Puerto Rico

Meta did not admit liability for the harm its Instagram and Facebook platforms cause among children and young people, but at least half of Puerto Rico’s settlement is expected to go toward remedies for minors.

Seven months after our investigation revealed that Puerto Rico’s nine shelters were at risk of closing, the nonprofits that operate them remain financially vulnerable as government aid remains temporary and fragmented.

More than 20 international scientists found that droughts like the one affecting the island will become more frequent unless global warming is curbed.

Carlos Bermúdez Urbina, a longtime adviser and friend of Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, works behind the scenes on her public image while his company holds more than $626,000 in government contracts.

Thirty-one percent of student loan borrowers in Puerto Rico are more than nine months behind on payments, according to the U.S. Department of Education, a situation that could jeopardize access to Pell Grants at institutions with high default rates.

Monthly premiums have risen by an average of 100% over the past decade — and by more than 1,400% for retired government employees — while patients face higher copays, shrinking benefits and fewer doctors.

Doctors and other providers have stopped accepting the plan due to payment issues and say they are worried about the future of the insurer that covers the health care needs of half a million people in Puerto Rico.

A report published by the U.S. Census Bureau in January on population estimates shows that Puerto Rico’s population shrank in 2025 compared with the previous year. It also marks the third consecutive year in which the loss of residents was driven primarily by deaths rather than net migration, a measure calculated by subtracting the number of people leaving from the number arriving.

The promise of socioeconomic mobility through enlistment is being eclipsed by harassment, discrimination, language barriers and the prospect of looming armed conflicts.

Mass migration and accelerated aging have transformed how older Puerto Ricans are cared for. Today, thousands of families split that responsibility between Puerto Rico and its diaspora in the U.S., with cities like Chicago becoming emotional and logistical extensions of the island.

Stories of corruption, government oversight and more

The island’s Department of Education is losing students, in part, due to a cycle of constant school relocations, deteriorating facilities, and shortened schedules from noon to 5 p.m., which are stopgap measures that fail to address the core problem: an unrepaired infrastructure, despite the availability of funds.

Three vacant seats and months without meetings have stalled the panel, despite its legal duty to oversee the implementation of the Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience Plan.

In his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump and the Make America Great Again movement have decided to leave their mark on the entity created by the federal PROMESA Act. Once again, the debt of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and the reconstruction of the power grid are treated as the spoils of war.

As part of Press Week, we debut this new column dedicated to reflecting on and promoting understanding of press freedom in Puerto Rico and around the world, as well as the challenges journalists face in telling their stories.

Despite being appointed without public hearings or the support of feminist organizations, Astrid Piñeiro Vázquez says she’s determined to maintain her independence from Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González Colón, whom she is tasked with holding accountable. The position, which Piñeiro Vázquez assumed on March 31, carries a 10-year term.