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About El Mundo.

[volume] (San Juan, P.R.) 1919-1990 « Chronicling America « Library of Congress

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> El Mundo.

Search America’s historic newspaper pages from 1777-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more

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About | Libraries that Have It | MARC Record

Title:
El Mundo. [volume] : (San Juan, P.R.) 1919-1990

Place of publication:
San Juan, P.R.
Geographic coverage:
  • San Juan,

    Puerto Rico
     |  View more titles from this:
    City

    State

Publisher:
Puerto Rico Ilustrado
Dates of publication:
1919-1990
Description:
  • Año 1, no. 1 (17 de feb. de 1919)- (7 de dic. de 1990).
Frequency:
Daily

June 7, 1970-<1987>

Language:
  • Spanish
Subjects:
  • Puerto Ricans–Newspapers.
  • Puerto Ricans.–fast–(OCoLC)fst01083707
  • Puerto Rico–Newspapers.
  • Puerto Rico–San Juan.–fast–(OCoLC)fst01214595
  • Puerto Rico.–fast–(OCoLC)fst01205432
  • San Juan (P. R.)–Newspapers.
Notes:
  • “Diario de La Mañana.”
  • Also issued on microfilm from the Library of Congress, Photoduplication Service.
  • In Spanish.
  • Suspended publication Nov. 16, 1965-Jan. 10, 1966; Sept.-Dec. 1987.
LCCN:
sn 86077151
OCLC:
11965951
Succeeding Titles:
  • El nuevo día. (San Juan, P.R.) 19??-current
Holdings:

View complete holdings information

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First Issue

Last Issue

El Mundo

El Mundo (San Juan, Puerto Rico) printed its first issue on February 17, 1919. This Spanish-language publication self-identified as the “Diario de la mañana” (“the daily”). In its first years, El Mundo‘s content primarily focused on providing informaton from the Americas and Europe, frequently including news services from the United States.


The paper covered Puerto Rican politics, the economy, and daily life in the villages. It also reported information about strikes in the sugarcane and tobacco industries, the 1918 influenza epidemic, and struggles for women’s rights. It covered local elections, includign the 1920 elections in Puerto Rico for the positions of Senate, House of Representatives, and mayoralties. In contrast to these local elections, the governor was appointed by the President of the United States.


The debate over political control of Puerto Rico dates back to the late nineteenth century. In 1898, the United States formally became the main buyer of sugar from the island. That same year, the US invaded, and Spain lost its control of the island. Since then, corporations and the US Congress have controlled the economy and politics of Puerto Rico. Different manifestations of this reality are evident in El Mundo. For example, advertisements for agricultural machinery such as tractors, automobiles, tires, and other symbols of “progress and modernity” made in the United States frequently occupied half or full pages of the newspaper. El Mundo also regularly reported on Prohibition, another mainland imposition on Puerto Rico, includign a March 10, 1919 police seizure of thousands of bottles of rum in Mayagüez.

Provided by: University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, Library System

Negative reviews of the movie “The Rum Diary” (USA, 2011), page 4 – Afisha-Movie

Negative reviews of the movie

The Rum Diary, USA, 2011

Choice “Afisha”

6.1

About the movie Cast Reviews (213) Similar

Afishi Reviews for the film

Stanislav Zelvensky

1341 Review, 979 estimates, rating 20367

5 High film adaptation of Hunter S. Tompson

In 1960 in 1960, the young journalist Poli Kemp (Depp) arrives in Puerto Rico to work for the local English-language newspaper, the San Juan Star, and seek out his writing voice. The newspaper, it seems, is about to close, the employees are drinking too much or have already become drunk. Kemp is being corrupted on the doorstep by a hideously successful PR man (Eckhart) who is catering to a US imperialist deal to develop a picturesque island. In addition, he falls in love with a frivolous PR girlfriend (Heard), confusing her for a mermaid while drunk. nine0003

In the 10 years it took Depp to get Hunter S. Thompson’s early novel, published only in the late 90s, to be filmed, the actor came close to fifty dollars, and the hero remained thirty years old, but we must admit that , you remember only at the beginning and only with envious surprise. More importantly, in an acting sense, Depp was smart enough not to duplicate his character from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Paul Kemp (who, strictly speaking, is not Thompson – but only very strictly) in the film is a rather quiet and, in general, touching young man who – yes, drinks, but does not get drunk, does not look for conflicts, and his worst disgrace – he and a friend underpaid at a local bar for rum. The lone drug-related scene seems more like an optional nod to Terry Gilliam than an element of meaningful storytelling. This restraint is all the more unexpected because, firstly, there is not even a trace of it in the text, and secondly, director Robinson is the author of the film Withnail and I, from 19For 92 years he hasn’t taken anything off, but he drank a lot – in itself an extremely entertaining figure. Nevertheless, the fact is: The Diary is a neat, aesthetically, and ethically conservative, pleasant movie in all respects. With one hand to gently hug the blonde, with the other to expose the American moneybags, having previously walked well at their expense, three-kopeck machismo, a sloppy plot – Robinson completely cut out one of the three main characters of the “Diary”, but in the contours he remained faithful to this not the most, frankly, outstanding on the light of the text. However, the author of Whitnail added cute retro details from himself (the heroes are watching the Nixon-Kennedy election debates, Kemp confidently says: “The Irish guy will win; I write horoscopes”) and all sorts of cute Dovlatovism – a moonshine still, swallowing water from an aquarium in the morning, Giovanni Ribisi with Hitler records, etc. Due to the fact that the film, willy-nilly, also has to serve as a tombstone for Thompson, by the end it noticeably deflates – some kind of operetta idealism suddenly begins to shove out of the alter ego – but I want to write it off as a hangover trepidation. nine0003

October 11, 2011

The best reviews about the film “Romovy Diary”

    • Starboba

      5 reviews, 5 ratings, rating 11

      3

      It is strange that this film is called film adaptation. Actually, only the place of action and the names of the characters remained from the original source. So, back to the book: A 30-year-old, heavily drinking rake-journalist finds himself in the editorial office of a third-rate English-language newspaper published in a country where the majority speaks Spanish. This guy could be in the editorial office of any such newspaper in any country in South America, because he, in principle, does not care. He knows how to write something, which means he will not be left without work, because what kind of Latin American country is this, where a miserable American newspaper is not published? At first fascinated by the ease of being on this Caribbean island, he slowly grows weary of the endless partying, drinking and heat. The closure of the newspaper, a series of dubious stories and the departure of the captivating nymph Chenot lead us to the inevitable ending – the guy is leaving. That’s the whole story, BUT throughout the book we live in the frantic rhythm of this young heart, which, although weary of the inexhaustible streams of rum and beer, does not allow itself to slow down. It should be so, because the guy is barely thirty, around him is a tropical paradise and an ocean of free booze. Let me remind you that the book was written in the 60s
      And now let’s turn to the film, shot in 2011. The latent revolutionary Johnny Depp finds himself in the same circumstances as his book counterpart, but this guy is not at all interested in cheap rum and beauties. Now much more important is social justice and the stratification of society. I noticed that with a clear confrontation “rich bastards vs honest poor”, the rich are shown so appetizing (car, yacht, luxurious house, beautiful mistress), and the poor, on the contrary, look like absolute freaks. Although, nothing human is alien to the poor either, for example, to drive someone else’s sports car or steal someone else’s yacht. Apparently, today’s civilization is mortally affected by the virus of materialism. Thompson did not have this primitive dependence on material values. The book had a passing youth, rum and the Caribbean, which is why it is called “The Rum Diary”

      February 4, 2012

    • Julia Julia

      11 reviews, 12 ratings, rating 11

      5

      one star, and that with an interference fit. No other comments.. unfortunately..

      November 8, 2011

    • Taisia ​​Reshetnikova

      4 reviews, 9 ratings, rating 10

      3

      Terribly disappointed. Went with friends. 5 people! and when the film ended, everyone had one expression on their faces – “and what was that?”. There is no ending to the film. Accordingly, no satisfaction and catharsis can be obtained. The script is lame and barely moving forward. Depp plays as always well, but this does not save the drawn-out scenes. And honestly, Depp does not show us anything new – a drunken brutal man. He played this image as a minimum in 5 more interesting films. There is only one single-valued discovery in The Rum Diary – this is Amber Heard in the role of a sexual seductress who (it is not clear why all of a sudden) hangs herself around the neck of a drunk Depp, and then completely lights up with a relief black man in a passionate dance. And then – like all the most interesting things in this film – this storyline breaks off, and the girl suddenly merges into an incomprehensible where, without having slept with Depp. In short, I can advise you to watch a movie at home at dinner. Or don’t watch at all. nine0003

      October 27, 2011

    • Delyana Z

      6 reviews, 8 ratings, rating 10

      1

      a dull two-hour film about the journalist’s drunkenness and his “search” for himself.

      The Rum Diary is the brainchild of freeloading screenwriters and the director, who interrupted the film just at the moment when the viewer, who was already about to get away from boredom, begins to imagine at least some “action”

      1 point for beautiful landscapes and amber heard, which, by the way, is presented in the film as a spoiled, frivolous drunkard-swindler. nine0041

      October 23, 2011

    • Alisa Schwartz

      6 reviews, 7 ratings, rating 9

      1

      Initially, going to the cinema last night, I was extremely intrigued by the comments on these films you discussed on the Internet. Intrigued and motivated to have a great time and have a good viewing experience. And lo and behold, the motor!……..First expectation, then bewilderment, then boredom, disgust, and in conclusion outright malice, that’s the full spectrum of my emotional experience. No, I assumed that you can screw up a little with the script, with the direction, with the camera work, and even with the illiterately staged acting. But so that all this is together, at the same time, in one picture and without any hope for resuscitation! This is overkill! From Johnny Depa, arrogant and bogged down in luxury, I frankly did not expect anything. In general, to be honest, I have never been delighted with his ridiculous sugary game, with these deliberately false images, with the complete lack of ideology and illogicality of the action taking place around him on the screen. A very sad impression is made by the lack of a clear plot line, the non-linearity and incompleteness of the entire film as a whole. The only question that arose in my mind after leaving the hall: “What the hell? Why make such films at all?” The only noteworthy image in the picture is the hero Giovanni Ribisi, a drunken syphilitic journalist who steals alcohol and listens to Hitler’s speeches at his leisure. And the rest ….. Boring, sad and extremely disappointing for the money spent aimlessly by the sponsors of the picture. nine0003

      October 24, 2011

    • Veta Shum

      13 reviews, 28 ratings, rating 8

      1

      short and clear. )
      Johnny brings the chuyka, or you need money. it’s still not clear

      October 31, 2011

    • Alexey Markich

      7 reviews, 37 ratings, rating 7

      1

      Hat. The plot is zero, and if the theme is not in the harmony of the plot, but in constant Bukhalov, then the film did not succeed in this either. A couple of jokes, but from this movie

      December 22, 2011

    • Ford Prefect

      6 reviews, 6 ratings, rating 7

      1

      I will be brief. The film is a dull city..but. No plot at all. disgusting acting. You sit for two hours and wait like a fool for the preface to finally end and the movie to be shown to you. fig. won’t show anything. For two hours you will see Depp with the same look and hairstyle, an aunt unknown to anyone, never attractive, and touching faces of those around you, on which it is written that they came to watch an elite movie for the elite. nine0003

      October 31, 2011

    • Alexander Sidorovsky

      7 reviews, 23 ratings, rating 7

      5

      Nothing at all. Not a funny and not a sharp semi-comedy, a semi-drama without a plot and an ending. Fresh. Amber Heard is beautiful though.

      October 25, 2011

    • Evgeniy Tsar

      6 reviews, 7 ratings, rating nine0041 So, Hunter fans, I highly recommend stocking up on ammo and patience.

      A good 357 Magnum is hard to get these days of show-off “[Hunter S. Thompson].

      October 23, 2011

    • Tenno

      7 reviews, 7 ratings, rating 7

      5

      The film somehow did not meet the high expectations. I was impressed by the trailer for the film, as well as laudatory press reviews of the accounts of Depp and the author of the book, Hunter Thompson. In fact, the film has such an everyday story that describes colorful American alcoholic journalists, but truth-seekers in the semi-criminal Puerto Rico of the 60s. phantasmagoria with scenes echoing the passion and hatred of the same writer) but the plot is somehow straightforward, the drive is dull, there is no feeling of something special

      October 22, 2011

    • Katrin Filippova

      8 reviews, 8 ratings, rating Long, sometimes boring and sleepy. If it wasn’t Depp who was filming, but a little-known actor, I think few people would be so eager to go to cinemas. And despite this, many got up and left. Depp’s eyes could only be seen at the beginning of the film, and not in the best possible way. nine0041 In general, the film is sometimes funny for a one-time viewing at home. November 9, 2011 Don’t go for this nonsense, don’t waste 2 hours of your life. The screenwriter began to spoil the film, and the director continued and completed it. If you really want to go – download the pirated version and watch the first half hour. It’s a hilarious comedy with no claim to a Thompson monument. Everything else can be skipped to the final text “and they lived happily ever after …”

      October 23, 2011

    • Timur Bayazitov

      8 reviews, 11 ratings, rating Let’s unmask the bastards!”

      October 21, 2011

    • Fedor

      2 reviews, 2 ratings, rating 5 corruption, in connection with which he eventually found himself in the role of an accuser of those in power and became famous in New York (this is not shown, since the film ends on the departure of the protagonist to America on a stolen boat). nine0003

      Frankly weak cinema and does not carry any pathos. In places where tense music began, or characters spoke with meaning, no tension or meaning was felt at all!

      No homespun truth of life. Although the hero was supposed to be a tough non-conformist, the maximum of politics was in a curse with television Nixon. The Puerto Rican judge was shown to be correct, never (in 1960!) gave anyone a bribe. The local oligarchs, whose main sin was that they want to build up a new island with hotels, did not even try to kill the truth-seeker! Even the popular film “Back to the Future”, which idealizes America in the 50s, even shows more of the truth of life about those times. There, for example, a policeman extorts a bribe from Doc out of the blue, and not in Puerto Rico, but in America itself. nine0003

      I think this is a personal project of Depp or someone else. As a rule, personal projects are not very interesting to watch, they are filmed for themselves. The movie may have been based on the (auto)biography of the writer. It feels like he had an interesting life on the island, but not suitable for cinema.

      November 2, 2011

    • Svetlana Petrova

      2 reviews, 2 ratings, rating 5

      1

      All the good things that were in the film fit into the trailer.
      Terrible disappointment. There is really nothing more to write. nine0003

      October 26, 2011

    • Mikhail Aparin

      3 reviews, 3 ratings, rating 5

      5

      Watched at the Sochi cinema in Sochi.
      Eighty-five percent of the audience came to look at the well-known pirate on both sides of the Atlantic, probably not even knowing about his balding gonzo role – well, such is the specifics of the south here,) the remaining percentages went to look at the new sublimely immoral adventures of the Puerto Rican maniac lawyer and his client – an independent satellite of our planet, Mr. Thompson. And, finally, the rest of the few who remained came to watch what they read about in the novel of the same name by Mr. Gonzo “The Rum Diary”, written by him during his stay in Puerto Rico as a journalist for a sports magazine and a little later, a lot of people. here we will rejoice at the arrival of the first eighty-five percent – Look! Look! Johnny Depp in the Caribbean Sea! want to immerse yourself in the qualitatively transmitted atmosphere of Puerto Rico, torn apart by revolutionary sentiments due to the wildest social stratification about the sample of the sixties!? then welcome to the cinema! here – without a hitch – everything is perfect for me! two and a half hours of complete immersion in the heat of a semi-American or rather sub-American resort province – chic is mixed with brilliance with the sweaty everyday life of the local population angry with their position. by the way , Sochi reminds a lot,))) but if you, like me, went to look at the progressive-regressive infusions of a pair of uncompromising junkies, then don’t blame me – a boring and tedious spectacle flavored only with the ridiculous antics of a drunken colleague Paul Kemp in the role of Giovanni Ribisi ( here it should be noted – he also did Mr. Depp), well, quite nice shots with a blonde girl practically unknown to the Russian audience – Amber Heard. and won’t be needed. and of all the other possible viewers – a step forward, fashionistas – “watched” for show, depressive-romantic cynics – we also go for tickets, and you, lovers of the Caribbean and pirate showdowns with fucking explosions and grandiose boobs, perhaps think before go and then, for two hours, interfere with the two previous categories with their dissatisfied exclamations. nine0041 p.s. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t regret a bit that I looked.

      October 22, 2011

    • Nadezhda Nikitina

      6 reviews, 6 ratings, rating 4

      1

      The film is terribly boring! He really does not carry information! You come to the cinema hall with a bottle of beer, salty popcorn and you feel like an alcoholic! Because the whole movie they thump! There were two moments where you could laugh, after long minutes of impossible viewing, but these places contain dumb American humor! Like . .. a cake in the face, or an awkward situation! I’m a little disappointed in Joni’s paintings! Something he loses his scent for good pictures! nine0003

      November 9, 2011

    • mos-cows-voice

      4 reviews, 7 ratings, rating 4

      5

      A beautiful film from a visual point of view, but the storyline is insanely boring and obviously overlong for 1.904 hours of screen time P.S.
      For girls: Johnny Dep is always sweaty there and thumps like a pig
      Rating 3 – only due to the picture0003

      Indistinct
      Boring
      Missing key nuances
      Absolutely unprofessional
      Cheap
      Not up to date with the atmosphere of the novel
      Picking up the soundtrack from the bullshit

      There is a feeling that the director only got to the script and did not read the novel.
      After such a film adaptation, no one will be interested in the novel
      And the whole generation will not read this masterpiece because of a bunch of hacks

      November 6, 2011

    • Löls

      0003

      3

      The film was disappointing. There are undoubted pluses – definitely five for costumes, scenery and casting, but an absolute failure, in my opinion, with the storyline. A weak plot, in some places it is very tightened, it’s boring to watch, the denouement, one might say, never comes. Reminds me of a Brazilian TV series – the picture is beautiful, but you don’t listen to the dialogues, it’s useless. It is very similar to “fear and hatred” – for a long time you do not understand why you are watching all this, then once it is funny, then again for a long time you do not understand. An indistinct theme of love, an indistinct ending, some cocks, sorry … The whole film draws out the wonderful Depp and the heroine, who is very good, you just can’t take your eyes off. All other heroes are sweaty drunkards or Latino outcasts. In general, the film is aesthetic, beautiful and in places, from the point of view of the picture, almost flawless. Just one picture is somehow not enough … I feel a little deceived)

      October 22, 2011

    • Andrey Lemzyakov

      3 reviews, 39 ratings, rating 2

      3

      The film did not leave much impression. To be honest, I have not read any of Hunter Thompson’s books, so I cannot judge how successful the film was as a film adaptation, but as an independent work it is hard to call it winning.
      The first 30-40 minutes are really interesting to watch, but the problem is that during this time we are generally introduced to all the characters who are rigidly, even cartoonishly, divided into positive and negative, and show who is actually famous for what. After such a delineation, watching the film is no longer particularly interesting, since the feeling that “the end is a little predictable” does not leave. Toward the end, the action accelerates again along with the pathos of the protagonist, and the film is already beginning to be perceived as a Hollywood melodrama (which, perhaps, is better than a bad art house). nine0041 Separately, it’s probably worth mentioning the acting. As far as I understood from the action of the film, the main character is supposed to be an impressionable youngster, but Johnny Depp is not Georgy Vitsin, and he is not very good at wishful thinking. In general, in Depp’s game it is even hard to make out where he is drunk, where he is hungover, and where he is completely sober.
      Personally, it seems to me that the film is too ordinary and empty to be classified as an author’s cinema, and too dull and boring to go to the cinema for pleasure. The best thing is to wait for the release on DVD, and then wait until someone you know buys it. nine0003

      October 25, 2011

    • Novel “Fahitos”

      5 reviews, 7 ratings, rating 2

      5

      Johnny Depp’s alcohol diary based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson.

      This is exactly how you want to translate the undoubtedly funny and tropical pseudo-comedy with Johnny Dee in the title role.

      A completely undynamic and boring beginning, a surreal and implausible storyline, moderately funny moments diluted with funny jokes … an uninteresting role of Jack Sparrow, beloved by everyone in Russia, an amazingly beautiful Hurt as Shiina, unchildish secondary roles (journalist Salo and a drunken detective whose name I no longer remember) and a languidly playing bastard as Aaron Eckhart. nine0003

      It makes no sense to retell the plot of the film, because this product is designed exclusively for the public that knows the author of this book.

      Of course, in this work there are positive notes like loneliness, self-interest, hopelessness of the protagonist, but they are played so unconvincingly and clumsily that you ask specific questions “FOR WHOM and WHY Johnny Depp played this role.”

      Total:

      Beautiful landscapes
      Amber Hurt’s bright role
      Ultra venomous jokes in the style of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”
      Colorful and crazy secondary roles

      – Weak main role.
      – Unbearably slow presentation of the plot for the viewer.
      – The length of the film is more than two hours.
      – Plot holes for the film adaptation of a book the size of an abyss.
      – The predictability of what is happening on the screen is 100%.

      3 out of 5

      Or

      5.5 out of 10

      Disappointment of the month

      October 23, 2011

    • Alexey Klyuev

      2 reviews, 2 ratings, rating 2

      5

      Very boring. Watch the trailer on Kinopoisk, this is the most interesting thing in the film. It’s very rare for me to say that about a movie, but it’s really not about anything.

      October 22, 2011

LOOK / Default in the “51st US state” is predetermined by its extinction :: In the world

The World Bank has identified the states where the population is declining the fastest: these are Puerto Rico, Latvia and Lithuania. The problems of the Baltics in the field of population flight to the richer EU countries are well known. The piquancy is that Puerto Rico is not a state, but almost the United States, the island is also called the “51st state”. His problem is the same as that of America – a colossal public debt. nine0398

In early August, the Freely Associated State of Puerto Rico defaulted on its external debt. The amount of arrears is relatively small – only about 60 million dollars, but the total debt of the island is 72 billion, and it is completely unclear how the government is going to pay it off. The piquancy of the situation is added by the fact that Puerto Rico has been under the protectorate of the United States for more than a hundred years. In 2012, a referendum was held on the island, 65% of whose inhabitants voted to become the 51st state of America, but this application is still in Congress. nine0003

In 2006, the government was able to move away from the abyss only by introducing extremely unpleasant measures, such as stopping schools for a month

The first European in Puerto Rico was none other than Christopher Columbus himself during his second trip to the New World . Two decades later, at the beginning of the 16th century, the Spaniards began an active colonization of the island. There was a geographical curiosity with the name: the Spaniards named the island, according to their tradition, in honor of one of the Catholic saints – San Juan, and the capital received the name of Puerto Rico – “Rich Port”. However, subsequently, one of the cartographers confused the two names, as a result, to this day, San Juan is the largest city and capital of Puerto Rico. nine0003

The French, Dutch and British repeatedly tried to capture the island, but as a result of all the colonial wars, Puerto Rico remained under the rule of the Spanish crown until the end of the 19th century. In 1898, the Spanish-American War began, which ended with the defeat of the European power and the rejection of the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guam from it. In general, the United States (mostly the South) “licked their lips” at the Spanish possessions in the Caribbean back in the middle of the 19th century. According to southern ideologues, Cuba was to become a pearl in the crown of the Cotton Empire, there were also views of Puerto Rico. However, after the Civil War, the United States for some time had no time for external expansion – to restore its country, and by the end of the 19th century, the political and economic situation had changed somewhat, the South, firstly, could not, and secondly, it itself could not was eager to include two Caribbean islands in the country, and cotton prices fell noticeably. Semi-independent territories with their own economic zone turned out to be a much more interesting acquisition. nine0003

The fate of the lands seized from Spain developed in different ways. Cuba became a sovereign state in the first half of the 20th century, the Philippines gained independence in 1946, and Puerto Rico and tiny Guam remain under American rule to this day. The inhabitants of these islands have American citizenship with the exception that they cannot take part in federal elections (but presidential primaries are held there; for example, Hillary Clinton won in the previous ones in Puerto Rico). At the same time, an islander can at any time move “to the mainland” and apply for a full-fledged American citizenship. But if Guam is located half the globe from the metropolis, then the United States and Puerto Rico are separated by only a few hundred kilometers of the sea surface. In addition, only 150,000 people live in Guam, while the population of Puerto Rico is much larger – about 3. 5 million. nine0003

Puerto Rico’s per capita GDP, along with many other economic indicators, has been about 2/3 of the American average for 70 years. By any measure, this is a very good level. So, in 2013, in terms of GDP per capita at purchasing power parity, the island even slightly overtook the former metropolis – Spain, as well as South Korea, Israel and all of Eastern Europe. But the Puerto Ricans themselves are not guided at all by Europe, and even more so not by their neighbors in the Caribbean, but by the United States. It is there that the most active and educated Puerto Ricans leave whenever possible. More pay, better career opportunities. According to the already mentioned World Bank study, Puerto Rico loses approximately 1.3% of its inhabitants per year – and this is the largest figure in the world. The top three also includes two post-Soviet republics – Latvia (1.1%) and Lithuania (1%), whose residents leave for more developed EU countries for similar reasons. nine0003

As a result, the island turns into a nursing home with a good climate. There is no one to pay taxes, and the governor, in turn, has nothing to repay loans that were taken to maintain an acceptable lifestyle for Puerto Ricans (not much worse than in the United States). At the same time, due to the extremely high dependence on the US economy and the use of the dollar as the official currency, the government cannot use the standard measure in such cases – to devalue the national currency. This makes Puerto Rico related to the poorest countries in Europe that use the euro. nine0003

There are two ways out of this situation. The first is semi-fantastic: Congress accepts the island as part of the United States as a full-fledged state, San Juan immediately declares bankruptcy, and Washington receives another 72 billion debts in addition to those that already exist (however, these debts are mostly owned by American hedge funds ), and a territory where average wages are lower than in Mississippi, the poorest state in the United States, and there are more economic problems than Detroit.

As a bonus, the Republicans, who currently control both houses of the US Parliament, will receive three million voters who will vote predominantly for the Democrats in all subsequent elections. After that, the newly minted state begins to be slowly and difficultly pulled out of the debt hole by the forces of the entire American people. I mean, at the expense of the taxpayers. nine0003

At the moment, the probability of such a development of events tends to zero. The second option is more realistic. The notorious “austerity” regime, and in a much more severe version than the one they are trying to impose on Greece. This is not the first time that the island is on the verge of default, and in 2006 the government was able to move away from the abyss only by introducing extremely unpleasant measures, such as stopping classes at schools for a month (not to mention the standard salary cuts and reduction of the bureaucracy in such cases). As a result, unemployment will rise, and emigration to the United States will increase, but this is more profitable than accepting all 3.

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