Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA recently talked with The Intercept speaking on the Puerto Rico debt crisis. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Citigroup Drove Puerto Rico Into Debt. Now It Will Profit From Privatization on the Island.

By: Kate Aronoff

“Our concern with how debt restructurings often happen is that consultants too often turn to traditional prescriptions that haven’t necessarily worked. We believe fundamentally that austerity hurts economies when they’re trying to get back to economic growth.”

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently featured in El Nuevo Dia speaking on disaster relief for Puerto Rico. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Buscan Incluir una Resolución para Mitigar Desastres en el Presupuesto

By: José A. Delgado

“El Senado debe llevar a votación la asistencia para desastres y reconstrucción para Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes estadounidenses… Es increíble que el Senado haya tardado tanto en actuar”, indicó el director ejecutivo de la coalición religiosa Jubilee USA, Eric LeCompte.

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Jubilee USA Network's Prayer Vigil for Puerto Rico was recently mentioned in Crux. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Catholic expert calls Puerto Rico recovery “a tale of two islands”

By: Christopher White

"On Wednesday, the archbishop of San Juan, Roberto Octavio González Nieves, led a prayer vigil at the United States Capitol in an effort to remind congressional leaders of the plight of Puerto Ricans.

[Monsignor Kevin] Sullivan participated in the interfaith service sponsored by Jubilee USA, and said there should be a two-pronged focus going forward, with a focus on both the present needs, but also the future of the island."

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently cited in National Catholic Reporter speaking on the Prayer Vigil for Puerto Rico and the need for rebuilding and debt relief of the people of the islands. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Capitol Hill prayer vigil draws attention to Puerto Rico's disaster relief needs

By: Julie Bourbon

“Eric LeCompte, executive director of Jubilee, articulated several priorities for Puerto Rico, including debt relief and a debt moratorium, a better building provision, and allowing residents of the island full access to Medicare and Medicaid benefits as well as the child tax credit.

Under the Stafford Act, LeCompte said, aid must be sufficient to rebuild infrastructure as it was. Jubilee and others are calling for the better building provision so that the island’s already failing infrastructure will be improved.

‘We know in Puerto Rico, if we rebuild what was, when the hurricane comes next year, what is rebuilt will not stand,’ LeCompte said. ‘The reality is the situation was tragic before the storm. What was a tragedy before has become a full blown humanitarian crisis.’”

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently cited in National Catholic Reporter speaking on the repeal of Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank law. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Republican attacks on the FBI are despicable

By: Michael Sean Winters

“Some bad things garner less press coverage but set back efforts to fight poverty around the world. Also on Dec. 13, the House Financial Services Committee voted to repeal Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank law, the section that required U.S. oil and mining corporations to report how much they give to foreign governments. I wrote about this issue earlier this year. ‘It's a sad day when basic anti-poverty and transparency initiatives are repealed,’ said Jubilee USA executive director Eric LeCompte after the vote.”

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently interviewed by Bond Buyer to discuss relief efforts in Puerto Rico. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Humanitarian Advocates Optimistic on Aid to Puerto Rico

By: Brian Tumulty

Laura Esquivel, director of national Advocacy for the Hispanic Federation, and Eric LeCompte, executive director of Jubilee USA Network, told The Bond Buyer they are hopeful Congress will rework the administration’s request and provide more funding[...]

LeCompte stressed the urgency of stepping up the recovery effort.

“I think Congress will step up and we will see in the coming weeks and months more packages around both relief and recovery and rebuilding aid as well as some financing issues addressed,” LeCompte said.

LeCompte said his organization supports having the oversight board established under PROMESA review contracts that are signed for spending federal funds in the recovery effort.

“There appears to be a need for some transparent and accountable way that contracts are reviewed," he said. “We just want it to be expedient and fast.” 

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA Network, was recently cited in IRIN News on debt relief in the Caribbean. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article. 

Recovery pledges for hurricane-ravaged Caribbean are a drop in the ocean

By: Samuel Oakford

Eric LeCompte, director of Jubilee USA, said his umbrella group of religious organisations was exploring ways of delaying payments and obligations over the coming months.

“That’s an issue where we’ve seen some progress, but we don’t have firm commitments from the IMF or Paris club over any kind of debt moratorium.”

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently cited in Newsweek speaking on Puerto Rico's debt crisis. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

The Pentagon Spends $250 Million on War Every Day—What Else Could We Do with That Money?

By: Carlos Ballesteros

"In the aftermath of Maria, Puerto Rico’s debt crisis stands in the way of recovery. As Eric LeCompte, executive director of Jubilee USA Network, a religious coalition that's fighting for Puerto Rico debt relief , told USA Today last month, 'There’s no way for Puerto Rico to be able to rebuild, let alone recover, unless the debt is canceled.'"

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently cited in Public Finance International speaking on corrupt tax avoidance and the release of the Paradise Papers. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

By: Simone Rensch

"Campaigning groups Jubilee USA and Transparency International have called for stronger international laws and for governments to introduce stricture measures to prevent corrupt tax avoidance. 

Eric LeCompte, executive director of Jubilee USA, said: 'Over $‎500bn a year is lost by governments around the world because of the tax avoidance revealed in the Paradise Papers.

'Unfortunately, many of these tax avoidance ‎schemes are legal and we need stronger international laws to prevent this activity.'”

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently featured in Public Finance International speaking on Puerto Rico. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

US lawmakers urged to extended federal health access to Puerto Rico

By: Mark Smulian

"'...Puerto Rico needs equitable access to federal healthcare programs and tax credits,' the letter from Jubilee USA executive director Eric LeCompte said.

'These recommendations are essential for reducing poverty for nearly 60% of kids who live in poverty on the island.'"

Read more here.