Puerto Rico in Distress

ABI Analysis

Hedge funds’ involvement in the Puerto Rico debt crisis is leading U.S. Representative Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) to propose legislation that would force the firms to reveal more about their investments, Bloomberg News reported yesterday.

The Obama administration released its Puerto Rico plan last week to give the entire Commonwealth of Puerto Rico the ability to file for chapter 9 bankruptcy to deal with its debt crisis.

Debt service will consume less than 17 percent of Puerto Rico’s consolidated budget this fiscal year, according to an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal. In the general-fund budget, which does not include government-owned corporations and agencies, debt service is below 16 percent. Neither number sounds like grounds for declaring bankruptcy.

Puerto Rico Government Development Bank’s disclosure of its available cash is leaving investors wondering if they’ll be paid on Dec. 1, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. The bank, which oversees the island’s borrowings, had $875 million of net liquidity as of Sept. 30, according to a posting Wednesday on the agency’s website.

Other Resources

The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico was created under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act of 2016. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the President of the United States and one ex officio member designated by the Governor of Puerto Rico. Access information on the Board, documents, videos of meetings, calendar of events and live webcasts by clicking here.