Thousands of Puerto Ricans rallied for Washington to pay attention to their island's crumbling healthcare system.

The protesters gathered in San Juan on Wednesday, joined by U.S. legislators, healthcare advocates, labor leaders and civil rights activists.

As reported by NBC News, Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla addressed the dire situation of the U.S. territory at the rally.

"The pending federal cuts to the island's healthcare system could represent its collapse, affecting millions of Puerto Ricans who could lose health services provided by the government," he said.

Within the next two years Puerto Rico could potentially face up to $3 billion dollars in federal cuts. The commonwealth is currently $72 billion in debt.

Over 60 percent of island residents depend upon Medicaid, Medicare, or Medicare Advantage for their healthcare needs. The Medicaid, currently funded by a federal grant, is set to expire in 2017.

As a U.S. commonwealth, Puerto Rico pays the same Medicare taxes as states on the mainland, but it receives 40 percent less in reimbursement.

Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., called the situation "a crisis within a crisis." New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio attended the rally and described the situation in Puerto Rico as unfair to people he viewed as fellow Americans.

Regarding his island’s inability to take care of its financial situation, García Padilla said that years of poor financial records have hampered Puerto Rico’s path to economic recovery. Puerto Rico has been unable to provide Congress with accurate numbers to explain the island’s financial needs, as required in order to get help from the United States government.

As quoted in the The New York Times, the governor said, “It’s a historical problem in Puerto Rico. We inherited such a mess there, too."