Bonds

Blame Wall Street for Puerto Rico crisis: Activist

Not a day for glory for Wall St. on behalf of Puerto Rico: Pro
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Not a day for glory for Wall St. on behalf of Puerto Rico: Pro
What's next for Puerto Rico?
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What's next for Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico set to miss $370M in debt
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Puerto Rico set to miss $370M in debt
Puerto Rico's looming default
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Puerto Rico's looming default

Wall Street and Congress are, in part, to blame for Puerto Rico's debt crisis, the president and CEO of the National Puerto Rican Coalition said Monday.

The island was set to default on a $389 million debt payment to bondholders Monday.

"Let's be real here, Puerto Rico is in an economic, unstable situation in its relationship with the United States. And that is Congress, how Congress decided to build this relationship with Puerto Rico," Rafael Fantauzzi said in an interview with CNBC's "Power Lunch."

A barman serves a customer as Alejandro Garcia Padilla, governor of Puerto Rico, is seen giving a speech on a television screen in a bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Erika P. Rodriguez | Bloomberg | Getty Images

He also pointed to hedge funds that own Puerto Rican debt, noting that some of them also own Argentinian debt.

"Guess what — they waited 10 years and they got their pay off. But Puerto Rico is a very, very, very different situation."

However, municipal bond investor Hector Negroni, co-CEO of Fundamental Credit Opportunities, called blaming creditors for Puerto Rico's situation "a little appalling."

"Our entire marketplace rests upon the rule of law and faith in governments to perform, to live within their means and to make amends to creditors when they fall short," he told "Power Lunch."

People shop in a store in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico says will default on Government Development Bank debt

Negroni noted the island has done little to reform and fix its "obese" government.

Former Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno agreed the latest crisis could have been averted, and said he would not have defaulted Monday.

"Puerto Rico has to take responsibility for its actions," he said on "Power Lunch."

Fantauzzi said believes the government will make the right cuts and insists it is taking responsibility.