For many people who hold Puerto Rico near and dear to their hearts — it has always been known as “La isla de encanta.” Close to 5 million people of Puerto Rican heritage live on the U.S. mainland and there are approximately 3 and a half million “Boricuas” on the island.
The enchantment is now a horror story — as hurricane Maria hits the island — still not recovered from Irma, which caused flooding and did damage to the island power grid.
The first hit was to Vieques — the island the U.S. Navy bombed for decades:
Puerto Rico has Superfund sites—23, to be exact—that risk contaminating soil and groundwater, one of which is among the most complicated, expensive Superfund sites in the U.S. For six decades, the military used the Puerto Rican island of Vieques as a bomb-test site, resulting in widespread contamination of three quarters of the small island. Many claim this contamination has caused the heightened cancer rates among the 9,000 people who live there. Unexploded bombs, bullets, and projectiles are all over Vieques, according to Judith Enck, the former EPA administrator for Region 2, which covers Puerto Rico. “I am concerned that the ones on the land will wash into the sea,” she said.
Some folks have already started raising funds for Vieques
The average annual household income in Vieques is about $15,000/year. Many families could not afford to prepare for the storm with extra groceries because they didn't have an extra $20. Think about that for a moment.
I realize not a lot of people in the mainland U.S know much Puerto Rican history — years ago Raquel Ortiz produced this documentary at WGBH Boston.
If you get a chance, take the time to watch.
I will update the diary as often as I can.
Sending my love, prayers and support to Puerto Rico, Culebra, Vieques, St. Thomas, St John, St. Croix ….and to all our Caribbean neighbors affected by first Irma and now Maria.