Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi gave his annual territorial address and revealed that the US territory's budget for the upcoming fiscal year will be the largest ever. It will be worth $14 billion and will be used for various projects across the island, including expanding solar power, which has so far worked in addressing the Puerto Rico energy crisis.

Pierluisi stated that the new funds are meant to help the elderly population in the US Caribbean territory, as well as reduce violence, expand solar power programs, and address other issues around the island.

He noted that after the Puerto Rican government filed for the biggest municipal bankruptcy in history, it had actually strengthened the territory's economy even though the state power company's massive $9 billion debt had not been restructured yet.

In his territorial address, Pierluisi also addressed the reconstruction efforts after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017 and the series of powerful earthquakes in 2019. "We still have a lot to do. And I know that our people want and need more from their government and are still affected by everything we went through years ago. I understand it because the road has been hard," he admitted.

Pierluisi said 6,000 homes had been repaired or rebuilt in the reconstruction effort, with another 3,000 still being built. He added that 169 projects related to the reconstruction of Puerto Rico's power grid are underway, with another 37 large-scale projects already in the advanced design phase.

Many in Puerto Rico Still Blame the Trump Administration for the Delay in Reconstruction

According to the Associated Press, the slow pace of Puerto Rico's reconstruction is partly blamed on the federal funds sent during the Trump Administration. This has "frustrated and angered many in Puerto Rico" as it has been years since Hurricane Maria hit the US territory, yet reconstruction is still not done.

Members of the territory's main opposition party, the Popular Democratic Party, slammed Pierluisi, with Party President Jesus Manuel Ortiz saying, "The delay in reconstruction works is so shameful that instead of making announcements about the projects, they should be making announcements apologizing for the inaction of the work."

Meanwhile, Pierluisi stated that the territorial government would be allocating $5 million annually for the next five years for the aging population of the island. This will come in the form of grants of up to $250,000 to senior care centers to expand their facilities.

Puerto Rico Government Still Does Not Have Final Say on Its Budget

Pierluisi then ended his address by demanding for the statehood of Puerto Rico, which his party has been fighting for years now. He added that because Puerto Rico is still only a territory and not a state, the island still faces "discrimination when it comes to Medicaid and Medicare, Supplemental Social Security and nutritional assistance."

Despite his promises, however, Bowling Green Daily News pointed out that because of the state energy company's massive debt, the Puerto Rican government does not have the final say on the budget, but a federal control board that oversees and ensures that the territory pays its over $70 billion debt load.

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Written by: Rick Martin

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