Sri Lankan Economic Crisis

Government officials in Sri Lanka indicated sweeping powers for the military and police to hold and question people without warrants of arrest under President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Months of blackouts and severe shortages of food, gasoline, and medication have triggered weeks of overwhelmingly nonviolent anti-government rallies.

The “Golden Paradise Visa Program” allows foreigners who invest a minimum of $100,000 locally to live and work in Sri Lanka for a period of ten years.

As Sri Lanka faces its greatest economic crisis since its independence in 1948, the murder of the country’s first victim underscores the dangers of more conflict.

The administration pledged investigations into charges that police used excessive force to remove protesters protesting high fuel prices and seeking President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s resignation over the increasing economic crisis.

Authorities are dealing with public outrage and rallies calling for the government’s resignation ahead of IMF bailout talks.

This is the greatest economic depression the island nation has seen since independence, with frequent blackouts and severe food and fuel shortages.