Since Governor Alejandro García Padilla of Puerto Rico announced that its debts were not payable, mainstream media has shown a great interest in the archipelago. Combine a government debt between $70 and $73 billion, a shrinking population of about 3.5 million American citizens, and a subordinate political status, this US territory is at an unprecedented moment in its history. With all the attention Puerto Rico is receiving, most people are left scratching their heads, wondering how this economic crisis came about.