In a turn of events, Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez fired two officials after Hurricane Maria aid was found unused amid the aftermath of the recent Hurricane the island experienced.
The officials fired were Fernando Gil, the Housing Secretary, and Glorimar Andujar, the Department of Family Secretary.
In the rubble, there were pallets of bedding, medical supplies and food that were found wrapped in plastic. They were unused and found in a warehouse, stored for more than two years while island residents suffered through the most recent earthquake that has devastated everyone.
A video went viral showing the supplies that were not distributed to those in need and instead were left in a warehouse on the southern coastal city of Ponce.
In a statement, Governor Vazquez commented that “there are thousands of people who made sacrifices to bring aid to the south and it’s unforgivable that resources have been kept in a warehouse.”
The two recent firings come at a time when several officials have been fired for unethical actions such as Carlos Acevedo, the director of Puerto Rico’s Office of Emergency Management. This has also damaged Puerto Rico’s credibility in Washington, and the Trump administration has not released a statement after it was slammed for not delivering the necessary amount of aid for the island.
At the end of the week, President Trump declared that Puerto Rico had experienced a major disaster, announcing that federal funds would be allocated for repairs, for temporary housing and low-cost loans. In a statement, the White House noted that this effort would “help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.”
House Democrats who recently impeached the president were quick to condemn him for not sending hurricane relief when in fact, the administration had delivered the aide but Puerto Rican government officials did not deliver.
Democrat are still blaming the Trump administration for "delaying" relief disbursements.
"Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, but the Trump administration continues delaying the disbursement of billions in disaster relief for the island," stated Rep. Donna Shalala (D) "Rebuilding Puerto Rico cannot continue to be postponed due to bureaucratic inertia in Washington."
