Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

Puerto Rico Crippled Before Hurricane Hit
Nellie Bailey and Glen Ford
12 Dec 2017
🖨️ Print Article

Harsh austerity measures imposed by a federal financial oversight board set Puerto Rico up for disaster, said Lara Merling, a researcher for the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research. A new study shows about 1,000 more deaths resulted from Hurricane Irma than were officially reported. “It’s not surprising that the Puerto Rican government had no ability to respond” to the storm, as a result of the spending cuts, said Merling.

Puerto Rico

Related Podcasts

BAR Radio Logo
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Black Agenda Radio March 6, 2026
06 March 2026
In this week’s segment, we discuss past and present U.S.
Puerto Rico independence movement
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution and Struggle for Independence in Puerto Rico
06 March 2026
Brianna Alvarado Ramos of Diaspora Pa’lante Collective discusses the challenges
BAR Radio Logo
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Black Agenda Radio September 19, 2025
20 September 2025
In this week’s segment, we discuss a new book that analyzes the latest iteration of fascism currently emerging in the United States.

More Stories


  • black loyalists
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist , Dr. Gerald Horne
    “The Farce of You Lie”: Gerald Horne Discusses the Founding of the United States
    03 Jul 2026
    Gerald Horne joins editor Margaret Kimberley in analyzing his 2014 book,  “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America.”
  • BAR Radio Logo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio July 3, 2026
    03 Jul 2026
    In this week’s segment, we hear analysis of the situation in Cuba, which is struggling under a U.S. siege meant to undo the revolution. Yet Cuba is resolute in its determination to enact its own…
  • Haiti
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Haiti Under U.S. Occupation and State Violence
    03 Jul 2026
    Dr. Jemima Pierre is an editor and contributor to Black Agenda Report and a professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. She joins BAR editor Margaret Kimberley to discuss the…
  • Cuban blockade
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Cuba Fights for Its Sovereignty
    03 Jul 2026
    James Counts Early joins Black Agenda Report editor Margaret Kimberley to discuss the latest U.S. efforts to undo the Cuban Revolution and Cuba’s determination to retain its sovereignty while under…
  • The Editors
    Black Agenda Report July 4th Special Issue
    01 Jul 2026
    “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.”
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us