CIAO DATE: 02/2014
January 2014
Center for Strategic and International Studies
With most U.S. audiences aware only of the debate over the future legal status of Puerto Rico, many remain unaware of the persistent, grinding recession wracking the Puerto Rican economy—and of the implications of the island’s economic woes for the United States. With drug trafficking and violent crime rising rapidly and enabled by the weaknesses in the island’s formal economy, this report analyzes how Puerto Rico arrived at this point and what policymakers on the island and in Washington, D.C., might do to help move Puerto Rico onto a more prosperous trajectory, all in the context of U.S. security concerns.
Resource link: Why Puerto Rico's Economy Matters for U.S. Security [PDF] - 840K