SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The governor warned that Puerto Rico can't pay its $72 billion public debt as international economists release a critical report on the island's economy, delivering another jolt to the recession-gripped U.S. island as well as a world financial system already worrying over Greece's collapsing finances.
Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla is hoping to defer debt payments while negotiating with creditors, spokesman Jesus Manuel Ortiz said Sunday night.
