US Energy Colonialism a Key Cause of Puerto Rico’s Hurricane María Crisis
Much of this goes way back. So responsibility can be assessed across the decades. However, the new President had an opportunity to put at least some of this right. He chose unwisely. He chose to worsen the colonial policy. Puerto Rico is treated as a burdensome colony of no merit or use. What a sad way to treat Americans.
Four months after Hurricane María struck, about half of Puerto Ricans still have no electric power. Tens of thousands are relying on drinking water that may be contaminated with raw sewage. Most recently, the Trump administration has told Puerto Rico it is too wealthy to receive further aid money at this time.
Puerto Rico has been a US territory since 1898. The new perspective article investigates US colonialist legal and energy policies in the country, in many ways exposing the ongoing crisis as an ‘unnatural,’ rather than a natural, disaster. It argues that the colonial legacy, a $73-billion debt crisis, outdated infrastructure, and Hurricanes Irma then María created a perfect storm of devastation.
The paper’s author, Dr. Catalina de Onís, from Willamette University in the United States, says that while several policies played a role in Puerto Rico’s current situation there are some that warrant closer attention. “Inspired by local grassroots organizing efforts, and angered by the ongoing exploitation of Puerto Rico as a US colony, I have spent four years studying how the territory has been exploited as a sacrifice zone for empire building and experimentation, corporate greed, and toxic energy projects”.
She argues that the lifting of the 1920 Jones Act (the Merchant Marine Act) — which requires all goods to enter Puerto Rico’s ports on US-made, US-staffed, and US-flag-carrying ships — for ten days after Hurricane María still choked hurricane relief efforts, as supplies sat waiting to be distributed or were sent back to their points of origin. The article says this temporary waiver did little to alleviate the burdens created by Puerto Rico’s economic dependency on the US — but in fact, further demonstrates the high costs of this colonial relationship.
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