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


  • A Litmus Test for Democracy? Democratic Deficits at the Summit for Democracy
    Alfred de Zayas
    A Litmus Test for Democracy? Democratic Deficits at the Summit for Democracy
    07 Dec 2021
    Joe Biden's democracy summit is an opportunity to define an important but misused word.
  • Frantz Fanon Lives! 60 Years After His Death, Fanon’s Ideas Remain the Weapons of the Oppressed
    Danny Shaw
    Frantz Fanon Lives! 60 Years After His Death, Fanon’s Ideas Remain the Weapons of the Oppressed
    07 Dec 2021
    The work of Frantz Fanon guides anti-imperialist thought and action 60 years after his death.
  • Crying at the Centro Fidel Castro Ruz
    Salifu Mack
    Crying at the Centro Fidel Castro Ruz
    07 Dec 2021
    The Cuban Revolution is a touch stone for all anti-imperialists.
  • Backed by AFRICOM, Corporations Plunder DR Congo for “Climate-Friendly” Materials and Blame China
    T.J. Coles
    Backed by AFRICOM, Corporations Plunder DR Congo for “Climate-Friendly” Materials and Blame China
    07 Dec 2021
    Mineral riches bring great power rivalry and resource wars to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • The American Prison System’s War on Reading
    Alex Skopic
    The American Prison System’s War on Reading
    07 Dec 2021
    Incarcerated people are banned from reading books with themes of Black liberation or leftist content.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us