Puerto Rico, home to Sierra Club’s newest chapter, is in the grip of an austerity crisis that touches every part of life for Puerto Ricans - from housing and education to basic environmental protections. Protected public lands are at risk of being sold off to repay bond debt, and the agency charged by Congress with managing Puerto Rico’s financial crisis wants to force a polluting incinerator facility on the island in the name of generating revenue. The incredible natural treasures that make Puerto Rico a huge tourist destination, driving the local economy, are in danger of being sacrificed to pay back decades-old, mismanaged debts to hedge funds and international banks.

Sierra Club de Puerto Rico, founded in 2005 with only 190 members, has grown explosively - today the chapter has over fifteen thousand supporters. I’m proud to be one of those members, as well as a member of the Sierra Club’s national Board of Directors. Bringing the resources and powerful network of activists that Sierra Club offers to my home of Puerto Rico has helped to amplify the work led by local activists to protect the environment and build a more people-centered economy on the Island of Enchantment.

It’s not an easy time to be an advocate for the environment in Puerto Rico, however. To understand why, here’s a quick history lesson on how Puerto Rico ended up in a debt crisis that threatens the most basic services that Puerto Ricans rely on.

Puerto Rico has been under sovereign control by the United States since 1898. The US has benefitted from its largest colonial possession through favorable terms for US corporations that locate there and the hosting of US military bases on the island. Puerto Ricans also benefited through job creation and support of social programs, but that arguably created a dependency and lack of entrepreneurship that is still impacting Puerto Rico today.

Puerto Rico was made a “Commonwealth” of the United States in 1952, a dependent status in which residents are US citizens but have neither voting representation in Congress nor electoral votes for President. Many injustices that have roots in Puerto Rico’s subordinate status are coming home to roost in Puerto Rico today.

Puerto Rico’s economy once relied heavily on the pharmaceutical industry. But thanks to the expiration of a tax break which encouraged mainland companies to conduct business on the island, pharmaceutical jobs are on the decline. Only forty percent of Puerto Ricans today are formally employed, with many working in the gray or cash economy.

As a result, government revenues have been dramatically reduced, access to credits markets has dried up, and the Puerto Rican government has been forced by banks and bondholders seeking repayment of loans to adopt a range of “austerity” measures. Basic services such as hospitals have been forced to close floors, lay off staff, and some are having difficulty obtaining medical supplies, including cancer drugs and dialysis equipment. Schools, police, and emergency services are now dangerously underfunded. Nearly 180 public schools are scheduled to close this year.

In the midst of this crisis, Congress passed the PROMESA Act, which created an unelected board to manage Puerto Rico’s finances. The Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico has served to further separate Puerto Ricans from democratic control over decisions that affect their lives, and austerity measures have forced Puerto Ricans to leave the island in record numbers, in turn deepening the economic crisis. Some members of the board even have troubling conflicts of interest given that they once served in roles where they were involved in incurring debt. The current political party in power opposes auditing the debt - likely for fear of compromising these and many other government officials.

That’s how we got to where we are today - it’s a classic story of colonialism. And the burden of the austerity crisis has fallen primarily on the people of Puerto Rico, rather than those who created this crisis in the first place - including former leaders of Puerto Rico’s local government who borrowed excessively.

Despite the challenges faced by the people of Puerto Rico, we have fought to protect the incredible natural landscapes that are the birthright of every Puerto Rican. The establishment of the Northeast Ecological Corridor (NEC), near Luquillo, is our most important victory. In fact, it is one of the signature international public lands victories of our generation, leading to a Goldman Award last year.

A grassroots campaign started in the late '90s, and eventually led by newly formed Sierra Club de Puerto Rico, resulted in the protection of over three thousand acres including such diverse habitats as forests, wetlands, beaches, coral communities, and a bioluminescent lagoon. The Corridor also protects nearly one thousand species of flora and fauna, of which fifty-four are considered critical elements, meaning rare, threatened, endangered and endemic species, with some even designated as critically endangered. The beaches along the NEC are important nesting grounds for the leatherback sea turtle. Not only is this complex ecosystem unique and irreplaceable, the Northeast Ecological Corridor is also a shining example of a landscape management approach that includes local communities, respects culture, and establishes sustainable practices. The communities around the NEC are benefiting from the reserve while ensuring its protection and management.

Yet these vital public lands are in danger of being sold off to pay bondholders, after all our hard work to protect them. That’s just how far the forces who are more concerned about the profits of international banks than the people of Puerto Rico are willing to take this. Despite all our hard work to protect these special lands, they may be sold out from under us.

This is just the first of a series of posts on the impacts of the austerity crisis on Puerto Rico, and the work of Sierra Club de Puerto Rico and our allies to push for a people-centered economy that protects our beautiful natural environment and ensures basic human rights, living wages, and adequate public services for everyone in our community. Sign up here to keep following our blog series and learn about the fight against the polluting Arecibo Incinerator, and the powerful movement advocating for the rights of Puerto Rican workers.