WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Hispanic Leadership Fund is a non-partisan advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening working families by promoting common-sense public policy solutions that foster liberty, opportunity, and prosperity for all.
“Puerto Rico can no longer afford the policies of Governor García Padilla,” said Mario H. López, President of HLF. “With 14 percent unemployment, a jobless rate of 39 percent among younger Puerto Ricans, 80 new taxes implemented and 47,000 jobs lost under his watch, the Puerto Rican people have suffered enough.”
The advertising campaign highlights the new norm in Puerto Rico under the leadership of Governor García Padilla: high debt; tax increases; lost jobs; and plant closures. The advertisement names key employers on the island that recently announced employee layoffs or plant closures, including Abbott Labs, Baxter International, Eli Lilly, Univision, Merck, and Pfizer.
The direction of Puerto Rico under Gov. García Padilla’s and his administration, chiefly his controversial financial guru, Melba Acosta, have led to a growing chorus of commentators and experts, including Members of the U.S. Congress, to call for a control board over the Island’s financial and legal practices.
“The erosion of the rule of law and the disregard for court judgments under Governor García Padilla have led many investors to question whether Puerto Rico is a safe place to invest and do business,” continued López, “this is unquestionably harmful for individuals and families trying to make a better life for themselves.”
