Eric LeCompte (non-profit)

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Eric LeCompte
Eric-LeCompte-Doha.jpg
Eric Lecompte at the Doha Talks
NationalityAmerican
Years active1994-present
Board member of Jubilee USA Network, Executive Committee of FACT Coalition [1]

Eric LeCompte is an American commentator on politics, finance and religion. [2] He serves on a working group with the UN Conference on Trade and Development. [3] [4] He is the current executive director of Jubilee USA Network. [5] [6] Prior to working with Jubilee USA, he served as the event coordinator at School of the Americas Watch. [7]

Early life and career

LeCompte holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University. LeCompte is the former national council chair of Pax Christi USA. He also previously worked for the School of the Americas Watch, Catholic Worker and Fellowship of Reconciliation. [7]

He is currently the executive director of Jubilee USA Network, [5] [6] a coalition of religious organizations that works for reforms to the international finance system that it argues will reduce poverty. [8]

LeCompte supports a global bankruptcy system for countries as well as greater transparency in the international financial system. [9] [10] LeCompte advised the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development [11] to create a guide for global bankruptcy: "Sovereign Debt Workouts: Going Forward, Roadmap and Guide." [12] After the United Nations General Assembly voted to create a global bankruptcy process for sovereign countries, [13] LeCompte presented to the United Nations on initial steps to create a working process. [14] He has presented on a potential global bankruptcy process to the International Bar Association insolvency section. [15]

After Grenada defaulted on its debt, [16] LeCompte advised religious leaders in Grenada and met with creditors, government officials and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure a debt restructuring that limit austerity plans. [17] [18] [19]

LeCompte has been active in Puerto Rico’s ongoing debt crisis. He worked with Puerto Rico's religious leaders, [20] [21] the Puerto Rican government and the White House and Congress [22] on solutions to the crisis. [23] [24] LeCompte testified on solutions to the crisis before a sub-committee of the House Natural Resources Committee on February 2, 2016. [25] [26] He supported the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act to address the crisis [20] [21] and worked with Puerto Rico's religious leaders to convene a debt dialogue between Puerto Rico's Governor and a representative group of Puerto Rico's creditors.

LeCompte advocates for a global finance system inspired by religious and Biblical teachings that he believes would protect the poor. [27] He comments regularly in religious and mainstream media. [28] [29] [30] [31]

In fall of 2020, LeCompte served as a resident scholar at the Collegeville Institute at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Grenada</span>

The economy of Grenada is largely tourism-based, small, and open economy. Over the past two decades, the main thrust of Grenada's economy has shifted from agriculture to services, with tourism serving as the leading foreign currency earning sector. The country's principal export crops are the spices nutmeg and mace. Other crops for export include cocoa, citrus fruits, bananas, cloves, and cinnamon. Manufacturing industries in Grenada operate mostly on a small scale, including production of beverages and other foodstuffs, textiles, and the assembly of electronic components for export.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rico</span> Territory of the United States

Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a self-governing Caribbean archipelago and island organized as an unincorporated territory of the United States under the designation of commonwealth. Located about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Miami, Florida, between the Dominican Republic in the Greater Antilles and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Lesser Antilles, it consists of the eponymous main island and numerous smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. With approximately 3.2 million residents, it is divided into 78 municipalities, of which the most populous is the capital municipality of San Juan, followed by those within the San Juan metropolitan area. Spanish and English are the official languages of the government, though Spanish predominates.

In finance, default is failure to meet the legal obligations of a loan, for example when a home buyer fails to make a mortgage payment, or when a corporation or government fails to pay a bond which has reached maturity. A national or sovereign default is the failure or refusal of a government to repay its national debt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Puerto Rico</span>

The government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a republican democracy established by the Constitution of Puerto Rico in 1952. Under a system of separation of powers, the government is divided among three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. As a territory of the United States, the government of Puerto Rico is under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States.

Debt relief or debt cancellation is the partial or total forgiveness of debt, or the slowing or stopping of debt growth, owed by individuals, corporations, or nations.

In international law, odious debt, also known as illegitimate debt, is a legal theory that says that the national debt incurred by a despotic regime should not be enforceable. Such debts are, thus, considered by this doctrine to be personal debts of the government that incurred them and not debts of the state. In some respects, the concept is analogous to the invalidity of contracts signed under coercion. Whether or not it is possible to discharge debts in this manner is a matter of dispute.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, formerly Cleary, Gottlieb, Friendly & Cox and Cleary, Gottlieb, Friendly, Steen & Hamilton, is an American multinational law firm headquartered at One Liberty Plaza in New York City. Known as a white shoe law firm, Cleary employs over 1,200 lawyers worldwide.

In corporate finance, distressed securities are securities over companies or government entities that are experiencing financial or operational distress, default, or are under bankruptcy. As far as debt securities, this is called distressed debt. Purchasing or holding such distressed-debt creates significant risk due to the possibility that bankruptcy may render such securities worthless.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambac</span> American financial services company

The Ambac Financial Group, Inc., generally known as Ambac, is an American holding company. Its subsidiaries provide financial guarantee products such as bond insurance to clients in both the public and private sectors globally. Ambac Assurance is a guarantor of public finance and structured finance obligations. Its common stock and common stock purchase warrants are listed on the NYSE under the symbols AMBC and AMBCW respectively. Ambac is regulated by the insurance commission of Wisconsin. It has its headquarters in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vulture fund</span> Fund that invests in distressed assets

A vulture fund is a hedge fund or private-equity fund that invests in debt considered to be very weak or in default, known as distressed debt. Investors in the fund profit by buying debt at a discounted price on a secondary market and then using numerous methods to sell the debt for more than the purchasing price. Debtors include companies, countries, and individuals.

Debt Justice is a UK-based campaigning organisation that exists to end unjust developing countries' debt and the poverty and inequality it perpetuates. The organisation’s activities include campaigning, advocacy, community organising and activism and aims to build collective power with people most affected by debt to demand a fair economy for all.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Puerto Rico</span>

The economy of Puerto Rico is classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank and as the most competitive economy in Latin America by the World Economic Forum. The main drivers of Puerto Rico's economy are manufacturing, which primarily includes pharmaceuticals, textiles, petrochemicals, and electronics; followed by the service industry, notably finance, insurance, real estate, and tourism. The geography of Puerto Rico and its political status are both determining factors on its economic prosperity, primarily due to its relatively small size as an island; its lack of natural resources used to produce raw materials, and, consequently, its dependence on imports; as well as its relationship with the United States federal government, which controls its foreign policies while exerting trading restrictions, particularly in its shipping industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricardo Rosselló</span> Governor of Puerto Rico from 2017 to 2019

Ricardo Antonio Rosselló Nevares is a Puerto Rican politician who served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 2017 until his resignation in 2019, after overwhelming protests related to the Telegramgate scandal. He is the son of former governor of Puerto Rico and pediatric surgeon Pedro Rosselló.

The public debt of Puerto Rico is the money borrowed by the government of Puerto Rico through the issue of government bonds by the Government Development Bank and other government agencies.

The Puerto Rican government-debt crisis was a financial crisis affecting the government of Puerto Rico. The crisis began in 2014 when three major credit agencies downgraded several bond issues by Puerto Rico to "junk status" after the government was unable to demonstrate that it could pay its debt. The downgrades, in turn, prevented the government from selling more bonds in the open market. Unable to obtain the funding to cover its budget imbalance, the government began using its savings to pay its debt while warning that those savings would eventually be exhausted. To prevent such a scenario, the United States Congress enacted a law known as PROMESA, which appointed an oversight board with ultimate control over the Commonwealth's budget. As the PROMESA board began to exert that control, the Puerto Rican government sought to increase revenues and reduce its expenses by increasing taxes while curtailing public services and reducing government pensions. These measures provoked social distrust and unrest, further compounding the crisis. In August 2018, a debt investigation report of the Financial Oversight and management board for Puerto Rico reported the Commonwealth had $74 billion in bond debt and $49 billion in unfunded pension liabilities as of May 2017. Puerto Rico officially exited bankruptcy on March 15, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jubilee USA Network</span> US-based nonprofit organization

Jubilee USA Network is a nonprofit financial reform organization based in Washington, D.C. Jubilee USA's work began in conjunction with the global Jubilee 2000 movement, founded in the late 1990s to advocate for debt relief for developing countries. It is "an alliance of more than 75 U.S. organizations, 650 faith communities and 50 Jubilee global partners."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greylock Capital Management</span>

Greylock Capital Management, LLC is a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission registered alternative investment adviser that invests globally in high yield, undervalued, and distressed assets worldwide, particularly in emerging and frontier markets. The firm was founded in 2004 by Hans Humes from a portfolio of emerging market assets managed by Humes while at Van Eck Global. AJ Mediratta joined the firm in 2008 from Bear Stearns and serves as its president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PROMESA</span> United States law and oversight board on Puerto Ricos debt crisis

The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) is a U.S. federal law enacted in 2016 that serves as a custom-made Bankruptcy law for Puerto Rico. It establishes a process for restructuring debt, and expedited procedures for approving critical infrastructure projects in order to combat the Puerto Rican government-debt crisis. Through PROMESA, the US Congress established a Financial Oversight and Management Board, known colloquially in Puerto Rico as "la junta," to oversee the debt restructuring. With this protection the then-governor of Puerto Rico, Alejandro García Padilla, suspended payments due on July 1, 2016. The FCB's approved fiscal austerity plan for 2017-2026 cut deeply into Puerto Rico's public service budget, including cuts to health care, pensions, and education, in order to repay creditors. By May 2017, with $123 billion in debt owed by the Puerto Rican government and its corporations, the FCB requested the "immediate" appointment of a federal judge to resolve the "largest bankruptcy case in the history of the American public bond market."

Financial Oversight and Management Bd. for Puerto Rico v. Aurelius Investment, LLC, 590 U.S. ___ (2020), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that appointments to the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico are not subject to the restrictions in the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Court held that all officers of the United States are subject to the Appointments Clause even if their duties relate to Puerto Rico. However, the power they exercise must be primarily federal in nature for the Clause to apply. If the officer exercises powers primarily of a local nature, even if created by federal law, then the officer is not "of the United States" and is exempt from compliance with the Clause. As members of the Board are primarily concerned with the governance of Puerto Rico, even though their decisions have potentially nationwide consequences, their powers are primarily local in nature and need not be appointed in compliance with the Clause.

Events in the year 2022 in Puerto Rico.

References

  1. "FACT Coalition Executive Committee" . Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  2. D'Almeida, Kanya (April 27, 2015). "Want to Help Nepal Recover from the Quake? Cancel its Debt, Says Rights Group". Inter Press Service News Agency. Inter Press Service News Agency. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  3. "Norway blazes a trail with audit of developing world debt". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  4. "UN set to create framework for global bankruptcy process in wake of Argentina debt crisis". Ibtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  5. 1 2 Winters, Michael Sean (2014-06-23). "Jubilee USA Network aims to ease Grenada's debt crisis". National Catholic Reporter. Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-15.
  6. 1 2 "Jubilee campaign for debt relief gains momentum, allies in the Vatican". Catholic News Service.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. 1 2 "Eric LeCompte, Event Coordinator". Archived from the original on 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2016-11-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. "Jubilee USA: Our Work". Jubileeusa.org. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  9. Biron, Carey (August 19, 2013). "Norway Sets Example in Audit of Poor Countries' Debts". Inter Press Service News Agency. Inter Press Service News Agency. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  10. "3rd meeting, Fifth Session, Sustainable Development Financing- General Assembly". Webtv.un.org. Archived from the original on 2017-01-27. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  11. "Debt Workout Mechanism Working Group Members and Observers" (PDF). unctad.info. UNCTAD. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  12. "Sovereign Debt Workouts: Going Forward Roadmap and Guide" (PDF). unctad.org. UNCTAD. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  13. "Resolution on Sovereign Debt Restructuring Adopted by General Assembly Establishes Multilateral Framework for Countries to Emerge from Financial Commitments". un.org. United Nations. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  14. "UNCTAD participation at General Assembly ad hoc committee on sovereign debt restructuring processes - First working session". unctad.org. UNCTAD. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  15. "21st Annual IBA Global Insolvency and Restructuring Conference : A Uniform Global Insolvency Regime : Dream or Reality" (PDF). Int-bar.org. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  16. Spink, Christopher (March 15, 2013). "Grenada seeks to overhaul finances, restructure 2025 bond". Reuters. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  17. Cui, Carolyn (9 April 2015). "Grenada Reaches Deal to Restructure $262 Million in Debt". Wall Street Journal.
  18. Cui, Carolyn (April 9, 2015). "Grenada Reaches Deal to Restructure $262 Million in Debt". Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  19. LeCompte, Eric (October 11, 2013). "OP-ED: Grenada's IMF Sunday School". Inter Press Service News Agency. Inter Press Service News Agency. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  20. 1 2 Sadowski, Dennis (July 1, 2016). "Bishop, advocates like deal that allows Puerto Rico to avoid debt default". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  21. 1 2 "Puerto Rico Bill Goes To Senate Amid Divisions". ValueWalk. 19 June 2016.
  22. "El Nuevo Día". Elnuevodia.com. 7 April 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  23. "House passes Puerto Rico fiscal rescue bill ahead of July cliff". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  24. "Debt Bill Pays Some Attention to Puerto Rico's High Child Poverty Rate". Nbcnews.com. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  25. Jubilee USA (12 February 2016). "Eric LeCompte Testifies to Congress on Puerto Rico humanitarian crisis" via YouTube.
  26. "House Committee on Natural Resources : Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs : Congressional Hearing : "The Need for the Establishment of a Puerto Rico Financial Stability and Economic Growth Authority"" (PDF). Int-bar.org. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  27. Calloway-Hanauer, Jamie (May 5, 2014). "Record Profits, Income Inequality, Global Poverty, and a New Jubilee? – An Interview with Eric LeCompte". Red Letter Christians. Red Letter Christians. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  28. Catholic News Service (11 June 2014). "Jubilee campaign for debt relief gains momentum, allies in the Vatican". St. Louis Review. St. Louis Review. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  29. Timiraos, Nick; Gillers, Heather (31 August 2016). "White House Announces Members of Puerto Rico Oversight Board". Wall Street Journal.
  30. Donnan, Shawn; Moore, Elaine; Arnold, Martin (5 February 2015). "IMF grants $100m debt relief to Ebola countries" . Financial Times. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  31. Walker, Peter; Gani, Aisha; Quinn, Ben (4 April 2016). "Panama Papers: mass protests in Iceland call for PM to quit – as it happened". The Guardian .
  32. Twitter https://twitter.com/eric_lecompte/status/1299338067510267906 . Retrieved 2020-09-02.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)