Governor of Puerto Rico requests meeting with Trump to advance in recovery
Washington, .- The Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, called today in Washington a formal meeting with President Donald Trump, to avoid further delays in recovery funds for the island after Hurricane Mary in 2017 and approve aid for the nutritional assistance program.
He also indicated that he wants to express his strong opposition to the fact that the funds can be used in other items, such as that destined for the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico.
During a meeting in Washington, where he participates this week in the winter meeting of the National Association of Governors, Rosselló said that negotiations with congressmen to obtain rescue funds, many of them already assigned, are in “good direction”.
The governor assured that ultimately no recovery funds will be used to lift the border wall, although his team will “remain vigilant in the face of any change of position or any delay in the recovery funds for Puerto Rico.”
In addition, he pointed out that several legislators have expressed their support to obtain 600 million dollars for the nutritional assistance program.
“85% of Puerto Ricans have food dependency,” Rossello estimated.
He also called “good news” the arrival of a second round of aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, in English).
“There is an important gap between what Puerto Rico is receiving compared to other states,” denounced Rossello, who contrasted the amount of federal aid and the speed with which they reached the state of Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, with the situation in Puerto Rico .
In addition, he warned that his Cabinet has seen how the sending of resources has begun to fall, so he considered that the meeting with Trump is necessary to continue with the reconstruction of the territory and to treat the status of Puerto Rico within the country.
Rosselló repeated on several occasions that the citizens of the island are treated as if they were “second class” and denounced that because of their special political consideration in the country, “all the states have control of the resources of FEMA, less Puerto Rich”.
“Puerto Rico is treated unequally”, settled.
Next Monday, Trump plans to meet with several governors, including Roselló, in Washington, but this political leader said he does not know the attention that can be devoted to the specific needs of the island, which could be addressed in a specific meeting.
He also mentioned the shipment of a ship with humanitarian aid to Venezuela, coordinated by the Government of Puerto Rico with delegates appointed by the interim president of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó. (EFEUSA)
