San Juan Mayor Says Trump's "Total Neglect' of Puerto Rico Must Be Called Out

Activists rally in support of Puerto Rican families displaced by Hurricane Maria, on the steps of City Hall, April 19, 2018 in New York City. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

San Juan Mayor Says Trump's "Total Neglect' of Puerto Rico Must Be Called Out

"The United Nations says that when people are denied the access to basic human services—like electric power, like water, like food, like appropriate medical care—it is like a violation of human rights."

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz tore into the Trump administration's response to the ongoing catastrophe on Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria and denounced the president's "total neglect."

Her comments to MSNBC on Sunday follow a Harvard study estimating that the death toll as a result of the storm was in the range of 793 to 8,498 and deeming the original official estimate of 64 excess deaths "a substantial underestimate."

"What is staggering is that the Trump administration has completely looked away when this death toll is announced. What is for real--we may not ever know many people died...and the government of Puerto Rico remains silent and idle while the federal government under the Trump administration was looking and continues to look the other direction."

"President Trump tweets about the crack of dawn and he hasn't even tweeted one time to say, 'Look, I mourn with the people of Puerto Rico,'" Yulin Cruz said.

She said that "this total neglect has to be called [out]. The United Nations says that when people are denied the access to basic human services--like electric power, like water, like food, like appropriate medical care--it is like a violation of human rights."

A new Atlantic hurricane season has begun, but Yulin Cruz said that Puerto Rico is not at all prepared and warned that even a hit by a Category 1 hurricane would mean disaster.

Watch parts of her interview in the tweets from the show, "Kasie DC," below:

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.