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


  • Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    History’s Hired US
    11 Dec 2024
    "History’s Hired US" is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence.
  • Efia Nwangaza
    The Dobbs Decision: Increased Black Maternal Deaths
    11 Dec 2024
    Black women, already leading in maternal mortality rates, are now at even greater risk of complications and death as more states impose stricter abortion laws.
  • Black Alliance For Peace
    Syria: The Return to the Scene of Obama’s Crime
    11 Dec 2024
    The US regime change campaign against Syria began after Barack Obama succeeded in destroying the Libyan state. All of his successors followed the same playbook.
  • Ramzy Baroud
    ‘Genocide’ vs ‘Bigger Genocide’ in Gaza: Time to Decolonize Our Minds
    11 Dec 2024
    Regardless of conditions, Palestinian people have agency of thought and will not see themselves through the prism of colonization.
  • NefasitPost
    Biden’s Last-Ditch Agenda and Western Media’s Smear Campaign: Eritrea’s Resolve Amid Hostility
    11 Dec 2024
    Eritrea defies relentless Western hostility with unwavering self-reliance and resilience. The Biden administration is pursuing a last-ditch effort to vilify Eritrea and continue its agenda of…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us