Puerto Rico Solidarity Today & Forever!
The new year has started off with complete and utter chaos. Tuesday, January 7th, Puerto Rico had a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that resulted in 5.0 and up to 5.8 level aftershocks. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed, two-thirds of the population is without power, and one known life has been taken. All of this was immediately following hundreds of earthquakes that had occurred earlier in the previous ten days, including a 5.4 magnitude earthquake.
It is an emergency when people do not have power or shelter for themselves and their children as the rain showers have started to hit this week.
It is an emergency when the most powerful country in the world refuses to give adequate help in terms of humanity and financial assistance to an entire territory in need.
Mayor Santos "Papichy" Seda Nazario in the town of Guanica in southern Puerto Rico has seen extreme hurricanes and other natural disasters. Yet, he like many others “consider this crisis that we are living (in) worse than Hurricane Maria” (translated to English). There were zero warnings, there was absolutely no time to prepare, and when disaster hit, they were left helpless when the country that they are a part of is unwilling to help them.
So here is what you can do.=
- Donate or share information about ConPRmetidos, a local to Puerto Rico organization that typically provides food, water, and shelter as a short term solution. They are upping their game with the recent disaster, raising funding to help rebuild as many homes as they can and providing long-term aid to the victims that lost their families and homes.
- You can donate to the Hispanic Federation, a nonprofit that recently announced that they are partnering with leaders to bring emergency assistance and first responders to Puerto Rico as soon as possible. They have already committed to aiding these earthquake-based disasters by sending $30 million to Puerto Rico based organizations and individuals that are working towards relief.
- Contact your local representatives! Puerto Rico is a United States territory. This is something that representatives must hear is an issue and put forth proposals to fund recovery relief after these extreme events like this.
Puerto Ricans deserve to not only have our physical and financial aid but to have our compassion.