Why Puerto Rico will be without power for months

The island was illprepared for a disaster of this magnitude. Subscribe to our channel Prior to 2006, Puerto Rico s economy was held together by United States business interests. But when that tax break expired, the island s economic recession became a depression. Because Puerto Ricans are US citizens, they are allowed to travel freely between the territory and the mainland. Because of the high cost of living on the island and opportunity for higher pay on the mainland, many leave. Mismanagement of public utilities combined with a dwindling tax base has left the island with dated infrastructure, and concerning prospects for posthurricane recovery. You can read more of Vox s coverage on the hurricane relief effort in Puerto Rico here: is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what s really driving the events in the headlines. Check out to get up to speed on everything from Kurdistan to the Kim Kardashian app. Check out our full video catalog: Follow Vox on Twitter: Or on Facebook: