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


  • Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    ARTICLE: The Forgotten Occupation, Emmanuel Santos, 2008
    02 Oct 2024
    A reminder that Haiti’s struggle is an anti-colonial one that deserves the world’s solidarity, not its indifference.
  • Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    How the US Destabilized the Horn of Africa
    02 Oct 2024
    In 2018, the leaders of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia signed a regional cooperation agreement that raised great hope in the Horn, but now, six years, later, it lies in tatters.
  • Abayomi Azikiwe, Black Agenda Report Contributor
    Imperialism Makes Mockery of the United Nations General Assembly
    02 Oct 2024
    International gathering in New York City fails to enforce its own decisions while regional wars expand in Europe and West Asia.
  • Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    Bassackwards Tribe strikes again!
    02 Oct 2024
    "Bassackwards Tribe strikes again!" is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence.
  • Gerald A. Perreira
    Hassan Nasrallah Lives
    02 Oct 2024
    Israel's assassination of Hassan Nasrallah is a heavy blow to Hezbollah and the resistance in the region. But this loss will not break the movement.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us