Puerto Rico’s governor on Thursday promised wage increases for teachers, police officers, firefighters and other public workers, unveiling a government budget higher than the one submitted by a federal control board that oversees the island’s finances, the Associated Press reported. It is the first budget submitted by Gov. Wanda Vázquez since the island’s Supreme Court authorized her to lead the U.S. territory last August after former Gov. Ricardo Rosselló stepped down amid huge protests. The budget contains an additional $169 million in spending compared with the board’s $10 billion plan. Before beginning the annual budget address, Vázquez asked for a minute of silence for those who have died of COVID-19. The island has reported more than 1,490 confirmed coronavirus cases, with at least 147 deaths. Her speech contained multiple promises of incentives and spending increases that critics said were moot, given the island’s economic crisis and the control board’s power over Puerto Rico.
