New York Times reported today.