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)
Jun 04, 2018
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:
\u201cThe mayor of San Juan, @CarmenYulinCruz, with an update on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria:\n\n-New death toll numbers are 20 times higher than initial government estimates\n-Many towns are still without electricity today\u201d— Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire) 1528074417
\u201c"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.'" @CarmenYulinCruz\u201d— Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire) 1528074773
\u201cWe are entering another Hurricane season, but Puerto Rico is not ready for another storm. \n\nIn San Juan, they only have the medical supplies to last them only one month if another storm hits. \n\nBut other towns don't even have that.\u201d— Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire) 1528075182
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
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:
\u201cThe mayor of San Juan, @CarmenYulinCruz, with an update on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria:\n\n-New death toll numbers are 20 times higher than initial government estimates\n-Many towns are still without electricity today\u201d— Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire) 1528074417
\u201c"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.'" @CarmenYulinCruz\u201d— Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire) 1528074773
\u201cWe are entering another Hurricane season, but Puerto Rico is not ready for another storm. \n\nIn San Juan, they only have the medical supplies to last them only one month if another storm hits. \n\nBut other towns don't even have that.\u201d— Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire) 1528075182
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:
\u201cThe mayor of San Juan, @CarmenYulinCruz, with an update on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria:\n\n-New death toll numbers are 20 times higher than initial government estimates\n-Many towns are still without electricity today\u201d— Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire) 1528074417
\u201c"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.'" @CarmenYulinCruz\u201d— Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire) 1528074773
\u201cWe are entering another Hurricane season, but Puerto Rico is not ready for another storm. \n\nIn San Juan, they only have the medical supplies to last them only one month if another storm hits. \n\nBut other towns don't even have that.\u201d— Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire) 1528075182
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.