Durante seis días inmediatamente después del azote del huracán María a Puerto Rico fui parte de un pequeño, pero gran equipo de trabajo al cual llevé por casi toda la Isla. Trabajan para una fundación de ayuda llamada Hotes Foundation y vinieron para documentar los graves daños que causó el ciclón, pero sobre todo, para investigar la agilidad (o falta de) con la cual las agencias federales y organizaciones benéficas reconocidas canalizan sus ayudas a los más necesitados. Han hecho el mismo trabajo en otros desastres como el terremoto de Haití, tifones en las Filipinas y los huracanas Irma, Harvey, Katrina, Sandy y otros.
Con ellos vi cosas y fui a lugares que de lo contrario, no hubiera presenciado en la gran situación de caos y emergencia de aquellos primeros días. Visité una desconocida comunidad de pocos residentes en Ponce llamada Curva Turpeaux (se pronuncia “turpó”). Mayormente vive gente anciana y prácticamente todas sus casitas fueron averiadas o destruidas. Una quedó como si se hubiera derretido.
En Corozal hablé con un refugiado que perdió una casa de madera muy bien construida y cuyos daños describió como si una mano gigante la hubiera apretado como uno hace con una lata vacía de cerveza.
Hablé en Ponce con una familia que hizo una fila de siete horas en un cajero automático para retirar unos pocos centenares de dólares porque el balance de la cuenta no les daba para el retiro máximo de $500.
En San Juan vi el avión de la fuerza aérea colombiana que vino a Puerto Rico para llevarse a sus ciudadanos y vi el terminal de aviación privada por el cual los pudientes salían de la Isla a toda prisa.
Platiqué con uno de los jóvenes del caserío de Corozal que salvaron a los policías cuyo cuartel se inundó hasta el segundo piso. Con gran humildad me relató sobre el intrépido rescate y muy triste me contó que su abuela perdió su casa de madera construida hace 28 años pero acabada de remodelar hace apenas uno.
Platiqué con el gerente de un hotel en el centro de la Isla quien hacía grandes esfuerzos por brindar un buen servicio a sus huéspedes aunque estuviera operando con planta, no tuviera wifi ni señal telefónica y se viera obligado a racionar el agua a dos turnos diarios y servir las comidas en platos plásticos.
En una situación muy parecida, hablé con el arrogante dueño extranjero de una pequeña hospedería “boutique”, que aún teniendo habitaciones, rehúsaba ofrecerlas a “locals or tourists. They are only for corporate people“, dijo, para luego cobrarlas a más de $400 por noche.
Visitamos muchísimos lugares en la zona metro, el sur y el oeste de la Isla y vimos muchísimas muestras del desastre: deslizamientos de tierra, destrucción, oscuridad, muebles frente a las casas, filas, inundaciones.
A pesar de todo esto lo más que le sorprendió a mis visitantes fue lo rápido que los puertorriqueños se movieron para hacer las cosas por sí mismos sin esperar por el gobierno. Les impresionó saber que aún con las últimas ráfagas de María encima del país, los boricuas salieron con sus hachas, sierras, machetes y sogas a cortar y mover árboles caídos para abrir los caminos. Se maravillaron con la rapidez con la que el comercio, especialmente los supermercados, restaurantes pequeños y estaciones de gasolina se esforzaron para brindar sus servicios. Se rieron con el buen humor de unos corozaleños que a las once de la mañana brindaban con cervezas frías porque ya el gobierno había eliminado la Ley Seca. En fin, les encantó el espíritu boricua.
Lo que no les sorprendió para nada fue la desesperante lentitud con la que se mueven las agencias federales e incluso, las reconocidas entidades de ayuda internacional Dicen que es así en todos los desastres.
En la foto principal, tomada en el sector Colobó, de Loíza me acompañan desde la izquierda, Pat Miller, original de Nueva York y quien se crió entre boricuas en el vecindario de Brentwood, en Long Island. Le sigue Phil Kammer, un muy amable videógrafo del área de Seattle que en uno de los campos que visitamos divirtió a los niños haciendo trucos en patineta. El tercero es mi amigo desde el quinto grado, David Ramírez, mi gran cómplice de muchísimas maldades con las que volvimos locos a muchos maestros en la escuela Antilles en el fuerte Buchanan. Falta en la foto el cuarto integrante, Vito Archiniega, quien había regresado a Estados Unidos el día antes.
En los próximos días (según me lo permitan el acceso a electricidad y wifi) les estaré contando sobre nuestra travesía de seis días por el nuevo Puerto Rico post María.
Encontrarán el próximo artículo aquí.
Espero les guste.
-Andrés O’Neill, Jr.
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