SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — There is a side of Puerto Rico that many Americans may not know about.
The tropical paradise is best known for its colorful buildings, cobblestone-lined streets, lush forests and sun-drenched beaches. But hidden in plain sight are also signs of a booming industry that has overtaken much of the island for decades.
A town called Barceloneta, located on the island's north shore, is so synonymous with the pharmaceutical industry that there is a sign that says"Pharmaceutical Town" when you enter,"because there are pharmaceutical companies everywhere," a resident named Joeli told ABC News. Real estate listings for office buildings tout the municipality as the"preferred Pharmaceutical town of Puerto Rico.
"Puerto Rico, in many cases, has become kind of an engine of manufacturing drugs that can go directly to the U.S.," Julio Lopez Varona, the co-chief of campaigns at the Center for Popular Democracy, told ABC News. In addition, the industrial parks created by the government, which involved multiple plant sites placed in the same area, have had a long history of water violations, Santiago said.
When asked for comment, a representative for Teva Pharmaceuticals, TAPI's parent company, told ABC News,"While Teva did not admit liability, the Company has resolved all of the claims raised at that time."
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