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 The payment on bonds issued by the U.S. commonwealth's financing
arm, the Government Development Bank (GDB), are crucial as Puerto
Rico tries to stretch its liquidity into 2016 to give itself more
time to restructure debt. A default is seen as possible but not
definite.
With 45 percent of its 3.5 million population in poverty, Puerto
Rico is a meteorological paradise mired in economic purgatory. Years
of over-spending and the expiration of corporate tax incentives
stuck it with debt that gets harder to pay as residents increasingly
emigrate to the U.S.
Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla wants to overhaul spending and
restructure debt, but bondholders are resisting cuts to repayments,
and restructuring discussions look to take months.
Of the payment owed on Tuesday, $273 million is protected by Puerto
Rico's constitution - so-called general obligation, or GO, debt - so
defaulting would likely trigger lawsuits.
Even a default on the non-GO portion could result in litigation
against the GDB. "Of course" creditors would sue, said one
creditor-side source. "It would be really messy."
Lawsuits could hinder the island's ongoing efforts to get creditors
to cooperate on a universal bond exchange, or "superbond," that
would reduce its overall debt.
Puerto Rico has defaulted before, in August paying only $628,000 of
a $58 million payment due on its Public Finance Corp bonds.
But a default on GO debt would have a bigger market impact, given
its constitutional protections.
"There would be a new round of selling pressure," said John Miller,
co-head of fixed income for Nuveen Asset Management. If Puerto Rico
defaults on debt guaranteed by the commonwealth, the chance of it
making another GO bond payment due on Jan. 1 "would drop
precipitously," Miller added.
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A default could also hinder public services. Daniel Hanson, a Height
Securities analyst closely following Puerto Rico, said in a Nov. 25
note that a default could put GDB into receivership, which would
"almost certainly result ... in a stay" on its ability to move cash
and, in turn, on the government's ability to support operations.
Moody's Investment Service last month said it was "likely" Puerto
Rico would default on at least some of the debt, and Garcia Padilla
has said that if forced to choose between paying debt and providing
services, Puerto Rico would default.
Lately, though, "there's been a change in tone" on the government's
part, said the creditor-side source. Puerto Rican officials are
aware that a default could risk creditors' cooperation on the
superbond, and are likely to make the December and January payments
to keep talks alive, said the source, as well as another person
familiar with discussions.
Garcia Padilla will also speak on Tuesday at a U.S. Senate Judiciary
Committee hearing to discuss potential fixes for Puerto Rico.
(Reporting by Nick Brown; Editing by Bernard Orr)
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