You don’t have to be Puerto Rican to give a damn about what is happening, right before our eyes, to Puerto Rico.
I’m not Puerto Rican. Sure, I have skin in the game since my husband, some cousins, my godkids and their children, and many of my former comrades from the Young Lords Party are Boricuas.
In September of 2017, after Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands as well, along with family and friends I watched a nightmare unfolding. It soon became patently clear that the U.S. government, under the failed leadership of Donald Trump, was botching relief and recovery efforts, and few mainland mainstream reporters were bringing their A-game into the mess. I was struck by the fact that a majority of folks here seemed to know next to nothing about the island and its fractured history as a U.S. colony. The New York Times reported, “Nearly Half of Americans Don’t Know Puerto Ricans Are Fellow Citizens.”
I made a promesa to my santos that I would do what I could to amplify the skimpy mainstream media coverage of the recovery efforts on the island—as well as covering the Puerto Rican community here on the mainland.
To be honest, I didn’t think that I would have to extend that promise into 2020. I thought once Congress passed funding for the island, it would be delivered. I didn’t anticipate the actions of FEMA and HUD. After his paper-towel-tossing, who could imagine that Trump would act like a Mafia don with a vendetta?
All of this has happened and more, under the aegis of a cruel, vindictive, and heartless president whose paper towel moment is now enshrined in the halls of infamy.
The ongoing depredations from Trump and his agency heads have guaranteed an increase in the suffering and death toll on the island.
I find myself wishing that Trump was being impeached for his treatment of Puerto Rico.
Look at these recent stories.
From The New York Times:
ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands — More than two years after back-to-back hurricanes ravaged this tropical island, medical workers are still treating gunshot wounds in hallways and kidney failure in a trailer. They ignore their own inflamed rashes that they say are caused by the mold that has shut down an entire hospital floor below a still-porous roof.
At least they have a hospital. The lone medical center on Vieques, an idyllic island that is part of Puerto Rico, was severely damaged by Hurricanes Maria and Irma, then abandoned to wandering roosters and grazing horses. Ailing people wait at the ferry dock to catch a boat to the mainland.
Two years on, “we are in the same situation as we were in the days after the hurricane,” said Rafael Surillo Ruiz, the mayor of Yabucoa, on Puerto Rico’s hard-hit eastern edge.
An examination of Federal Emergency Management Agency data and records demonstrates the degree to which the recovery from Hurricanes Maria and Irma on America’s Caribbean islands has been stalled compared with some of the most disaster-prone states on the mainland, leaving the islands’ critical infrastructure in squalor and limbo. FEMA officials say 190 long-term recovery projects have been funded in Puerto Rico — out of more than 9,000 requests. On the United States Virgin Islands, about 218 projects had funding — out of more than 1,500 requests and still counting.
As we leave 2019 behind us, I was very pleased when I saw this response from Daily Kos contributing editor Greg Dworkin to Aaron Blake’s query about the year’s political stories:
Greg was the only person responding who mentioned Puerto Rico. I agree.
Yes, we have impeachment, climate change, the economy, kids in cages, corruption, health care, voter suppression—an almost endless list of concerns on our plates. Somehow, however, I always feel that Puerto Rico winds up as leftovers, or not on the national menu at all.
I would like to applaud the efforts of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, who has been the staunchest ally in the House of Representatives for Puerto Ricans on the island and here on the mainland in the wake of Maria.
Here she is, speaking from the heart on the second anniversary of the hurricane:
Far too often, we only hear the voices of those politicians who are Puerto Rican, or Latinx, or whose states have a significant Puerto Rican population.
Back in August, the date of the Democratic Party presidential primary in Puerto Rico was moved up. NBC reported,
Hours before stepping down Friday, former Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló signed a law moving the island's 2020 Democratic primary from June to the last Sunday in March, which could give island residents more say in who becomes the party nominee and expand the impact of Latino voters in next year's elections.
By June, the nominee has been decided, rendering a primary that month essentially academic, Rosselló stated in a news release.
“This legislative measure provides the opportunity to put Puerto Rico on the radar of potential presidential candidates in the Democratic Party. The candidates will not only pay attention to Puerto Rico but will have to clearly stipulate their positions regarding the issues that affect the island," Rosselló stated.
"In changing the date to the month of March, we can engage candidates directly on the political and economic inequality that Puerto Rico goes through," Rosselló added.
The last Sunday in March 2020 is March 29. Republicans on the island hold their primary March 8.
However, after a Democratic debate was held in Florida, the state with the highest number of Puerto Ricans, NBC reported that “Democratic debates didn't address Puerto Rico despite island's possible early primary”:
Of the 24 candidates, only 13 have taken a stance on the island's territorial status, its financial crisis and post-hurricane situation, says a coalition of groups.
The two-day Democratic presidential debate hosted in Miami ended on Thursday without addressing issues affecting Puerto Rico, even though Puerto Ricans on the island and the mainland are able to vote in presidential primaries and an estimated 1.2 million live in Florida. Power4PuertoRico, a coalition of organizations and leaders who advocate for the island and Puerto Ricans living in the states, called out debate participants on Twitter for ignoring Puerto Rico during the first 2020 Democratic presidential debate. “20 candidates, 5 moderators, 2 debates and only ONE mention of Puerto Rico,” said one tweet.
The only mention of the U.S. territory happened on Wednesday night when Julián Castro, the only Latino candidate in the crowded race, mentioned that Puerto Rico was his first campaign stop. After Castro’s visit, Power4PuertoRico spearheaded an initiative to demand presidential candidates to both take definitive stances on a series of issues affecting the island's 3.2 million residents and come up with “a comprehensive platform.”
Since March, over 55 organizations and individuals have come together to lead the effort as candidates seek to stand out in a crowded race.
The Democratic primary field has narrowed. Yes, some candidates have paid lip service, and even proffered plans for Puerto Rico, which, given the current makeup of the Congress and the current occupant of the White House, will go nowhere.
We must win the White House, take back the Senate, and maintain our House majority.
Here’s the Power 4 Puerto Rico Coalition letter to the Democratic presidential candidates, signed by 60 organizations:
March 20, 2019
Dear Presidential Candidates:
We, the undersigned organizations, representing millions from the Puerto Rican Diaspora and allies, strongly urge you to publicly support a comprehensive platform addressing the fiscal and economic crises facing the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
The people of Puerto Rico, U.S. citizens and residents alike, are still recovering from devastating firsts —including the worst natural disaster and largest bankruptcy proceeding in U.S. history— a depressed economy, and imminent fiscal cliffs in public health, schooling and higher education, public pensions, and nutritional assistance. Many of these challenges are the result of artificial, arbitrary, and often discriminatory decisions made by the federal government in how it treats Puerto Rico. Only bold action spurred by presidential leadership – together with detailed policy prescriptions – can move the needle on these complex issues.
As a presidential candidate, we strongly urge you to publicly support the following policy priorities. Though action is needed on many more fronts, Puerto Rico needs:
● A Marshall Plan-type mobilization to fully rebuild and recover after Hurricanes Irma and Maria
● Full participation of Island residents in critical federal anti-poverty programs such as:
- Medicaid
- Child Tax Credit (CTC)
- Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
- SNAP
● Economic tools such as:
- Jones Act exemption
- Fix how federal tax reform law treats the Island and provide tax incentives for job creation, along with improved labor standards
- Significant public debt relief
● Recognition of the right to self-determination of the Puerto Rican people along with a permanent and self-
sustained, inclusive, fair and transparent process to end 121 years of U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico
Attached, please find a detailed background document with more specifics about these and other critical issue areas that will require your action should you become the 46th President of the United States.
We stand ready to assist you and your team to answer any questions or provide more in-depth analysis of Puerto Rico issues and look forward to your prompt response as we prepare to periodically report back to the public on the policy positions taken by all presidential candidates.
What can you do?
Puerto Rico and the other U.S. territories are part of the Democratic Party platform. Pressure the DNC to update the 2016 Democratic Party platform on the issue of Puerto Rico, which read:
Fighting for the People of Puerto Rico
And we are committed to addressing the extraordinary challenges faced by our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico. Many stem from the fundamental question of Puerto Rico’s political status. Democrats believe that the people of Puerto Rico should determine their ultimate political status from permanent options that do not conflict with the Constitution, laws, and policies of the United States. Democrats are committed to promoting economic opportunity and good-paying jobs for the hardworking people of Puerto Rico. We also believe that Puerto Ricans must be treated equally by Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs that benefit families. Puerto Ricans should be able to vote for the people who make their laws, just as they should be treated equally. All American citizens, no matter where they reside, should have the right to vote for the President of the United States. Finally, we believe that federal officials must respect Puerto Rico’s local self-government as laws are implemented and Puerto Rico’s budget and debt are restructured so that it can get on a path towards stability and prosperity.
Politico reports that there are still more primary debates ahead:
The Democratic National Committee announced it will hold four debates for its presidential candidates in the first two months of 2020, a jam-packed schedule as voting kicks off.
One debate will be held in each of the four early voting states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
The Iowa debate — the seventh in a series of twelve planned debates — will be on Jan. 14. It will be hosted by CNN in partnership with The Des Moines Register at Drake University in Des Moines.
The New Hampshire debate will be on Feb. 7, hosted by ABC News in partnership with WMUR-TV, ABC’s local affiliate, and Apple News at St. Anselm College outside Manchester.
The ninth debate will be on Feb. 19 in Las Vegas, hosted by NBC News and MSNBC in partnership with The Nevada Independent.
The final early state debate announced will be at The Gaillard Center in Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 25. It will be hosted by CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute in partnership with Twitter.
Pressure the host networks for the upcoming debates to correct the omission of Puerto Rico and the USVI.
Puerto Rico STILL needs our help:
Support independent journalism on the island:
From the Nieman Foundation: Puerto Rico’s Centro de Periodismo Investigativo wins Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism at Harvard
Nieman Fellows in the class of 2020 at Harvard University have selected Puerto Rico’s Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI, the Center for Investigative Journalism) for the 2020 Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism.
The fellows chose to honor CPI for its relentless drive in investigating the most pressing issues on the island, including the government’s mismanagement of public funds; the death count after Hurricane Maria; the ongoing debt crisis; and the secret communications among the island’s top political leadership in an encrypted messaging app, which when revealed by CPI, sparked protests and ultimately led to Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation from office.
The fellows noted that CPI has demonstrated the highest degree of conscience and integrity in its work uncovering political corruption. By calling for government transparency and filling in the gaps of truth with hard-nosed reporting, CPI has held the Puerto Rican government to account and demonstrated the power of fact finding.
Already well established before 2019, CPI gained widespread visibility far beyond Puerto Rico when it reported on leaked chat messages—totaling 889 pages of conversation—between Gov. Rosselló and many of his closest associates. The chats included homophobic and misogynistic comments and crude references to the victims of Hurricane Maria as well as discussions about how to control the press and discredit opponents. CPI’s reporting quickly led to demonstrations that unified many Puerto Ricans who demanded an end to corruption, leading to the governor’s resignation on July 24, 2019.
Some CPI swag:
Educate yourself about Puerto Rico and the current situation, and pass the information on to your family, friends, and social networks. Follow the Daily Kos tag #PuertoRico.
You don’t have to be Puerto Rican to care.
FYI: Since I cannot cover all things Puerto Rican in one story, here’s a list of my past coverage since Maria.
- Trump continues his vendetta against Puerto Rico, by slashing Medicaid funding. #TrumpsKatrina
- A salute to our Puerto Rican vets, who, yes, are American citizens
- America's Shame. Puerto Rico. 2 years after Maria. Trump & Republicans are to blame.
- Urgent! Help stop the looming Medicaid disaster in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
- Breaking: Puerto Rico's Governor Ricardo Rosselló has resigned!
- Black Kos, Tuesday’s Chile. Part of the problem re: Puerto Rico is racism.
- Protesting Puerto Ricans tear-gassed demanding the resignation of Governor 'Ricky' Rosselló
- Hurricane season starts June 1. U.S. mainland media continues to fail Puerto Rico
- Pendejo of the U.S. (aka POTUS) pukes on Puerto Rico — again.
- 'Humancane Trump' is killing Puerto Ricans
- Urgent! Contact your Senators. 1.4 million Puerto Ricans losing food assistance #TakeAction4PR
- Urgent. $600 million needed for the food assistance program (NAP) for Puerto Rico. Call the Senate
- #SOTU The paper towel POTUS spoke not one word about Puerto Rico
- Democratic presidential candidates put Puerto Rico back in the media spotlight
- Tell Trump. Funding for food in Puerto Rico is not 'excessive and unnecessary.'
- Celebrating Three Kings Day, or Día de los Reyes Magos
- Make a New Year's resolution not to forget Puerto Rico. Take action!
- Feliz Navidad: Wishing you a Puerto Rican Christmas
- Dear women on the U.S. mainland: Please support our sisters in Puerto Rico
- 'Muses' and support for the arts in Puerto Rico.
- Giving thanks to Chef José Andrés and the World Central Kitchen chefs
- Beyond deplorable: Trump threatens and attacks U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico and on the mainland
- A reminder: Now that we control the House, Democrats must aid Puerto Rico
- Stop the handwringing and conjecture about the 'Latino vote,' and support groups doing GOTV
- Does Hispanic Heritage Month erase Afro-Latinxs?
- Make a promise to support Puerto Rico
- When it comes to Hispanic Heritage Month, Trump is an incredible hypocrite
- #1YearAfterMaria. Remembering those who died and their families who live—and need our support
- Caribbean rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria
- Calling out their names. Here are 487 who died in Puerto Rico that Trump denies.
- Trump hit by massive hurricane—named Maria. Now tweeting death toll denial.
- Trump makes a mockery of Puerto Rico's dead.
- Trump tweets about Florence and Twitter smacks him back about Puerto Rico
- Remembering Hurricane Irma's massive devastation of the Caribbean
- Honor Puerto Rico's hurricane dead by supporting the living—and voting Republicans out of office
- Trump takes a lying dump on Puerto Rico's dead.
- Why are we being lied to about the power situation in Puerto Rico?
- 'Trumpsplaining' the narrative about Puerto Rico's recovery
- Vota Boricua: Getting out the Puerto Rican Vote
- Some schools in Puerto Rico are due to open Monday with no lights, no water, and no food
- Puerto Rico vows to defy Federal judge's ruling giving total budgetary control to The Junta
- Racism ties the treatment of New Orleans to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, aka Trump's Katrina
- Ten months after Maria, there are still mainland misconceptions about Puerto Ricans
- West Side Story—revisited.
- FEMA admits to failures in Puerto Rico but is still pulling out back-up generators—which is insane!
- They lost their homes on the island. Now Puerto Ricans are fighting FEMA evictions here.
- Tragedy and resiliency: It's been nine months since Maria hit Puerto Rico
- Gov. and Junta move to shut-down Community Health Centers in Puerto Rico. WTF?
- Remember! Register! Resist! The National Puerto Rican Day Parade combined pride and protest.
- Racist hypocrite Trump proclaimed June 'Caribbean American Heritage Month'
- Google and Lin-Manuel Miranda launch $2 million match fund for Puerto Rican small businesses
- Marching for Puerto Rico! National Puerto Rican Day Parade - Sunday June,10th
- As estimated death toll rises for Hurricane Maria (aka 'Trump's Katrina'), heads need to roll
- At least 4,645 people died in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria
- Leaking tarps, mold, asthma, and misery: It's more than eight months since Maria hit Puerto Rico
- Another death blow to Puerto Rico: FCC plans to cut Lifeline phones as hurricane season draws near
- FEMA pulls U.S. Army Corps of Engineers out of Puerto Rico today. Hurricane season starts June 1.
- New Yorkers do what Trump should be doing for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
- Imagine your city without working traffic lights—for seven friggin' months. How would you react?
- Puerto Ricans call for a National Strike against the 'Junta' Control Board for May Day
A National Disgrace. Seven Months without full power in Puerto Rico. Hurricane season starts June 1.
- Stand up! Point a finger at Donald Trump and brand him 'Murderer'
- Republican charter school privatization plague infects Puerto Rico. #JuliaGoHome
- When it comes to Puerto Rico, the 'F' in FEMA stands for 'f**ked-up'
- Puerto Rico has passed the six-month mark without full power. WTF is wrong with us?
- Sonia Sotomayor: 'The incredible spirit and strength of the Puerto Rican people is unbreakable'
- Women in Vieques, Puerto Rico, lead the fight against U.S. Navy contamination of their island
- NY Daily News posts a "days without power in Puerto Rico timer." Share it. (today is day 167)
- Women's History Month: Sterilization and experimental testing on Puerto Rican women
- #FoxSpews and the deplorables go after San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz
- Another massive blackout hits Puerto Rico. It is now day 163 for many without power.
- Black History Month: Afro-Latina Pura Belpré gave children the precious love of books and stories
- Black History Month: The vejigante masks and bomba music of Puerto Rico
- What the hell does FEMA mean by "Habitable" when they cut Puerto Rican evacuee funds?
- Privatizing Puerto Rico: DeVos clone Julia Keleher and Gov. Rosselló push charter schools
- Black History Month: Loiza—the African heart of Puerto Rico and the arts that portray it
- About those 'temporary blue roofs' in Puerto Rico
- 62% of applications for FEMA assistance in Puerto Rico rejected or 'in process'
- Think about your 'light privilege' then protest what is happening in Puerto Rico!
- Black History Month: Celebrating the Afro-Puerto Rican 'Father of Black History' Arturo Schomburg
- The rainbow flag proudly waves over Puerto Ricans
- The Puerto Rican Island of Vieques: War games, hurricanes, and wild horses
- Water is life: Puerto Rico, potable water, and El Yunque
- Puerto Rican Statehood Commission demands end to second class status with a push for statehood.
- Make rebuilding Puerto Rico and the USVI part of our Democratic platform for 2018 and 2020
- Three Kings Day in Puerto Rico. There will be toys but the Magi are not bringing light.
- Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands—2017 review and resolution for 2018 and beyond
- Have you read the Refugees International report on the crisis in Puerto Rico?
- FEMA lies about drinking water in Puerto Rico
- No hurricanes, no Donald Trump, can knock the Moko Jumbies down
- Send Christmas greetings and love to our own Chef Bobby in Puerto Rico
- Recovery in the U.S. Virgin Islands: a look at the people and the national park
- What Trump and Congress are doing to Puerto Rico is blatantly racist
- From the Danish West Indies to the U.S. Virgin Islands: Overlooked colony is celebrating centennial
- Media Report Card: Grade the coverage of the crisis in Puerto Rico and the USVI
- Giving thanks for food, and Chef José Andrés in Puerto Rico
- As people march for Puerto Rico, which politicians stand up in defense of our island citizens?
- Fleeing Puerto Rico to sleep in a car in Orlando— unacceptable!
- Unity March for Puerto Rico! Sunday, November 19th, Washington D.C.
- Music heals, uplifts, and gives Puerto Ricans strength to survive. ¡Que viva la música!
- A salute to our Puerto Rican Veterans and the Vets helping with the ongoing disaster in Puerto Rico.
- Pregnant moms giving birth in Puerto Rico need clean water!
- As you send your kids off to school today—think about the schoolchildren in Puerto Rico.
- There are 5 million-plus Puerto Rican Americans on the mainland who won't forget—or forgive Trump
- Where's the rage? I expect Republicans to let Puerto Rico suffer—but what about the rest of you?
- Put Trump's name on the 900 plus death certificates in Puerto Rico.
- Mayor Carmen Cruz tells Sen. Elizabeth Warren "You've heard us and you haven't forgotten us"
- Baseball players step up to the plate to fight for Puerto Rico's survival
- She's getting married...to Puerto Rico.
- Puerto Rico: Symbols and songs from the island of Borikén
- Trumpism poisons patriotism —undermining support for our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico
- Community organizer in Puerto Rico has a perfect name for Trump: "Charlatan."
- The status of Puerto Rico: debate, discussion, and the impact of Hurricane Maria
- One Voice — Somos Live! Benefit Concert for Disaster Relief live-streamed tonight — October 14th
- "Disposable Puerto Ricans" are just like Trump's tossed paper towels—only they are not white.
- San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz responds to ugly Trump tweets with a plea to us all
- Are Trump & the media ignoring the U.S. Virgin Islands because most of the residents are black?
- Breaking: White House lets Jones Act waiver expire. No extension. Why does Trump hate Puerto Rico?
- The Puerto Rico tourists rarely see, and the U.S. role in Puerto Rican poverty
- "Almost like Praying" Lin-Manuel Miranda and friends sing for Puerto Rico support!
- Hey Trump. Our fellow citizens in Utuado, Puerto Rico are working hard to save themselves.
- Feeding Puerto Rico
- Copout-in-Chief Trump attacks San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz for his own fail Maria leadership.
- Aguadilla, Puerto Rico: 60,000 people—only 2000 meals. Trump keeps on lying.
- Puerto Rico S.O.S: Trump is lying, PR is crying and unless you help—more Americans will be dying
- 3.5 million Americans face disease & death in Puerto Rico. What the hell is Trump doing?
- The Caribbean, the U.S., and how their past and present are intertwined
- New York, and other states deliver aid to Puerto Rico. We are family.
- Puerto Rico update: The entire island of 3.5 million U.S. citizens is without power
- Maria slams into 'the enchanted isle' of Puerto Rico
- And the wind cries "Maria"
- Caribbean updates: Irma, Jose and Cuban dolphin airlift
- Monster storm Irma smashes into Barbuda and moves on...
- Attention news media covering Hurricane Irma—Puerto Rico is part of the U.S.
Pa’lante, Puerto Rico.