Editorial

Rise and Fall in Puerto Rico
How politics destroyed an economic miracle

By A. W. Maldonado

In Boom and Bust in Puerto Rico, the author, A.W. Maldonado takes us through the political and economic history of the island in detail, including events from our origins to Puerto Rico's insolvency in 2015. He identifies the government's Operation Hands to Work initiative (also known as "Operación Manos a la Obra"). and the eventual adoption of Section 936 by the Internal Revenue System (IRS) as the scaffolding that supported Puerto Rico's economic infrastructure, while analyzing the most problematic qualities of these programs that led to their dissolution. The author tells us how a series of unfortunate political and economic events and decisions culminated in what is considered the greatest debacle in the history of the U.S. government. Ultimately, he shows us that, in addition to mismanagement and the suffocating influence of Puerto Rican partisan politics, one of the main reasons we find ourselves in this position is the refusal of Americans.

You can purchase the book here