Six+ on Puerto Rico: governor says he’ll finish his term, will not run for reelection; thousands flood streets in push to oust governor – in pictures; Ruminations on a Puerto Rican Revolution; Diaspora speaks out for island in crisis; On the Vindicat

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Six+ on Puerto Rico: governor says he’ll finish his term, will not run for reelection; thousands flood streets in push to oust governor – in pictures; Ruminations on a Puerto Rican Revolution; Diaspora speaks out for island in crisis; On the Vindication of Carmen Yulín Cruz; Did Betsy DeVos’s School Choice Zealotry Enable the Corruption Scandal; The Campaign For A Hurricane Proof House

Puerto Rico governor says he’ll finish his term, will not run for reelection next year

"The announcement Sunday came after reports that the governor spent the day meeting with members of his cabinet at the Fortaleza mansion in Old San Juan and with mayors of his party on the island. The meeting with mayors, in the nearby town of Guaynabo, was held on Sunday evening behind closed doors, as security guards blocked the doors to the press. Inside, officials could be seen laughing and hugging Rosselló.

In Guaynabo, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the mayors’ meeting, calling for Rosselló to leave office. Tensions rose when a group of protesters tried to block the governor’s motorcade, prompting motorcycle cops and other officers to line up and clear the road. The demonstration continued for at least an hour after the meeting ended."

Puerto Rico governor says he’ll finish his term, will not run for reelection next year

Puerto Rico governor says he’ll finish his term, will not run for reelec... Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rosselló said in a Facebook livestream he will not run for reelection in 2020, and ...

Thousands flood streets in push to oust governor – in pictures

Puerto Rico: thousands flood streets in push to oust governor – in pictures

Puerto Rico: thousands flood streets in push to oust governor – in pictures Photographer Angel Valentin accompanied our reporter Oliver Laughland to capture the growing protests in Puerto ...

It Was Never Just About the Chat: Ruminations on a Puerto Rican Revolution.

"Hurricane María made landfall on 20^th September 2017. It was a devastating natural disaster made worse by the austerity policies imposed by the dictatorial fiscal control board, a grandiose victory of bipartisanship that essentially sold off what was left of the island to vulture capitalists for the next four decades. Puerto Rico faced the uncertainty of a complete collapse of communications, utilities, and transportation in the storm’s wake. And all of this happened with an incompetent president in the White House and an incompetent governor entrenched in his mansion of La Fortaleza, San Juan, like some overgrown tick. While mainland liberals rediscovered Puerto Rico for a few weeks after Trump’s paper towel-throwing incident, they paid no attention to the island’s Democratically aligned petty tyrant. For weeks Ricardo Rosselló engaged in a public relations campaign. Instead of desperately needed food and water, Puerto Ricans got Rosselló on a helicopter, or Rosselló with a military helmet on, out on the road with the National Guard (even though he never really goes anywhere). Attempts were clumsy and haphazard, FEMA was completely useless, and President Dumbass insisted that it was difficult to move aid to the island because of all the “big water”. The island’s First Lady gifted small handmade candles to the mayors of the municipalities that were hit the worst by the monster hurricane. One candle per municipality, mind you. ONE. Many of these places had been without power for months. Their very public responses were less than delicate.

Nearly five thousand people died after María. Some to suicide, others from preventable illnesses. Some died due to complications from not receiving dialysis treatments. I lost someone because of that. Some people asphyxiated from a lack of oxygen or power. Newborn babies died in hospitals. Some starved, some died of thirst. The old and infirm died in their homes, sometimes alone, sometimes with relatives. Many were buried there, in their backyards. Many more would never be found. To this day both the federal government and the Puerto Rican government are in full denial of the thousands of lives lost. But the dead demand justice."

It Was Never Just About the Chat: Ruminations on a Puerto Rican Revolution.

It Was Never Just About the Chat: Ruminations on a Puerto Rican Revolution. The current upcoming generation of Puerto Ricans has galvanized those that came before in a way never before see...

 ‘Miami is with you, Puerto Rico’: Diaspora speaks out for island in crisis

“The people are tired,” said Hector Diaz, former president of the Association of Professionals of Puerto Rico (Profesa). “They’re tired, and they’ve arisen.”

Rosselló “obviously will not resign” because he doesn’t want to be the first governor in history to do so, said Diaz, a marketing executive at Miami Dade College. Diaz said the Puerto Rican House of Representatives should push for impeachment.

The other alternative would be to wait until the 2020 elections and vote Rosselló out, but Díaz said he doubts such a long-term proposal will appease the public and the daily riots are already costing the Puerto Rican economy millions a day."

‘Miami is with you, Puerto Rico’: Diaspora speaks out for island in crisis

‘Miami is with you, Puerto Rico’: Diaspora speaks out for island in crisis About 30 Puerto Ricans debated Thursday at La Placita in Miami about what the exile community in South Florida s...

In Puerto Rico, The Campaign For A Hurricane Proof House

In Puerto Rico, The Campaign For A Hurricane Proof House

In Puerto Rico, The Campaign For A Hurricane Proof House In the nearly two years since Hurricane Maria, about half a million people still don't have a safe affordable ho...

On the Vindication of Carmen Yulín Cruz, the 'People's Candidate' (2020)

National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP) 337 South 4th Street, Suite 1 Brooklyn, NY 11211 800-590-2516 in...@latinopolicy.org www.latinopolicy.org    Board of Directors José R. Sánchez    Chair Edgar DeJesus    Secretary Israel Colon    Treasurer Maria Rivera    Development Chair Hector Figueroa Tanya K. Hernandez  Angelo Falcón    President  Follow us on Twitter and Angelo's Facebook Page NiLP readers will enjoy this contribution from Norma Iris Lafé. Some will say this piece is stream of consciousness. Others will claim it is magical realism. And still others will dismiss it as fictional reporting. We think it is what the author claims, an essay and memoir. Like all fascinating and provocative writing, it recognizes that every attempt to write is political. Every story, poem, report, or analysis tells a story and offers a perspective on politics, which at bottom is nothing more than how we deal with power. This essay does this and is episode one of a series that the NiLP Latino Affairs Journalis proud to publish and offer our audience. Enjoy this essay! More to come. [Note: this essay has been only lightly edited for grammar and spelling mistakes. The content belongs to the author.] "STOP THIS MINI-TRUMPWORLD, I WANNA GET OFF!": On the Vindication of Carmen Yulín Cruz, the 'People's Candidate'  A memoir essay series by Boricua Freedom Writer Norma Iris Lafé Behind the Curtain of My Colonial Life My train of thought comes to a sudden halt at my computer.  It's my wise-cracking daughter Mija peeping through the door behind me, who's given me an affectionate old ladies Spanish nickname (I'd like to ring her neck for).  PANCHA! Your readers are not going to believe the goings-on inside La Isla, so be careful not to mention any names.  My Calirican, Boricua-reborn bilingual daughter, was warning her social activist mother, at the sight of me wielding the power of the pen.  "You're doing the right thing, but you'd better use a pen name and don't divulge your real home town. They...could come after you," Mija's fearing for my safety.  But I'm determined to stand by my freedom of expression first amendment rights.  It's reasonable for me to question: Where is the will of the Puerto Rican people in our island democracy?  Most endure unmitigated poverty, hoodwinked by self-serving unscrupulous political leaders, they elect into public office, who are living high on the hog!  More 'Spin, Lies and One-upmanship' than you can shake a stick at, during an election campaign year--left, right and center of Carmen Yulín--in the battle for ratings between NotiUno and WKAQ Radio.   But first...my take.   EPISODE 1: "The 'Yulín' Superstar Phenomenon Is Born" There are stories, and then there are living legends.  Puerto Rican patriots of extraordinary courage and moral outrage who give voice to the resistance in modern times.  And in so doing, incur the open wrath and slurs of their political enemies for challenging the established colonial order; the fat cats and political hacks of island government hold dominion over, and fear losing at the polls. Today, the eyes of the world are on "America's Forgotten Colony"1 solely because, during our darkest hours after Hurricane Maria's full-frontal assault, September 20, 2017, a woman stood up to the Empire (the 'bully' in the White House) when nobody else would.  And that's a vindication story worth revisiting (and getting straight from the horse's mouth) ahead of Elections 2020, November 3.  Here and there. Now, I'm not biting the Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) hand that feeds us (withour USD tax dollars).2 But to think, FEMA operatives were already in place in the Caribbean, picking up the pieces after Hurricane Irma, begs the question, by Mija and I, as it did for the provincial and mainland media covering the manifold effects of climate change:  What's with the dehumanizing, inequitable and slow-as-molasses response to Hurricane Maria survivors on the "U.S. protectorate" Puerto Rico?  Not-so-nice negligence3 and haphazard emergency strategic planning (on the part of both FEMA and the Governor Ricardo Rosselló administration) to which we can also attest, having survived the rigamarole waiting game of 'Catch the FEMA Inspector if You Can'--only God knows how.   THANKFULLY, from a distance, my California crackerjack paralegal niece, and her web savvy city planning project manager hubby, came to the rescue of their island family in crisis mode.  When disaster relief funds were too slow in coming, and the FEMA blue tarps to cover our roof-ravaged heads, had been 'lost in the mail'.4 (So to speak.) THERE: Insofar as anti-Trumpism fuels the narrative, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz receives accolades for speaking truth to power. She fires off her Mayday distress tweets, "We are dying over here!". And further, breaks it down for the "Miscommunicator-in-Chief", during his disgraceful paper-towel-tossing bungled visit almost 2 weeks later, that "this is about saving lives, not about politics", keeping the plight of devastated Puerto Ricans in the national public eye (my kind of gal).   Whereas, the more restrained Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevarez, was not in a diplomatic position to balk at Trump's slow response, while galvanizing American sympathy for Puerto Rico statehood, by attempting to piggyback his statehood demands with his FEMA emergency disaster recovery funds petition. ("When you can guarantee two Republicans", the President jests, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.) Rosselló is humiliated in the process (in full view of all Americans),5 by the President's patronizing request of the governor, to limit the use of the USNS Comfort (chintzin' on the ol' family recipe) as the 1,000 hospital-bed 'Mercy Ship' sat in the San Juan harbor, bogged down in FEMA bureaucratic red tape:  Underutilized. (Only 200+ patients are hospitalized here, alerted a dutiful Boricua naval nurse's APB social media video, urging distressed islanders to contact the Military Joint Operations Center directly). Meanwhile, death was on the doorsteps of survivors enduring dire medical emergencies island wide.6 ONLY 55 of Puerto Rico's 78 Municipalities (population 3.4 million) were declared disaster zones, at first. Slowing down the emergency response for the remaining 23 townships (populations below 50,000) cut off from their hundreds of communities in crisis:  no electrical power, no telecommunication lines, no food, no water, no access to critical medical care. (Including my coastal town Vega Alta, where my FEMA emergency aid forms bounced back, "you are not in a disaster zone".  Go figure.)  Not only does the trumped-up 'Whitefish' corruption scandal steal the media attention7away from the human tragedy, but the power grid restoration delays and snafus, visited cruel suffering on survivors beset with the perils of the longest blackout in U.S. history.  Adding insult to injury, after the Governor's fall from grace, the U.S. Treasury wasted no time in smacking a merciless hold on the  disbursement8 of the approved $4.9 billion emergency stopgap funds (a loan even). And lest we forget, out of the blue Geraldo Rivera (NBC) is on the scene to defend his friend "the Donald". Amidst the mayhem, he thrusts his mike in Carmen Yulín's face, and questions. "I don't see anybody dying?".  (Proof positive, the 'Jerry Rivers' of my South Bronx young adulthood has lost his mojo for 'honest' investigative reporting.)  HERE: The unusual national mainstream media attention, instant rise to stardom of the intrepid Carmen Yulín, is processed through a de-facto partisan lens. Fearing their federal disaster aid could be jeopardized, by losing favor with a spiteful President,9 statehood partisans lambasted 'La Alcaldesa' for putting FEMA funds at risk. Dignified and proud patriots, on the other hand, praised the Mayor's eloquence and uncommon valor; and were awestruck by the defiance of her "Nasty" 'signature protest tee shirts' that catch the eye of Vogue.10 The presumption also being, the 'nationalist', who ran for mayor under the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) ticket--soberanista orpro-sovereignty wing of the party--must be gunning for the New Progressive Party (PNP) statehood Governor's chair.  (And heaven forbid that a 'nationalist-soberanista' demonstrates the political finesse, media savvy and backbone to lead her colonized people out of bondage!)   One must give credit where credit is due.   Carmen Yulín's twitter face-off with the clueless and remiss President, finally puts the island-colony on the American social justice map, by triggering an unprecedented chain reaction of external investigations into the inner workings of the established colonial (dis)order (where transparency has never been an operative word in island government).  (1). U.S. Congressional delegations start streaming in like clockwork, to examine first hand their damaged territorial prized possession. Then-Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who knows right from wrong, confirms, "This is a humanitarian disaster" (pained $$ signs in his press conference eyes for the 'Goose No Longer Laying Golden Eggs'); (2) The Harvard New England Journal of Medicine first of several shocking death toll studies11 is released; (3) The PBS Frontline behind-the-scenes investigation sheds further light on the Blackout in Puerto Rico12 (4) House Democrats demand an official Congressional probe13  into the Trump administration's half-hearted federal response; (5) And yet another UN Decolonization Committee Resolution14 urges the international debate, addressing Puerto Rico's lack of self-governance, be moved to the highest forum, the United Nations General Assembly.  Thirty seven U.N. committee resolutions citing U.S. violations of international law, that come with the penalty of hefty fines, have been to no avail, documents activist/historian José López Sierra of Puerto Ricans United for a Decolonized Puerto Rico.15 (Notwithstanding the C-word 'colonial' is seemingly verboten among mainstream media outlets, the buzz word on the island, across all party lines, is La Colonia, pursuant to PROMESA Fiscal Control Board dictatorial imposition, June 24, 2016.) The "Yulín" brand of messaging vindicates the hands-on Mayor's "life or death'' cries for help on behalf of the people of Puerto Rico. Eighteen Months Later... The public humiliation and false claims that "we only take from the USA" is an affront to all Boricuas. The island's most vulnerable, the poor, elderly, jobless and homeless see no end to their personal crises; Pueblos continue removing storm debris to overflowing garbage landfills: 4 out of 29 are slated for closure16 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Approved disaster reconstruction projects get mired in the minutiae of stricter auditing controls17 for the discredited Governor Rosselló administration.(Who is briefing the President on Puerto Rico in light of  "the $91 billion Trump lie"18?) While it's true, that all the White House bad press,19 has cast a pall over the seat-of-the-pants Rosselló administration; that doesn't bode well for his 2020 reelection, according to his 47% disapproval rating in the recent El Nuevo Día(ENDI) public opinion poll.20 (Even with the"Green New Deal"21 legislation touted by Forbes.) Not to mention, the tough-on-Trump, out-of-character Rosselló stance to "punch the bully in the mouth", that for many critics was a little "too much" and "too late".    It's also true, after a long period of deliberation, the undaunted Carmen Yulín has since tossed her hat into the ring.  Among PPD registered voters interviewed, 41% favored her gubernatorial candidacy. Should she prevail in the June 2020 primary22 (a crowded field of 6 candidates), it will be by unifying the PPD's fractured leadership23 behind her community empowerment agenda. Likewise, by forging a progressive allegiance from now till December 31, 2019--the official 2020 candidacy and new party inscription deadline--this could be the first-time ever that competition and open debate would take place between an assimilationist, and a 'nationalist' for La Fortaleza Governor's Mansion.    One wonders:  in the face of Puerto Rico's foreseeable mass depopulation24, as predicted by the PROMESA board's migration expert, who will be left to govern from the traditional PPD status quo base, the PNP statehood base, and the PIP independence base?   And how will the newly emerging splinter groups, as well as the other 'wild cards', independent swing voters play out?:  Among these are the leftwing Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana25 (Pro-Citizens Clean-Government Alliance); Partido del Pueblo Trabajador (People's Pro-Labor Party), Partido Libre Asociación (Free Association Party); and the fractious right wing Movimiento Pro-Familia(Pro-Family Christian Fundamentalists Movement) and the Republican Party of Puerto Rico.  And so...the status plot thickens. Islanders are closer to ascertaining, once and for all, the real will of the Puerto Rican people. However, the race is on to sway public opinion in favor of statehood (to stack the Republican deck) by fast-tracking anotherplebiscite on the 2020 ballot, one ["Statehood Yes or No"?] referendum question, excluding all other status options26; disregarding that' statehood is not a priority issue'27 for the U.S. Congress, reports Nicole Acevedo (NBC Latino).  House delegation's immediate priority in Puerto Rico doesn't include sta... On the agenda: the economy, post-hurricane recovery efforts and ways to improve the island's fragile power grid. And, what would be the outcome of fear mongering all establishment opposition parties [diehard Puerto Rican Patriots] as radical 'socialistas' and Marxist 'comunistas'. (Sound familiar?) In other words, let the smear campaigns begin!    NEXT:  EPISODE 2: "The People's Candidate: 'La Comandante Yulín' " Reference Links Antonio Weiss, Brad Setser; "America's Forgotten Colony: Ending Puerto Rico's Perpetual Crisis", Foreign Affairs Magazine,  6/11/19 https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/puerto-rico/2019-06-11/americas-forgotten-colony Nelson A. Denis, "Taxing Puerto Ricans to Death", Orlando Sentinel, 1/10/18 "https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ed-taxing-puerto-rico-to-death-20180110-story.html     PBS Frontline, Emma Schwartz, Laura Sullivan, "FEMA Acknowledges Failures in PR Disaster Response", 07/13/18 https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/fema-report-acknowledges-failures-in-puerto-rico-disaster-response/      PBS Frontline, "FEMA Tarp Contractor under Investigation for Fraud", 06/14/19 "https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/fema-tarp-contractor-under-investigation-for-fraud/      C-SPAN Oval Office Hurricane Response Meeting Governor Rosselló and President Trump, 10/19/17 https://www.c-span.org/video/?436016-1/president-trump-puerto-rico-governor-defend-hurricane-response      Jodi Jacobson, "More Americans Died from Hurricane Maria than 911:  Does Anybody Care? The WIRE, 5/20/18   https://rewire.news/article/2018/05/30/americans-died-hurricane-maria-9-11-anyone-care/?utm_source=Rewire.News&utm_campaign=949ff20c19-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_05_30_07_35&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f311a29bda-949ff20c19-112030925       7.      Norma Iris Lafé, "Dreaming of the Despicable One: The Shock Doctrine Exposed", Latino Rebels, 7/25/18 https://www.latinorebels.com/2018/07/25/theshockdoctrineexposed/       8.      David Dayan, "Trump Administration Tells Puerto Rico It's Too Rich for Aid Money", The Intercept,01/18/18  https://theintercept.com/2018/01/18/puerto-rico-trump-administration-tells-its-too-rich-for-aid-money/     9.     Johanna Barr, "Lin Manuel Miranda Says Trump is Going Straight to Hell",NY Times, 9/30/17 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/30/us/lin-manuel-miranda-trump-hurricane.html   10.  Mary Wang, "San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz Resorts to Protest Tee Shirts To Say What Trump Doesn't Want To Hear", Vogue,10/4/17 https://www.vogue.com/article/san-juan-mayor-carmen-yulin-cruz-protest-tees-nasty?verso=true   11.  Gregory Krieg, "Puerto Rico Will Be an Enduring Stain on Trump's Presidency", CNN; 5/31/18 https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/31/politics/puerto-rico-death-toll-trump-legacy/index.html   12.  PBS Frontline, "Blackout in Puerto Rico", 5/1/18 https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/blackout-in-puerto-rico/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=060218icymi&utm_content=4th   13.  PBS Frontline, "Lawmakers Call for Probe of Federal Response to Puerto Rico Hurricane" fhttps://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/lawmakers-call-for-probe-of-federal-response-to-puerto-rico-hurricane/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=060918icymi&utm_content=3rd   14.  José Delgado Robles, "The UN Decolonization Committee Meets Tomorrow", El Nuevo Día,6/17/18 https://www.elnuevodia.com/english/english/nota/theundecolonizationcommitteemeetstomorrow-2429073/#cxrecs_s   15. José López Sierra documents UN Decolonization Hearing, June 24, 2019http://todosunidosdescolonizarpr.blogspot.com/   16. Primera Hora, "Evalúan vida útil de vertederos", 3/20/10 https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/puerto-rico/nota/evaluanvidautildevertederosenlaisla-375741/   17. José Delgado Robles, Joanisabel González; "Vivienda Federal impondrá estrictas restricciones para velar por el buen uso de fondos", ENDI, 3/1/19 https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/nota/viviendafederalimpondraestrictasrestriccionesparavelarporelbuenusodefondos-2479636/   18.  Denise Alvarez, "Trump brags about how much he cares about Puerto Rico and Lies about giving PR $91 billion", Daily Kos,3/29/19  https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/3/29/1846153/-Trump-brags-about-how-much-he-cares-for-Puerto-Rico-and-lies-about-giving-PR-91-billion   19.  Tim Elfink, "Trump Hits Out at 'Crazed and Incompetent' Puerto Rican Leaders" After Disaster Bill Fails", MSN News,4/20/19  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/crazed-and-incompetent-trump-hits-out-at-puerto-rican-leaders-after-disaster-bill-fails/ar-BBVw83o?ocid=spartandhp   20. El Nuevo DiaEncuesta/Public Opinion Poll, "Ël gabinete de Ricardo Rosselló recibe una mala evaluación", 5/8/19 https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/politica/nota/elgabinetedericardorossellorecibeunamalaevaluacion-2492602/   21.  James Ellsmoor, "Puerto Rico Has Just Passed Its Own Green New Deal", Forbes, 3/25/19https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/03/25/puerto-rico-has-just-passed-its-own-green-new-deal/#4a11b9d88fb0 Puerto Rico Has Just Passed Its Own Green New Deal James Ellsmoor Puerto Rico’s legislature has approved Senate Bill 1121 (SB 1121), the Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act, whi...   22. Elecciones 2020 updates;  https://nuevaisla.com/elecciones2020.html   23. https://www.noticel.com/opiniones/noticel-desde-adentro/los-retos-de-carmen-yulin/1061935690   24.  Lyman Stone, "How Low will Puerto Rico's Population Go?, 11/17/17 https://medium.com/migration-issues/how-low-will-puerto-ricos-population-go-c8d108ac8b3b   25. Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana Agenda Urgente https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/83e62c_57cd4fd04d4648609dbb961585f9119c.pd   26. Gloria Ruiz Kuilan, "Partidos de oposición no apoyan la nueva consulta sobre status".https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/nota/partidosdeoposicionnoapoyanlanuevaconsultasobreelstatus-2479632/   27.  Nicole Acevedo, "House Delegation's Immediate Priority in Puerto Rico Doesn't include Statehood", NBC Latino, 3/18/19. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/house-delegation-s-immediate-priority-puerto-rico-doesn-t-include-n984571?icid=related   About the Author: Norma Iris Lafé shares the personal vignettes of a DiaspoRican (Nuyorican returnee) on the island, bringing readers insider news and the view from 21st Century "colonial" Puerto Rico.   She's aWriter's Well Literary Competitionwinner (2012), former public affairs writer KCBS News Radio (SF). The Bronx Science alumna, holds a BA in Black and Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College (NYC). Currently editing her back-to-roots memoirs, contact boricuafree...@gmail.comfor links to other published works.

Did Betsy DeVos’s School Choice Zealotry Enable the Corruption Scandal in Puerto Rico?

"This scandal comes as a shock to many, but those who have been paying close attention to Keleher’s salary and budgeting, as well as the state of education in Puerto Rico during her two-year tenure, saw her arrest as a vindication of what they have been protesting throughout her time in office. Keleher assumed the responsibilities of Puerto Rico’s education secretary in early 2017. There was immediate controversy over her salary— at$250,000 annually, she was already Puerto Rico’s highest-paid public official, earning ten times more than the average Puerto Rican teacher, three times more than Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Roselló, and 25% more than Secretary DeVos. She maintained this salary even after Hurricane Maria—in fact, she attempted to use a foundation’s donation to the Puerto Rican education system to raise it to $400,000, the same salary as the US President. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, she had to spearhead the education-related relief efforts. Keleher used this tragedy as an opportunity to try her own plans to redesign Puerto Rico’s school system. She led wide-scale education reform efforts and referred to the island’s education system as a ‘laboratory’ to test the Devos model, as she pushed to adopt private school vouchers and charter schools while closing hundreds of public schools. While schools were struggling to recover from the hurricane, Kelleher worked to permanently close over 20% of them—263 public schools were shut down during her time as education secretary. Because of these closures, 5,000 teachers lost their jobs and 75,000 students were displaced

Puerto Rico’s Privatizers Are Finally Getting What They Deserve Julia Keleher, Puerto Rico's former secretary of education, exploited the island's post-hurricane crisis to clos...

Former Puerto Rico Ed. Secretary Arrested, Charged With Fraud Andrew Ujifusa, Evie Blad Julia Keleher, the former education secretary of Puerto Rico, has been arrested by federal agents in Washington ...

The controversy over Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Education’s contract, ex...

Lawmakers in Puerto Rico Approve Sweeping School Choice Bill Six Months ... Mark Keierleber Six months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, Puerto Rican lawmakers have approved a sweeping bill to ...

6 Months After Maria, Puerto Ricans Face a New Threat—Education Reform Colonialism and disaster capitalism are dismantling Puerto Rico's public-school system.

All of this led to protests on local, national and international scales. In March 2018, thousands of educators marched to the capitol in protest of the voucher and charter school program. On twitter, critics started the hashtag “#JuliaGoHome” in order to publicly decry her unjust policies. In April of 2019, after she had resigned, Keleher attended an education conference at Yale to speak about leadership. At the conference, a student circulated a letter about the shortcomings and negative repercussions of Keleher’s so-called “reform” efforts. After her arrest, both of the island’s teachers’ unions issued statements that theyfelt vindicated in their longstanding disagreements with and protests against Keleher and her policies. One of these unions, the Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (AMPR) had filed a lawsuit in April of last year to protest Keleher’s reforms, arguing that “the new law and separate fiscal reforms will cost teachers jobs, hurt students, and dismember the island’s public education system.” By that point, 179 schools had already been closed, and 263 would soon face the same fate

A Yale Student’s Letter to Julia Keleher and the Yale Education Leadersh... “This celebration of Keleher’s work only displays the way in which members of elite institutions like the Yale S...

Charter school operators, voucher supporters look to cash in on Puerto R... Private school voucher and charter school supporters are swooping in and taking advantage of the post-hurricane ...

Teachers' Union in Puerto Rico Files Lawsuit to Stop Charters and Vouchers Andrew Ujifusa The Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico, which represents nearly 30,000 teachers working in the U.S. territory...

Did Betsy DeVos’s School Choice Zealotry Enable the Corruption Scandal in Puerto Rico?

Did Betsy DeVos’s School Choice Zealotry Enable the Corruption Scandal i... Writer Christopher Rim asks a reasonable question in this article in Forbes: Did Betsy DeVos’ passion for school...