For years, Puertorrican citizens have lived under a minimum wage of $7.25 in most of the available jobs on the island. This past week, president of the Chamber of Commerce in Puerto Rico, Jose Ledesma Fuentes, commented on how $7.25 is a wage that he considered livable. Citizens on the island were outraged by this comment as most of the people disagreed with his statement. Studies have shown that a full-time job under minimum wage after taxes is not enough to live off of as a single person without children. Most of these studies included car payments, rent, food, gas, phone, internet, and utilities where the added amount was higher than their earned pay. 

Citizens have gathered to protest the unlivable minimum wage all around the island and among the diaspora too. They will gather on November 8 and 11 to protest against this on Calle Resistencia, formally known as Calle Fortaleza. Show your support for Puerto Rico by attending the protest or simply informing others of this issue. 

{Cover picture shown taken by AFP and Eric M. Rojas (2019)} || IG: @ericmrojas