Title

Colonial Rule, Aids, and Social Control in Puerto Rico

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2003

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, here is the article's first paragraph:

Surprisingly scant attention has been given to the links between HIV/AIDS and the role of US neo-colonial rule in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico, whose population of 3.8 million makes it the most densely populated of the Greater Antilles, has been under US rule since 1898. The Island serves as a profitable labor reserve for key industries, particularly pharmaceuticals, while vast stretches of land and beaches have been used as military staging grounds. As in other parts of the world, a large military presence has contributed to high levels of prostitution and drug abuse. At the same time, US and European "sex tourism" has flourished. The annual per capita income hovers around $8,000 with a cost of living comparable to many US states (due largely to a domestic market that is dominated by US imports).

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08854300308428371

Link to Full Text

Additional Files

COinS