President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Bien traveled to Puerto Rico to announce greater investments to rescue the island after the disasters caused by Hurricane Fiona.
“Puerto Rico has faced a lot in recent years…Hurricane Maria five years ago; the 6.4 degree tremor two years ago; the COVID-19 and then Fiona”, expressed Biden.
He stressed that although Puerto Rico is a “strong” place, just like their population, but they have faced “too much”, including destroyed crops, collapsed bridges, floods, among other disasters.
“You know better than anyone that as time goes by, these losses accumulate,” he said.
He recognized the material losses of Puerto Ricans, many of which have spent their savings facing the consequences of disasters such as Hurricane Fiona.
He added that the victims end up in “numbers”, but each one is “a person, a life” lost.
The president said that $60 million of additional dollars of federal funds to shore up levees, strengthen flood walls, and create a new flood warning system.
“I am determined to help Puerto Rico build r faster than in the past and stronger, better prepared for the future,” the president said shortly before leaving the White House, noting that the island had not been served “well” in the past.
The Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, opened the presentations in the Port of Ponce, where he asked President Biden to extend a major disaster declaration for 60 more days so that the island can obtain one hundred percent payment for debris removal and other recovery work.
Pierluisi thanked the actions of the Biden Administration, in addition to assuring that the work of the federal government was not “an isolated incident”, while asking that Puerto Ricans be treated like any American.
Maritzaida Pacheco Cosme, who spoke in Spanish, was in charge of introducing President Biden. A translator made the formal presentation in English.
Several federal and local officials were at the event, including the leader of the Senate of Puerto Rico, José Dalmau, and the leader of the Chamber, Rafael “Tatito Hernandez; Captain José Díaz, commander of the Coast Guard Sector for Puerto Rico, as well as David Warrington, administrator of Region 2 of the Federal Agency for Disaster Relief (FEMA), among others.
The president thanked Governor Pierluisi for “working together” to help to Puerto Rico.