To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

×
Naomi Klein: 4,645 Deaths in Puerto Rico From Hurricane Maria Were "State-Sponsored Mass Killing"

"The official death toll still stands at 64, but the new study estimates a death toll of at least 4,645, with some projections topping 5,700." (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Naomi Klein: 4,645 Deaths in Puerto Rico From Hurricane Maria Were "State-Sponsored Mass Killing"

"Maybe there was not the intent to kill, but there is the knowledge that the infrastructure was being destroyed."

Democracy Now! on Wednesday looked at Puerto Rico as it continues to recover from Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island last September. Researchers at Harvard recently revealed the death toll from Hurricane Maria may be a staggering 70 times higher than the official count. The official death toll still stands at 64, but the new study estimates a death toll of at least 4,645, with some projections topping 5,700. The Harvard study found that "interruption of medical care was the primary cause of sustained high mortality rates in the months after the hurricane, a finding consistent with the widely reported disruption of health systems. Health care disruption is now a growing contributor to both morbidity and mortality in natural disasters."

In the three segments that follow, Naomi Klein--author, journalist and a senior correspondent for The Intercept--discusses her new book, titled "The Battle for Paradise: Puerto Rico Takes on the Disaster Capitalists," and a short film of the same name. Also featured is Katia Aviles-Vazquez, a Puerto Rican environmental activist and member of Organizacion Boricua de Agricultura Ecologica, and Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of UPROSE and co-chair of the Climate Justice Alliance.

Part 1: Naomi Klein: 4,645 Deaths in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria Were "State-Sponsored Mass Killing"

Part 2: "The Battle for Paradise": New Intercept Doc Goes Inside Struggle over Puerto Rico's Future

Part 3: Puerto Rico Is a "Playground for the Privileged": Investors Move In as Homes Foreclose & Schools Close

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
capitalismhurricane mariainequalityinfrastructurenaomi kleinpuerto rico

Democracy Now! on Wednesday looked at Puerto Rico as it continues to recover from Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island last September. Researchers at Harvard recently revealed the death toll from Hurricane Maria may be a staggering 70 times higher than the official count. The official death toll still stands at 64, but the new study estimates a death toll of at least 4,645, with some projections topping 5,700. The Harvard study found that "interruption of medical care was the primary cause of sustained high mortality rates in the months after the hurricane, a finding consistent with the widely reported disruption of health systems. Health care disruption is now a growing contributor to both morbidity and mortality in natural disasters."

In the three segments that follow, Naomi Klein--author, journalist and a senior correspondent for The Intercept--discusses her new book, titled "The Battle for Paradise: Puerto Rico Takes on the Disaster Capitalists," and a short film of the same name. Also featured is Katia Aviles-Vazquez, a Puerto Rican environmental activist and member of Organizacion Boricua de Agricultura Ecologica, and Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of UPROSE and co-chair of the Climate Justice Alliance.

Part 1: Naomi Klein: 4,645 Deaths in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria Were "State-Sponsored Mass Killing"

Part 2: "The Battle for Paradise": New Intercept Doc Goes Inside Struggle over Puerto Rico's Future

Part 3: Puerto Rico Is a "Playground for the Privileged": Investors Move In as Homes Foreclose & Schools Close

Democracy Now! on Wednesday looked at Puerto Rico as it continues to recover from Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island last September. Researchers at Harvard recently revealed the death toll from Hurricane Maria may be a staggering 70 times higher than the official count. The official death toll still stands at 64, but the new study estimates a death toll of at least 4,645, with some projections topping 5,700. The Harvard study found that "interruption of medical care was the primary cause of sustained high mortality rates in the months after the hurricane, a finding consistent with the widely reported disruption of health systems. Health care disruption is now a growing contributor to both morbidity and mortality in natural disasters."

In the three segments that follow, Naomi Klein--author, journalist and a senior correspondent for The Intercept--discusses her new book, titled "The Battle for Paradise: Puerto Rico Takes on the Disaster Capitalists," and a short film of the same name. Also featured is Katia Aviles-Vazquez, a Puerto Rican environmental activist and member of Organizacion Boricua de Agricultura Ecologica, and Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of UPROSE and co-chair of the Climate Justice Alliance.

Part 1: Naomi Klein: 4,645 Deaths in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria Were "State-Sponsored Mass Killing"

Part 2: "The Battle for Paradise": New Intercept Doc Goes Inside Struggle over Puerto Rico's Future

Part 3: Puerto Rico Is a "Playground for the Privileged": Investors Move In as Homes Foreclose & Schools Close

capitalismhurricane mariainequalityinfrastructurenaomi kleinpuerto rico