Field Notes 2023
39
Dependent Development and Subalternity in Puerto Rico: Why Hurricane Fiona was Worse than Expected Max Garcia
Abstract Puerto Rico today is an island in shambles. Despite enduring multiple tropical storms every year, the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona—which made landfall in September 2022—demonstrates that the severity of the situation is beyond the impacts of a natural disaster. Although it was designated as Category 1, the mildest ranking, the storm caused lasting damage throughout the island, devastating people who still face power outages, a lack of clean water, and other challenges months later. Though the United States (US) government may be quick to blame Puerto Ricans on their precarious situation, this paper examines the variety of historical factors that have shaped the island’s current trajectory. Using dependency theory and subalternity
as a theoretical framework, I argue that US intervention supporting corporate interests has entrenched Puerto Rico in dependent-oriented development at Puerto Ricans’ expense. Nonetheless, despite their status as second-class citizens of the US, they continue to fight valiantly against their oppressor with the hope that their voices may one day be heard.
Keywords: Puerto Rico, Dependency Theory, Subaltern, Hurricane Fiona, colonisation, LUMA.