For the past few weeks, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has been suffering from earthquakes and aftershocks that have displaced thousands in the southern part of the island and left the entire island without power for a few days. As a result, Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez requested a major disaster declaration from President Trump, which was subsequently signed for more federal funds to the government and the people on the island.
But reports indicate that the federal government has placed strings on how the funds will be managed. This has led to criticism: “Why is Puerto Rico always subjected to different standards when it comes to this administration?” New York Democratic Rep. Nydia Velazquez asked.
Well, recent news from the island explains precisely why.
This past weekend in the city of Ponce, a warehouse was discovered holding abundant supplies that had been intended for hurricane victims years ago. These supplies were held right close by the most affected communities on the island but never delivered. Pallets filled with water and other supplies had been sitting there, never arriving at their intended destination.
This has created a wave of anger and outrage on the island, with many asking why these supplies weren’t distributed to the most affected areas. The new governor fired the head of the island’s emergency management agency due to this discovery. She has ordered an inquiry into why the supplies in the warehouse weren’t being used.
This new scandal, along with a string of others since the island was left devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017, has virtually destroyed what little trust Puerto Ricans have for the government of Puerto Rico. This has led to people on the island distributing aid to themselves, bypassing government officials. And on the mainland, people are pointing out how Trump was right all along to be skeptical of Puerto Rican officials.
Trump’s handling of Hurricane Maria and subsequent events in Puerto Rico has brought him criticism — some fair and some unfair. But the incompetence and mismanagement by island officials, laid bare and reinforced by this recent scandal, should be a further sign of the need for strong oversight.
The truth is that the approach taken by the Trump administration in distributing billions in taxpayer money is right and necessary.
The failures and the complete collapse of trust in Puerto Rico’s political class could be a recipe for mismanagement and corruption. Furthermore, the government has loads of cash on hand to aid the people on the island. As it has been pointed out, the island has some $16 billion dollars that it has saved by not paying creditors. This is money that could be used to repair the damage to infrastructure and provide needed aid on the island.
Unfortunately, the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico has been ineffective in overseeing the finances of the island. Just witness the corruption scandals and the lack of up to date financials. If the oversight that the Trump administration is considering is giving more powers to the current board, without really reforming the board itself, it would be a huge disservice to taxpayers on the mainland and on the island.
Instead of blind criticism of Trump’s approach to giving billions to Puerto Rico, there should be a united front in calling for strong oversight of all federal and state funding spent in Puerto Rico. The skepticism coming from the administration is a much needed and welcome development.
Trump tweeted in 2018, “Puerto Rico is one of the most corrupt places on earth. Their political system is broken, and their politicians are either Incompetent or Corrupt.” These words, as Puerto Ricans know, are as true today as they were when Trump tweeted them.
Ojel L. Rodriguez is a freelance writer.
