Washington The Trump administration on Friday is expected to announce $ 13 billion in additional aid to Puerto Rico to help with rebuilding in the aftermath of 2017’s Hurricane Maria.
Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced tuiteó Friday morning that Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Pete Gaynor told her that $ 13 billion has been approved. She thanked the White House and Presidente Donald Trump. An administration official confirmed the announcement.
In the three years since the storm made landfall, the rebuilding process has been slow and costly. En noviembre 2018, White House officials told congressional leaders and appropriators that the President did not want any additional relief funding sent to the island.
The government’s $ 13 billion investment will directly address electrical and educational systems, Garced said.
Trump’s handling of the 2017 tormenta, which devastated the island and killed nearly 3,000 people in its aftermath, has been widely criticized by locals and experts. Trump has consistently denied any fault for his administration, and has instead sought praise for his handling of Hurricane Maria, at one point calling it “an incredible, unsung success.”
The move is likely an attempt to appeal to Puerto Rican voters who moved to the battleground state of Florida after the hurricane struck the US territory.
Trump was lambasted for his visit to Puerto Rico weeks after the storm, where he was pictured tossing paper towels to a crowd of survivors.
Desde entonces, he’s publicly slammed local officials, falsely railed against what he said was an overreported death toll, and questioned aid to the territory. Former acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, who was in the role as the hurricane hit, said in a July interview that Trump considered the idea of selling the island after the storm hit.
Tensions between the President and the island boiled over en marzo 2019 when then-Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló fired back after the White House officials warned his top aides that representatives of the territory were pushing too hard to arrange a meeting with the President aimed at discussing the island’s dire situation.
“If the bully gets close, I’ll punch the bully in the mouth,” Rosselló told CNN at the time. “It would be a mistake to confuse courtesy with courage.”
And as Hurricane Dorian approached Puerto Rico in August 2019, Trump again trained his ire at its government.
“Puerto Rico is one of the most corrupt places on earth. Their political system is broken and their politicians are either Incompetent or Corrupt. Congress approved Billions of Dollars last time, more than anyplace else has ever gotten, and it is sent to Crooked Pols. No good!” el escribio, agregando, “And by the way, I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to Puerto Rico!”
Trump’s lack of empathy for Puerto Ricans has been at odds with his treatment of storm victims in the continental US during his tenure in office, prompting criticism of racism, including from some local officials defending their home.
