Coming soon to your state --- Thousands protest Puerto Rico's layoffs

By Enrique Martel

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 11 (Reuters) - Some 27,000 protesters marched on Puerto Rico's capital on Thursday to press for a resolution of a budget crisis and partial government shutdown that has left almost 100,000 public employees out of work since May 1.

The peaceful march, led by local labor unions, was the latest in a series of street demonstrations sparked by the layoffs of about 95,000 workers, including 40,000, teachers.

The furloughs have swollen the ranks of the unemployed in the self-governing U.S. territory and the budget crisis prompted a ratings downgrade by Moody's Investors Service of nearly $25 billion of Puerto Rico bonds earlier this week.

All public offices, except those related to safety, health and other essential services, and the entire Department of Education, have been shuttered since Monday of last week because the cash-starved government has run out of funds for the remaining two months of fiscal year 2006.

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