‘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…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) The head of Puerto Rico’s emergency management services was fired last week after a group of residents discovered a warehouse filled with unused hurricane supplies.
The Trump administration released billions of dollars in emergency aid to Puerto Rico after a deadly earthquake rocked the island. But Carlos Acevedo, who was in charge of the island’s emergency supplies, had hid away thousands of cases of water, along with pallets of bedding, food, and medical supplies.
Warehouses filled with supplies that they sent to #PuertoRico being hidden and never distributed. Supplies they had saved since Hurricane Maria and been left to waste… We have a disgusting government?♀️? pic.twitter.com/jSDPyW5hVX
— ? (@_106s) January 18, 2020
¡Esto le saca las lágrimas de coraje a cualquiera! ??? Pañales, comida para bebés, estufas, radios, agua, carpas, toldos, ENTRE MUCHOS OTROS SUMINISTROS PERDIÉNDOSE DESDE MARÍA!!! ESTO ES TODO LO QUE PIDE LA GENTE DEL SUR CON LOS TERREMOTOS!!! Video: El León Fiscalizador pic.twitter.com/cd11rdhhhK
— Jeremy Ortiz (@JeremyOrtizTV) January 18, 2020
Acevedo has denied allegations of mishandling, but Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez fired him and called for an immediate investigation into the discovery of the supplies.
In a press conference on Sunday, Vazquez said that no one would be prosecuted for breaking into the warehouse.
She also fired Housing Secretary Fernando Gil and Department of Family Secretary Glorimar Andujar for failing to hold Acevedo accountable.
“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,” Vazquez said, according to CNN.
Acevedo’s mismanagement comes days after the Trump administration agreed to finally lift an aid hold.
The president had warned that Puerto Rico’s corrupt officials would abuse federal funds, but Democrats continued to fault Trump for refusing to provide disaster relief.
“Their political system is broken and their politicians are either incompetent or corrupt,” he said in September, adding that billions of dollars in previous aid had gone to “crooks pols. No good!”