by DANICA COTO | AP | August 1, 2015
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s government said Friday it would not make a $58 million bond payment due on the weekend and warned that the general fund will run out of liquidity by November if no action is taken.
Gubernatorial Chief of Staff Victor Suarez said at a news conference that the island’s Public Finance Corporation could not meet the payment due Saturday.
“We don’t have the money,” he said, adding that the government still hopes to reach an agreement with creditors on renegotiating its debts.
Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla warned several weeks ago that the government and state agencies cannot repay the $72 billion in public debt that hangs over the U.S. territory, which is struggling with a nearly decade-long economic slump.