Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican Families Displaced By Hurricane Maria Facing Hotel Eviction Hold Rally At City Hall
Ayana Byrd  Jul 13, 2018 4:00PM EDT

FEMA Admits It Bungled Response in Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria

The agency released a report that supports the criticisms leveled against it.
Man stands in front of collapsed building
Ayana Byrd  Jul 2, 2018 1:00PM EDT

Nearly 2,000 Puerto Rican Hurricane Survivors Face Eviction

A federal judge will decide if Puerto Ricans forced to evacuate their homes following Hurricane Maria will be evicted from their hotels and motels, as FEMA seeks to end the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program.
Ayana Byrd  Jun 28, 2018 2:25PM EDT

Puerto Rico's Water System Is Almost Fully Operational

Finally, some good news about post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico.
White and grey and brown building on green grass in front of green trees and grey sky
Sameer Rao  Jun 26, 2018 4:42PM EDT

Indigenous Hospital, Home of Formerly Enslaved Man Added to List of Endangered Sites

The National Trust for Historic Preservation features sites of historic and cultural importance to Black, Indigenous, Latinx and Carribean communities on its 2018 list of the “11 Most Endangered Historic Places.”
A street is flooded during the passing of Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
Ayana Byrd  Jun 18, 2018 12:27PM EDT

Asthma Rates Rise in Puerto Rico Following Hurricane Maria

Doctors and public health officials say they have “never seen anything like this.”
Ayana Byrd  Jun 14, 2018 11:34AM EDT

New Reports Confirm How Ill-Prepared Puerto Rico is For Hurricane Season

With ongoing problems with both its electrical and water infrastructure, the island is in a weakened state.
A person rests their head on their cross arms with San Juan and the water in the background.
catherine lizette gonzalez  May 31, 2018 5:48PM EDT

Author Q&A: Understanding Puerto Rico's Debt Crisis Through Marx, Monsters and a Queer Decolonial Lens

Colorlines talks to Philadelphia poet laureate Raquel Salas Rivera about their new book, “lo terciario/the tertiary,” which revisits Karl Marx’s “Capital” to examine Puerto Rico’s debt crisis from a queer decolonial lens.
The La Perla neighborhood the day after Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 21, 2017, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Ayana Byrd  May 30, 2018 1:07PM EDT

Advocates, Officials Outraged at Puerto Rico's Hurricane Maria Death Count

The government’s count is 64 fatalities, but a new study says the real number is closer to 5,000.
Man stands in front of collapsed building
Ayana Byrd  Apr 26, 2018 1:59PM EDT

Houston and Puerto Rico Unprepared for Upcoming Hurricane Season

Amid housing and financial concerns, residents face the possibility of new storms from a disadvantaged position.  
Puerto Rican children sit in a shelter sitting on a light blue bench two of the children are playing with a phone the other three are watching.
catherine lizette gonzalez  Apr 6, 2018 2:01PM EDT

Puerto Rico to Close 283 Public Schools, Teachers Condemn Decision

The news comes two weeks after Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Roselló signed a bill to implement a charter school and voucher program.
Puerto Rico Faces Extensive Damage After Hurricane Maria
Ayana Byrd  Mar 21, 2018 1:14PM EDT

FEMA Ignored Puerto Rico Supermarkets' Requests for Generator Fuel After Hurricane Maria

The result was the loss of tens of thousands of dollars of food, while people stood in lines outside, hungry.
Infrared image of Brown woman in orange and pink shirt and bandana and blue pants surrounded by pink vegetation in front of grey sky.
Sameer Rao  Mar 9, 2018 3:12PM EST

Vogue Celebrates Women Leading Relief Efforts in Puerto Rico in Stunning Infrared Photo Spread

“By empowering themselves—and each other—the women of Puerto Rico have empowered the entire island.”
Person in dark, lit only by flashlight
Ayana Byrd  Feb 27, 2018 12:08PM EST

Federal Government Cuts Number of Contractors Restoring Power in Puerto Rico

Hundreds of thousands of residents are still without electricity.
Ayana Byrd  Feb 20, 2018 11:51AM EST

Members of Congress Fear Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Funds Will Go to Creditors

Concerned elected officials asked Congress for a guarantee that the island’s residents and infrastructure will benefit from the $16 billion.
Ayana Byrd  Feb 9, 2018 11:06AM EST

What the Budget Deal Means for Puerto Rico

The $16 billion allocated for the island’s recovery effort is a great help—and a major disappointment.
A street is flooded during the passing of Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
Ayana Byrd  Feb 7, 2018 11:06AM EST

Congress Investigates FEMA's Failure to Deliver 18.5 Million Meals to Puerto Rico

The agency awarded a $156 million contract to a company with no experience in the food industry.
Book with red cover and red and white and blue Puerto Rico flag and white text next to dark green sticker with white and yellow text on top of navy and black and green plaid cloth with red and yellow lines
Sameer Rao  Feb 2, 2018 11:15AM EST

Libros 787 Fights to Conserve Puerto Rico's Literary Legacy

The online bookstore, named for the island’s primary area code, is developing a singular location for Puerto Rican literature.
Brown man in black t-shirt with white star and stripes holds two gold awards statues with red bases in front of white wall with multicolored insignia and black text
Sameer Rao  Jan 29, 2018 12:53PM EST

Residente Says Hurricane Maria, Debt Crisis Expose Need for Puerto Rican Autonomy

“The United States is just not interested in Puerto Rico.” 
A Puerto Rican flag hangs from a black-shuttered window set in a bright blue exterior wall
Ayana Byrd  Jan 25, 2018 11:31AM EST

Puerto Rico: Post Hurricane Maria, Island Can't Pay Down Debt

Meanwhile, residents continue to leave the island in the face of rising unemployment.
A school bus crosses a makeshift automobile bridge, after the original bridge was washed away during Hurricane Maria flooding, on December 20, 2017 in Morovis, Puerto Rico.
Ayana Byrd  Jan 8, 2018 11:21AM EST

EPA Cautions There is Raw Sewage in Some Water Sources in Puerto Rico

Upwards of 76,000 residents of the hurricane-devastated island still lack access to clean water.