Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently in Politico speaking on debt relief for islands affected by the recent hurricanes. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Storm-battered Puerto Rico looks to Washington for help

By: Colin Wilhelm

"Eric LeCompte, executive director of Jubilee USA, a religious-affiliated organization that lobbied on behalf of debt restructuring for Puerto Rico last year, said his group would push for the Virgin Islands to be treated as Puerto Rico was in disaster relief legislation.

'Congress is going to have to step in in some new ways,' said LeCompte. 'At this point, no one’s going to get paid anyways.'

Jubilee, which has ties to about 650 faith-based groups and organizations, would also push for the U.S. to lead the charge on a temporary debt moratorium on money owed to the International Monetary Fund by non-U.S. Caribbean islands affected by the storms. The U.S. holds more votes than any other country in the IMF.

'We’re just looking at delaying payments for six months to a year,' during the disaster recovery, LeCompte said." 

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Jubilee USA was recently featured in Truthout speaking on the need for debt relief in the Caribbean in wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Damaged by Hurricanes and "Vulture" Capitalism, Caribbean Islands Plead for Debt Relief

By: Mike Ludwig

"'At this point, Antigua and Barbuda as one country and Dominica as another could both qualify for a temporary moratorium on international debt payments to the IMF,' LeCompte said in an interview.

Like other islands in the Caribbean, Dominica is saddled by significant international debt. LeCompte said the country's debt level has been unsustainable since at least 2010, and Hurricane Maria could lead to a 'full-blown debt crisis."

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently featured in National Catholic Reporter speaking on tax and transparency. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Republican Aim at Earned Income Tax Credit Punishes People Who are Poor

By: Staff

"'We believe that financial transparency is essential for protecting poor and vulnerable communities across the United States and around our world,' Eric LeCompte, executive director of Jubilee USA Network, told me.‎ 'We worked on section 1504 of Dodd-Frank because it prevents oil and coal companies from bribing foreign governments. It lets us know if these companies are paying taxes and how communities and workers are compensated. Currently because of tax evasion and corruption, the developing world loses nearly a trillion dollars a year. This Jubilee amendment passed Congress with strong bipartisan support. Unfortunately, the House repealed 1504 and other domestic financial protections for vulnerable U.S. communities when they passed the Financial Choice Act in June. While we've prevented this act from moving forward in the Senate for now, we need to be vigilant. At Jubilee USA we are concerned that financial protections for vulnerable people from California to Zambia are under threat. We believe there needs to be greater financial protections for vulnerable people, not less. We need to ensure that those affected by economic decisions are making the decision that impact their communities and lives.'"

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Public Finance International highlights Jubilee USA's letter to the IMF regarding the island nations impacted by Hurricane Irma. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Caribbean Island Debt ‘Should Be Suspended’ for Irma Recovery

By: Simone Rensch

"...Jubilee USA Network has sent letters to the IMF, World Bank, Congress and the White House to suspend debt payments to islands, such as Antigua and Barbuda, so they can use the money to recover.

'The island of Barbuda was hit hard and 1,400 people are homeless,' Jubilee USA Network executive director Eric LeCompte said a statement published last week.

'The country of Antigua and Barbuda and other severely impacted islands should stop paying debt until they rebuild and recover.'"

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently featured in Caribbean 360 and Citizen's Report speaking on Hurricane Irma. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

IMF Debt Relief For Hurricane-Hit Barbuda Might Not Happen

By: Staff

"Barbuda, which was ravaged by Hurricane Irma a week ago, currently owes the IMF an estimated $3 million debt. Jubilee USA, an interfaith group, has written to the Fund’s Managing Director Christine Lagarde requesting that payment be put on hold until the island can recover.

'On behalf of Jubilee USA’s nearly 700 national and local faith institutions, we invite the IMF to implemented an immediate moratorium on debt repayments for countries severely impacted by the Category 5 storm until they have rebuilt and recovered,' President Eric LeCompte wrote."

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA, was recently cited in The Independent speaking on Hurricane Irma. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Hurricane Irma: IMF is Resisting a Moratorium on Barbuda's Sovereign Debt Repayments

By: Ben Chu

"In a letter to the IMF managing director Christine Lagarde on 7 September the Jubilee USA network wrote: 'We invite the IMF to implement an immediate moratorium on debt payments for countries severely impacted by the Category 5 storm until they have rebuilt and recovered.' 

'For example, the nation of Antigua and Barbuda has almost $3m in debt payments due to the Fund today and a debt payment moratorium could immediately be put into rebuilding Barbuda where almost the entire population is homeless.'" 

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Jubilee USA Network was recently featured in World News and Topix for their letter to the IMF regarding island nations impacted by Hurricane Irma. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Jubilee USA: Antigua and Barbuda and Islands Dealing with Irma Should Stop Debt Payments

By: Staff

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA Network, was recently featured in Courthouse News and Mint Press News regarding Jubilee USA's letter to the IMF. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

IMF Doubles Down on Debt Demand for Storm-Torn Barbuda

By: Adam Klasfeld

"Jubilee USA, a U.S.-based interfaith group pushing for a merciful approach to countries crushed by debt, asked the IMF’s managing director Christine Lagarde to cease payment demands until the nation lifts itself out of crisis.

'On behalf of Jubilee USA’s nearly 700 national and local faith institutions, we invite the IMF to implement an immediate moratorium on debt payments for countries severely impacted by the Category 5 storm until they have rebuilt and recovered,' its president Eric LeCompte said in a letter to Lagarde on Thursday."

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

AMERICA/PUERTO RICO - Hurricane Irma Hits the Island of Puerto Rico

By: Staff

"...'We are concerned with how the debt crisis ‎affects Puerto Rico's ability to deal with the impacts of Hurricane Irma. Before Hurricane Irma, we saw cuts to social and emergency services. We are praying for all in the path of this hurricane.'"

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Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA was recently featured in the International Bar Association speaking on Latin America. Read excerpt below and follow link to full article.

Latin America and the Money Men

By: Yola Verbruggen

"Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of the Jubilee USA Network, a non-profit financial reform organisation based in Washington, DC, sees the law as a victory for defaulting countries. ‘The Puerto Rico case is very significant as it shows a legal framework for a comprehensive bankruptcy process is possible. More importantly, the Puerto Rico legislation retroactively binds all creditors and prior bond contracts into one process. The Puerto Rico case shows that a framework for sovereign bankruptcy is possible. The case also shows that it is possible to prevent holdout and predatory behaviour. The Puerto Rico process is a model for future bankruptcy processes,’ he says."

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