Puerto Rico debt crisis

America and Race, Globalization, Hemispheric Identity, Police Violence, Puerto Rico's Colonial Status, Resistance in the Trump Era, Urban/Global Politics, US Intervention in Latin America

Puerto Rico’s Political and Economic Crisis Deepens

May 24, 2017 Last week, events in Puerto Rico continued to reach new levels of tension and emotion as the island’s bankruptcy proceedings began, the university’s month-long strike was threatened by court maneuverings, and the long-held political prisoner Oscar López Rivera emerged from house arrest to assertively spread an anti-colonial message to a people long […]

America and Race, Globalization, Hemispheric Identity, Latinos and Race, Puerto Rico's Colonial Status, Republican Party politics, Urban/Global Politics, US Intervention in Latin America

My Interview With Economist Ian Seda-Irizarry on the Supply Side Puerto Rico Junta

In this interview with economist Ian Seda-Irizarry about the Puerto Rico Debt Crisis on Living in Spanglish radio broadcast on September 8th, we explore the new fiscal oversight board known mandated by the PROMESA bill passed by Congress. We reveal the conflict of interests that some members bring to the board, analyze the collaboration between […]

America and Race, Globalization, Hemispheric Identity, Latinos and Race, Puerto Rico's Colonial Status, Urban/Global Politics, US Intervention in Latin America

The Annotated “Surreal Life on the Precipice in Puerto Rico”

In the past I’ve published critiques of articles that appear in the mainstream press about Puerto Rico. Today’s publication by The New York Times of “A Surreal Life on the Precipice in Puerto Rico” affords another prime opportunity. The article, which features as its main theme the now-clichéd idea that Latin American life is “surreal” a la […]

America and Race, Artists in the hood, George Zimmerman case, Globalization, Hemispheric Identity, Latin Music, Latinos and Race, Latinos in Media, Puerto Rico's Colonial Status, Urban/Global Politics, US Intervention in Latin America

Living in Spanglish Radio: Afro-Latino Edition

This edition of Living in Spanglish Radio features an interview with Amilcar Priestly, co-director of New York’s Afro-Latino Festival. In our conversation we talk about the growing need for and efficacy of expressing an Afro-Latino identity and even talk a little about its connection with Black Lives Matter. I also play music featured at the […]

America and Race, Artists in the hood, Gentrification of New York, Globalization, Hemispheric Identity, Latinos and Race, Latinos in Hollywood, Latinos in Media, New York City Politics, Puerto Rico's Colonial Status, Republican Party politics, Urban/Global Politics, US Intervention in Latin America

The Fix Was In: Puerto Rico Re-Colonized by Senate Trying to Get Out of Town

The imposition of the Fiscal Oversight Board on Puerto Rico constitutes a wholly undemocratic re-colonization of what was once known as the Commonwealth, one that should immediately compel all Americans to take to the street to denounce this hideous betrayal of their country’s imagined role as the leader of the free world. But the most […]

America and Race, Globalization, Hemispheric Identity, Latin Music, Latinos and Race, Latinos in Media, New York City Politics, Puerto Rico's Colonial Status, Republican Party politics, Urban/Global Politics, US Intervention in Latin America

Living in Spanglish: Puerto Rican Pride Edition

The new Living in Spanglish radio episode is a special Puerto Rican Pride edition, in time for the Puerto Rican National Day Parade in New York. There’s plenty of salsa, bugalú and boleros, and special guests iLe, Calle 13 vocalist with a new solo album called Ilevitable, and David Galarza, Nuyorican activist, talk about life, love, […]

Urban/Global Politics

Mary Poppins Is Fine With Puerto Rico Fiscal Control Board

[Special to the Blog About the Global Archipelago–ORLANDO] “I think HR 5278 has taken a bad rap, and it’s kind of unfair,” said Mary Poppins Tuesday about the new bill designed to help restructure Puerto Rico’s $72 billion debt passed by the House Natural Resources Committee last week. “I think it has a lot of…promise.” Poppins, […]

America and Race, Artists in the hood, Globalization, Hemispheric Identity, Latinos and Race, Latinos in Hollywood, Latinos in Media, Puerto Rico's Colonial Status, Republican Party politics, Urban/Global Politics, US Intervention in Latin America

Why Congress (And John Oliver and Lin Manuel Miranda) Can’t Save Puerto Rico

“There are certainly better voices than mine to speak on behalf of Puerto Rico” -John Oliver Can’t argue with that. Oliver’s awkward tittering about vejigante masks and sex at Loiza’s annual carnival notwithstanding, the debt crisis is no joke, and resisting the Republican Congress’s attempt to impose a fiscal oversight board—as well as a raft […]

Latinos in Media, New York City Politics, Puerto Rico's Colonial Status, Urban/Global Politics, US Intervention in Latin America

Four Things Hillary Clinton Should Say To Get New York Puerto Rican Votes

“In 1984, bankruptcy protection was arbitrarily taken away from Puerto Rico by Congress.” “The Puerto Rico debt should be audited to reveal possible illegal transactions, as well as Wall Street abuses, not only in the sale of the debt but also debt swap underwriting.” “There should be no fiscal oversight board. Puerto Ricans alone should […]

Globalization, Hemispheric Identity, Latinos in Media, Puerto Rico's Colonial Status, Republican Party politics, Urban/Global Politics, US Intervention in Latin America

An Interview With Rafael Bernabe, PPT Candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico

Last week on Living in Spanglish radio, I interviewed PPT Candidate for Governor Rafael Bernabe, who spoke about various aspects of the Puerto Rico debt crisis. We spoke about the fiscal oversight board included in a House bill designed to impose austerity measures and colonial control over the island’s economic functions as a a way […]