Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico is where my father was born, where my grandparents are from.
My sisters and I were lucky enough to grow up across the street from our abuelitos and enjoyed stories of their childhood in the southwest corner of Puerto Rico.
There are so many unique and fragile ecosystems in this area: dry forests, natural salt flats, and mangroves that risk being destroyed by Project Esencia. And there are so many people that are already struggling with a corrupt government and electrical company, regular blackouts, and water shortages. If Project Esencia is approved, real estate and hospitality magnates ( Reuben Brothers, Three Rules Capital, Mandarin Oriental) will build a gated community of mansions, luxury hotels, golf courses, schools, and even a private medical facility to serve them alone, while the cost of living will continue to increase for the local community. Fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides treating the golf courses will run off into Laguna Rincón and Caño Boquerón, poisoning the fauna (including turtles, manatees, migratory and native birds, fish) and flora.
This is a fight for life: a fight to protect the people, the wildlife, the land, and the water of Borikén. Please help us spread the word.
¡Pa’lante! ¡Esencia No Va!
Shout out to Debbie of Boriken Podcast for sharing the news of the island to the English speaking diaspora, keeping us informed and connected, to the endless efforts of
@defiendeacaborojo
@brigadosolidariadeloeste and
@palacallecontraesencia and to
@zart.art_zailiana for her beautiful artwork.
(Big thanks to my sister Andrea for designing the slides for this post and alerting me to the situation and bringing me into the fold!)
#esencianova
#defiendeacaborojo
#encaborojono
