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The Morning Star 2026 Conference
In Pictures: Puerto Rico is still a mess
A woman places one of the hundreds of shoes in memory of those killed by Hurricane Maria in front of the Puerto Rico Capitol, in San Juan

SINCE Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, US President Donald Trump and his right-wing scoundrels have done little to alleviate the dire situation on the US’s bankrupt Caribbean colony.

Instead they have focused their efforts on victim blaming, cuts to public services, and plans to privatise everything (including the island’s power supply and schools), as well as refusing to write off Puerto Rico’s $74 billion (£56bn) debt.

Maria lashed the island with winds of up to 155mph, causing landslides and floods, destroying homes, hospitals and police stations; turning streets into rivers; blocking roads, and cutting electrical power to Puerto Rico, home to some 3.4 million people.   

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