What Puerto Rico Needs Most
President Joe Biden recently visited Puerto Rico and Florida in an effort to reassure the people there that the U.S. government would help them in the aftermath of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. But a key difference between those two places—Puerto Rico is a “commonwealth” and Florida is a state—means each faces a very different path to recovery.
Days after Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico, the writer Jaquira Díaz flew back to her home to check on her family and see the storm’s devastation. In our November 2022 issue, Díaz makes the case for Puerto Rican sovereignty. In this episode of Radio Atlantic, she talks about how the hurricane’s impact does not change her mind about wanting an independent Puerto Rico, even if the island requires immense help to recover. Robinson Meyer, author of The Atlantic’s Weekly Planet newsletter, also talks about the island’s electrical infrastructure and what stands in the way of Puerto Rico modernizing its power grid.
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The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Claudine Ebeid: You’re listening to Radio Atlantic. I’m Claudine Ebeid. More than two weeks ago, Hurricane Fiona hit the island of Puerto Rico. This week, President Biden visited the commonwealth, pledging money and promising to restore the island’s fragile power grid.
Many Puerto Ricans have yet to recover from Hurricane Maria, which hit five years ago, calling into question how quickly recovery can actually happen. Jaquira Díaz writes for The Atlantic. Her most recent article is “Puerto Rico Needs Independence, Not Statehood.” And she joins us today on Radio Atlantic. Jaquira, thanks for talking with us.
Jaquira Díaz: Thank you so much for having me on the show.
Ebeid: You know, Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico more than two weeks ago. You flew in there shortly after. So tell me a little bit about what you saw.
Díaz: One of the reasons why I flew into Puerto Rico right after Hurricane Fiona is because I have family there. And during Hurricane Maria, we lost touch with a lot of our family, but especially my uncle who lives now in Yabucoa and who’s older. We didn’t hear anything about him for weeks and weeks. And I just thought this time I can’t just sit around and wait for him to get in touch. And so I’m just going to get on a flight and go and try to help and take care of my family.
During Hurricane Maria, I felt so helpless watching.
