Puerto Rico: Reconstruction,
Resilience, and Respect
Afew days after Hurricane María hit Puerto Rico, I visited a rural community
environment. Nevertheless, the American
citizens of Puerto Rico, are resilient. As we
have shown in the past, we are not afraid
of being dynamic, making adjustments and
being proactive when dealing with the
challenges that are presented to us. For us,
as for our Latino communities, that old saying
still rings true: “with great challenges come
great opportunities”, and we are prepared
to take advantage of the opportunities that
come our way. With our eyes on the future
we will be the protagonists of our destiny!
Past tribulations will not be in vain!
María Eloisa Meléndez Altieri is the
current mayor of the city of Ponce, Puerto
Rico. She was elected during the Puerto
Rican general elections of 2008, becoming
the first woman elected to the office in
Ponce's political history. She is also the
first mayor of a party other than the
Popular Democratic Party in Ponce since
1989, when Rafael Cordero Santiago
became mayor. This is her second candidacy
in politics on the island and her first
electoral win.
¡Punto Final!
By Dr. María “Mayita” Meléndez-Altieri
Mayor of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, P.R.
in order to provide assistance, and distribute provisions to its residents. That
day, I was accompanied by my granddaughter Anna who, with much
determination, announced to everyone that help had finally arrived; that we
had brought them food and water. However, after a few minutes, I sensed a
change in her mood… suddenly, she turned around and, with a great sense
of urgency, told me: “Grandma, the people are suffering; the people need
help.” I have never been prouder of her.
That’s when we met Don Hector, a man
over 70-years-old who, after many years of
hard work and sacrifice, had been able to
invest almost $30,000 renovating his modest
house. Just five minutes after Hurricane
Maria hit, he had to abandon his house and
find refuge in his son’s house right across
the street. Just after leaving the house, he
watched as the winds demolished his home;
he had lost everything! Afterwards, his
health has greatly deteriorated forcing him
to visit the hospital on multiple occasions.
He has lost over 30 pounds. Sadly, stories
like these are not scarce!
And that’s the thing about crises and
disasters. They throw us into an alternate
reality where we are faced with sentiments
we had never felt, and forced to do things
that we didn’t know we could do. We are
suddenly thrown into a vortex of conflicting
and radically contradictory emotions. They
show us the best and worst qualities in
people; heartwarming stories, and truly
gut-wrenching stories.
When I assumed the position of mayor
of the city of Ponce for the first time, I could
not have anticipated all the challenges
that we would have to confront. A decade
old recession; an unprecedented population
decline; a truly precarious fiscal situation.
However, all those pale in comparison to
the challenges brought by the devastation
caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria. Our
families continue to fragment; there are
still many people without access to essential
services. Yet, we are not confronting this
events with any reservations, but with great
resolve and sense of historical commitment.
In my case, with the satisfaction and pride
that my people, have chosen a woman to
serve them in this critical time of need. Today,
this commitment is particularly relevant.
It is incumbent upon all our fellow citizens
in the Island, and in the rest of the United
States, to raise their voices, and work
tirelessly and cooperatively for our
communities. This is a call of consciousness.
The reconstruction process will be long
and arduous. However, the picture is not
entirely bleak. Both Ponce and Puerto Rico
have an opportunity to innovate and redefine
our socioeconomic ecosystem. While we
have made important advances, we are
aware that we face an extremely challenging
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