How has Puerto Rico recovered since 2017?
State of recovery in Puerto Rico today
Puerto Rico is still destroyed from hurricane Maria, broken buildings covered in tarps, power outages, and health care facilities that are still overwhelmed. Some reconstruction that involves mitigating the risk onto vulnerable populations has not begun yet. Recovery is “One of three systemic shocks,” the others being the Covid 19 pandemic and an economic crisis. The Biden administration has promised Puerto Rico financial and hurricane aid but has not yet done so. Puerto Rico needs to be helped recover soon, because they cannot survive another hurricane. Houses still lose power and are still damaged, both make it hard to survive and work. Recovery has been slow, but we now need to move fast because people cannot continue to live in broken houses. Some factors that have played a role in delaying the recovery of PR is that the Biden administration has promised aid to Puerto Rico but has not yet done so. Another factor is that PR has been projected to receive over 40 billion dollars in federal assistance by the next fiscal year, but until they receive this money they do not have the financial stability for a solid recovery.
A Recovery for All Puerto Ricans?
By recovering from Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico has more opportunities to become a more independent and sustainable island because hurricane Maria changed what was possible on the island by affecting the risks, on peoples homes, and the resources that are now becoming available for families throughout Puerto Rico.
Since hurricane Maria more opportunities for deeper inequity is due to the lack of necessities in certain communities and parts of Puerto Rico. “Among them: the island’s extreme dependence on imported fuel and food; the un payable and possibly illegal debt that has been used to impose wave after wave of austerity that gravely weakened the island’s defenses; and the 130-year-old colonial relationship with a U.S. government that has always discounted the lives of Puerto Rico’s black and brown people.” Recovering takes time and in places with lower income it takes even longer. Things like food and water and a roof over your head do not seem like that big of a deal until they are taken away from you. The recovery time is crucial if you want to go back to what you had before. “
Since hurricane Maria more opportunities for deeper inequity is due to the lack of necessities in certain communities and parts of Puerto Rico. “Among them: the island’s extreme dependence on imported fuel and food; the un payable and possibly illegal debt that has been used to impose wave after wave of austerity that gravely weakened the island’s defenses; and the 130-year-old colonial relationship with a U.S. government that has always discounted the lives of Puerto Rico’s black and brown people.” Recovering takes time and in places with lower income it takes even longer. Things like food and water and a roof over your head do not seem like that big of a deal until they are taken away from you. The recovery time is crucial if you want to go back to what you had before. “
Two Opposing Visions of Recovery
Puerto Rico for the wealthy
In an attempt of recovery for Puerto Rico, they are encouraging rich people from America to come to Puerto Rico by offering tax breaks. People are coming to Puerto Rico but it is not giving the economic relief that they were hoping for, and is in the end not helping recovery. Puerto Ricans do not get tax breaks as well, they are not benefiting from this plan for recovery at all. Puerto Ricans are leaving the island, because there has been no progress in recovery and is no longer a comfortable way to live. This has given the wealthy people moving into this “Utopian dream” more freedom to do what they want. All in all this plan is not effective because Puerto Ricans are not even being benefited, and are losing from this situation.
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The real solutionInstead of fixing a problem that doesn't need to be solved, instead people could exercise collective sovereignty over their land, energy, food, and water; the other in a desire for a small elite to secede from the reach of government altogether, liberated to accumulate unlimited private profit.
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Decolonizing Energy
How would Decolonizing Energy in Puerto Rico allow them to recover?
Puerto Rico’s energy injustices causes harmful, traditional forms of power governance that threaten the creation of decarbonized and decentralized power systems that advance self-determination. Current unsustainable relationships exist between politicians who align with fossil-fuel and pro-development corporate officials and everyday people who are forced to finance these harmful business agreements. Ninety-seven percent of Puerto Rico’s electricity is produced by imported fossil fuels.
How would it make them less vulnerable to climate change in the future?
Enacting energy justice in Puerto Rico requires that residents envision and guide their own electric energy present and future. This form of people power counters neoliberal privatization plans and necessitates that policymaking and policy implementation serve the interests of civil society. This social transformation is especially important for low-income and -wealth, rural, and Afro-descendant communities that often are most harmed by Puerto Rico’s electricity grid that centralizes, rather than distributes, electricity and other forms of power.
How would it be a step away from colonial control towards self determination?
Puerto Rico could break free from harmful bills initiated by the U.S. The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) has enacted suffocating energy, economic, housing, healthcare, and education policies that threaten the well being and survival of local residents. The US Congress voted for this bill in June 2016, and President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law that same month.
Puerto Rico’s energy injustices causes harmful, traditional forms of power governance that threaten the creation of decarbonized and decentralized power systems that advance self-determination. Current unsustainable relationships exist between politicians who align with fossil-fuel and pro-development corporate officials and everyday people who are forced to finance these harmful business agreements. Ninety-seven percent of Puerto Rico’s electricity is produced by imported fossil fuels.
How would it make them less vulnerable to climate change in the future?
Enacting energy justice in Puerto Rico requires that residents envision and guide their own electric energy present and future. This form of people power counters neoliberal privatization plans and necessitates that policymaking and policy implementation serve the interests of civil society. This social transformation is especially important for low-income and -wealth, rural, and Afro-descendant communities that often are most harmed by Puerto Rico’s electricity grid that centralizes, rather than distributes, electricity and other forms of power.
How would it be a step away from colonial control towards self determination?
Puerto Rico could break free from harmful bills initiated by the U.S. The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) has enacted suffocating energy, economic, housing, healthcare, and education policies that threaten the well being and survival of local residents. The US Congress voted for this bill in June 2016, and President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law that same month.
Decolonizing Agriculture
How could Puerto Rico’s agricultural system be remade in a way that makes the island less vulnerable to climate change in the future?
(Start by saying how much of puerto ricos food is imported vs grown on the island)
By planting biodiverse crops. This can help address the climate emergency. This way of farming draws down our carbon footprint in a variety of ways, in particular, by returning organic matter to the soil and drawing carbon out of the atmosphere.
How would it be a step away from colonial control towards self determination?
Before Maria hit, Puerto Rico imported approximately 85 percent of its food from abroad, mostly from the mainland U.S., because of colonial policy. But after Maria the island’s ports were so badly damaged ships could not dock. With no food coming in after the storm, people went hungry, and it’s believed that it contributed to the deaths of the elderly. With this way of farming Puerto Rico doesn't have to depend on outside help (as much).
(Start by saying how much of puerto ricos food is imported vs grown on the island)
By planting biodiverse crops. This can help address the climate emergency. This way of farming draws down our carbon footprint in a variety of ways, in particular, by returning organic matter to the soil and drawing carbon out of the atmosphere.
How would it be a step away from colonial control towards self determination?
Before Maria hit, Puerto Rico imported approximately 85 percent of its food from abroad, mostly from the mainland U.S., because of colonial policy. But after Maria the island’s ports were so badly damaged ships could not dock. With no food coming in after the storm, people went hungry, and it’s believed that it contributed to the deaths of the elderly. With this way of farming Puerto Rico doesn't have to depend on outside help (as much).
How could Puerto Rico’s health care system be remade in a way that makes the island less vulnerable to climate change in the future?
Making health care centers that are better protected and more immune to climate disasters will allow hospitals to provide medical assistance even amidst a natural disaster. Creating hospitals that are specifically designed to withstand a natural disaster will be extremely beneficial to the communities of Puerto Rico. By redesigning the hospitals, the habitats of Puerto Rico will be able to receive medical aid even during a natural disaster which is when medical assistance is most necessary. So, if the healthcare system is re-made, it will become far easier for hospitals to withstand harsh conditions and provide medical support to Puerto Ricans in need even after undergoing a natural disaster.
How would it be a step away from colonial control towards self determination?
By decentralizing hospitals, and taking control of their own medical system, Puerto Ricans would be less reliant on aid from other countries or governments. In this way, they would be given a new source of independence and responsibility. With enough time and work, Puerto Rico could create a new health care system that is far more efficient than any system put in place with the help of another country.
Making health care centers that are better protected and more immune to climate disasters will allow hospitals to provide medical assistance even amidst a natural disaster. Creating hospitals that are specifically designed to withstand a natural disaster will be extremely beneficial to the communities of Puerto Rico. By redesigning the hospitals, the habitats of Puerto Rico will be able to receive medical aid even during a natural disaster which is when medical assistance is most necessary. So, if the healthcare system is re-made, it will become far easier for hospitals to withstand harsh conditions and provide medical support to Puerto Ricans in need even after undergoing a natural disaster.
How would it be a step away from colonial control towards self determination?
By decentralizing hospitals, and taking control of their own medical system, Puerto Ricans would be less reliant on aid from other countries or governments. In this way, they would be given a new source of independence and responsibility. With enough time and work, Puerto Rico could create a new health care system that is far more efficient than any system put in place with the help of another country.
What changes does America need to make?
In order for Puerto Rico to be less vulnerable to climate change in the future, America would have to make drastic changes to their political systems. The Jones act demands that all goods shipped by sea that travels between US ports, must be built, operated, and owned by the US. Because Puerto Rico is affected by this act, it makes it far more expensive for resources to be shipped around different parts of Puerto Rico that are in need of resources. It also delays relief efforts coming from other countries besides the US. If this act was nullified, it would become much easier for Puerto Rico to receive aid from America to assist with the rebuilding communities after being damaged by climate change.
Puerto Rico's government has been unable to pay back the huge amount of debt that has been amounting due to the repeated climate disasters affecting the country. Puerto Rico is 72 billion dollars in debt to the United States. This happened because Puerto Rico was in need of funds and they resorted to selling bonds. Eventually, after selling bonds to the US, the fell so far into debt that they couldn't pay it back. When this happened, America used the debt as leverage allowing them to create an organization known as PROMESA. PROMESA was in charge of making sure that Puerto Rico paid the US back in full. In order to accomplish this, PROMESA forced huge cuts in the Puerto Rican health care system, as well as the education system. The theory was that by cutting spending on essential programs, the money would slowly return to the US. However, these cuts made Puerto Rico extremity weak and unable to support it's residents. If PROMESA was repealed, Puerto Rico would be able to heal and recover. Alternatively, the US could in theory nullify all debt owed which would free Puerto Rico from the immense financial strain caused by the 72 billion dollars owed.
For example, the Foraker act which was enacted in 1900 made it so Puerto Ricans would become Puerto Rican citizens instead of American citizens. All Puerto Rican's that had been America citizens were now citizens of Puerto Rico. This was problematic because after hurricane Maria, America did not feel obligated to help because all ties they had to Puerto Rico had been severed thanks to the Foraker act. Puerto Rico must be given the right to self determination - to end their territorial status by becoming a state or an independent nation. independence and the freedom to create and manage their own laws and government.
Organizations working for recovery
Casa Pueblo
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Casa Pueblo is a community self management project that is focused on protecting culture, natural and human resources. Casa Pueblo started in 1980 when the governor wanted to mine silver and gold, which would have destroyed 36,000 acres of land. Casa Pueblo runs a Sola cinema, an educational and entertaining project that runs on solar power in order to promote energy autonomy. Casa Pueblo writes reports on women who use mainly renewable and clean sources and make an impact on their communities.
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Taller Salud
Taller Salud is an organization that is dedicated to improving health care and presenting more opportunities to women in Puerto Rico. Taller Salud strongly believes that health is a basic human right and everyone deserves to have good access to health care. Their mission is to maximize opportunities for women in Puerto Rico. Taller Salud provides education for young women and girls, and offers physiological services and trauma groups to people who are survivors of violence.
Organización Boricuá de Agricultura Ecológica
The Organización Boricuá de Agricultura Ecológica is an organization that dedicates it’s time to communicate with members in communities that were greatly affected by hurricanes and assess the damage that was made to their homes. The main idea of this organization is to help repair the communities in need, so that less people lose their homes.
Power
Power PR’s purpose is to help Puerto Rico recover in a dignified way. The organization's motive is to make the recovery in Puerto Rico affordable for families throughout the area. Our power PR is an organization that is dedicated tov\s helping families not only recover, but have available resources to help rebuild what was once home to many.
PR 51st
The PRSC (The Puerto Rico Statehood Council) created PR51st in order to achieve equality for the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico through statehood. The purpose of PR51st is to “... inform, engage and activate support for Puerto Rico statehood in ways that are compelling, interactive, fact-based and easy to share.” According to the website “in 2012, 54% of Puerto Ricans said they did not want to be a territory and 61.2% chose statehood. In 2017, 97% of voters chose statehood from the possible options — statehood, independence, and continuing as a territory. In 2020, more than 52% of voters said “Yes” to statehood.”