Puerto Rico

The bondholders and board faced off over the creditors' belief they they are due the administrative expense claim.

Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said PROMESA indicated PREPA needed to regain access to capital markets and suggested a deal with bondholders would aid this.

The Oversight Board will continue to "prepare for a more dire outcome but continue to hope for the best," said Chairman Arthur Gonzalez.

The bondholders say the failure to pay them net revenues since the 2017 bankruptcy start gives rise to their administrative expense claim.

Bond parties say the board's failure to settle the PREPA bankruptcy has contributed to the system's unreliability.

The effects could hit island economies, like those of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, whose bonds are speculative grade partly because of fiscal concerns.

At issue is whether PREPA bondholders may get a portion of the roughly $575 million available for unsecured claims against Puerto Rico's government

The bond parties argue that they are due the multi-billion-dollar fee from PREPA in addition to bond pricipal and interest.

The charges related to implementation and enforcement of material nonpublic information policies and Puerto Rico bonds.

Judge Laura Taylor Swain also approved the mediators hiring PJT Partners to be their financial advisor.

The Oversight Board's effort to confirm a "a legally infirm cramdown plan is patently flawed and will add years of litigation," the bondholders said.

The case related to an attorney the firm used as a consultant in negotiations related to Puerto Rico's debt restructuring.

The bankruptcy judge planned a hearing on the topic for March 19.

They say the reasons the court had given to continue the stay are no longer valid.

A plan to sharply cut Community Development Block Grant program staffing follows Trump's statement that he is inclined to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

They say if the board continues its current approach there will be years more of litigation with outcomes showing the board's positions are "baseless."

The executive director of the Puerto Rico Oversight Board suggested non-settling bondholders might be offered recoveries of about 4% of the principal due.

U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain extended the bankruptcy's litigation stay to March 24 as mediators expressed hope about progress on a deal.

Bondholders say the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau is legally required to set rates to cover all bond principal and pre- and post-petition interest due. The board disagrees.

Some observers say Jenniffer González Colón, who took office in January, may be more open to compromise with Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders.