PUERTO RICO, MAY 1ST, 2017
For those who may not have heard, Puerto Rico has been facing a debt crisis for the past several years. This has lead to rising tensions on the island as the United States has turned control of Puerto Rico's finances to a Federal Oversight Board, who arguably may not have the best interests of the island's suffering people in mind. I'll leave my opinions out of this for now...
I visited Puerto Rico last week to complete some research on a screenwriting assignment and happened to catch one of the largest protests the island has seen, as people took to the streets to demand a citizen's audit of the proposed "solution" to the debt crisis, one that threatens to privatize many of the island's public services, potentially leaving many people deprived of their jobs, pensions, and wages.
Here are just a few snapshots from the beginning of the protest, taken just before I had to board my plane home, and just before the teargas canisters began to fly.
If you'd like to learn more about the history of Puerto Rico's economic crisis, might I recommend John Oliver's take on the scenario.
