1 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: On a hot Saturday morning earlier this year in Gawas, 2 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: Puerto Rico, a city about twenty miles south of the 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: capital of San Juan, community members greet each other as 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: they browsed the fresh produce at the Center. The Center 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: for Mutual Aid. The large open space with high ceilings 6 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: and concrete floors, was once a social security building where 7 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: local residents would apply for their cards and federal benefits. 8 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: It had been abandoned for over thirty years. Then, two 9 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 1: months after Hurricane Maria in November of twenty seventeen, community 10 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: members came together and transformed the abandoned building. On the 11 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: last Saturday of every month, the building's largest room becomes 12 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: a food co op called the super Solidario the Solidarity Supermarket. 13 00:00:55,320 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: There's fresh yucca, avocado, passion fruit, ginger, turmeric cats, and 14 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,479 Speaker 1: by eliminating distributors, they're able to buy produce directly from 15 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: local farmers and sell them at far more affordable prices 16 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: than supermarkets. A song about the food co op, composed 17 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: by a local artist is playing from a speaker the 18 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: Solidarity Supermarket. The song says, providing for the people so 19 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: that food isn't scarce. The space is maintained by donations 20 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: and local volunteers of all ages, such as eight year 21 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: old Antonio, who came to shop with his mom and 22 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,759 Speaker 1: help out. He has a big smile with front teeth 23 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: that looked like they recently grew in. 24 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 2: Antonio's in front of the dry goods section, where people 25 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: are encouraged to take what they need and pay what 26 00:01:54,760 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: they can. As Antonio takes inventory, a group of young 27 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 2: people in their twenties walk in, singing and shaking maracas, 28 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 2: announcing a composting workshop that's about to start. Greeting people 29 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: at the entrance of the building is seventy nine year 30 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 2: old Luis Calarsa. He says he got involved with the 31 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:39,239 Speaker 2: project right after the hurricane destroyed his house, Jogan bel Sonrient. 32 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: He says finding community and the grateful smiles of his 33 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 1: neighbors isn't something money can buy. As the elder Luis 34 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: greets people entering the Super Solidario, he asked them to 35 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 1: sign a petition. The abandoned social security building where the 36 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: Mutual Aid Center is located, was bob by a large 37 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: American development company. Now the developers want to sell the building, 38 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: but the community says they're not leaving. 39 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 3: From Futro Media and PRX. It's Latino USA. I'm Marieno 40 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 3: Rosa today for the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria. How 41 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 3: mutual aid projects in Puerto Rico are bringing new visions 42 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 3: for the future. Walking through the heart of Gaguas, Puerto Rico, 43 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 3: you'll notice a lot of abandoned buildings. There are storefronts 44 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 3: which shattered glass. There's a house without a roof an 45 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 3: entire tree growing at its center. But if you walk 46 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 3: into the town's center, you're going to notice something different. 47 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 3: There's a mural of dark brown hands surrounded by fruits 48 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 3: and vegetables. There's a community garden where the fence is 49 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 3: mined by a massive passion fruit plant. A concrete building 50 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 3: with the words Centro de Boyomutuo painted on the front. 51 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 3: Its large parking lot lined with tulsa and sunflowers. This 52 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 3: is La Cuadra Social, an entire block of formally abandoned 53 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 3: spaces that have been repurposed by community members. According to 54 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 3: studies by the Centro de re Construction de Labitat, an 55 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:33,280 Speaker 3: organization that researches abandoned spaces in Puerto Rico, one in 56 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 3: three homes on the island is vacant, and there are 57 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,039 Speaker 3: thousands of closed businesses and other properties that have not 58 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 3: been properly counted. The amount of abandoned properties in Puerto 59 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 3: Rico has everything to do with public policy on the island, 60 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 3: which has disproportionately benefited wealthy American interests over the people 61 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:02,799 Speaker 3: of Puerto Rico. Austerity policies like drastic cuts and pensions, education, 62 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 3: and healthcare have led to massive migration from the island 63 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:11,119 Speaker 3: over the last decade. Meanwhile, several initiatives such as Act 64 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 3: twenty and Act twenty two have provided tax exemptions to 65 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 3: incentivize investors to move to the island. These dynamics of 66 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 3: inequity were laid bare with the landfall of Hurricane Maria. 67 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 3: After decades of cutting social programs, Puerto Ricans experienced the 68 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 3: hurricane as a total disaster, revealing a government that did 69 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 3: not have the capacity or the willingness to come to 70 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 3: the aid of everyday people. Millionaires and billionaires on the 71 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:49,239 Speaker 3: island experienced the hurricane differently, with many laws and tax 72 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 3: incentives allowing them to profit from the disaster and buy 73 00:05:54,320 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 3: up land and property. But the hurricane also led to 74 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 3: a sharp rise in projects like the Mutual Aid Center 75 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 3: in Gaguas, where the community came together to take over 76 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 3: abandoned buildings and transform them into spaces that could meet 77 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 3: their community's needs. But movements for autonomy and self determination 78 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 3: didn't start with Hurricane Maria. The Mutual aidh Center in 79 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 3: Gaguas is run by the group Go Milorees Sociales Puerto Rico, 80 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 3: which had been organizing around food justice on the island 81 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 3: since twenty thirteen. The group of young organizers came together 82 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 3: after the historic students' strike of twenty ten. Producer Hui 83 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 3: Rocha now takes us to the origins of this youth 84 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 3: led resistance movement and how their experience as student organizers 85 00:06:48,160 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 3: allowed them to build together and respond to crisis. 86 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: The Monday after the food co op day, the organizers 87 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: with Gomelores Sociales known as Gomeloes for short, laugh and 88 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: joke around as they take inventory of the produce that remained. 89 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: Most of them are in their late twenties and early thirties, 90 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: and many of them met when they were college students 91 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: at the University of Puerto Rico. One of the organizers 92 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: is thirty two year old Marisel Rolez gutierres her infectious 93 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: laugh echoes in the cavernous building. She's wearing a black 94 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: shirt with the words yo nokomwo study that I don't 95 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: eat austerity. Maricela says she can divide her life into 96 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: two chapters, before the University of Puerto Rico students strike 97 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: of twenty ten and after. 98 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 4: Paramiza f lantell Emilia. 99 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: The protests came after then conservative governor Luis Ortugno implemented 100 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: a series of austerity measures, firing thousands of public service 101 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: employees and announcing he would cut one hundred million dollars 102 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: from the university budget. But students banded together, shutting down 103 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: and occupying all eleven University. 104 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 5: Of Puerto Rico campuses. 105 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: Although the students were met with violent police repression, they 106 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: remained in the campuses for two months. It was the 107 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: first time Maricel experienced what it could look like to 108 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: take over a space. She remembers it was like creating 109 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: their own world within the barricaded entrances. They painted murals, 110 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:45,079 Speaker 1: organized their own community kitchens, held teachings, and shared the 111 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: mundane responsibilities of up keeping a college campus, like cleaning 112 00:08:49,280 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: rooms and mowing the lawn. The strike was historic. Thousands 113 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 1: of Students of all backgrounds participated, many who had never 114 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: engaged in activism before. News reports back then began to 115 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: talk about the movement as the Jineracion Bastajat, saying this 116 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: would be the generation to say enough is enough. For Marisel, 117 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: it was the first time she understood what collective power 118 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: could feel like. One of the key organizers and spokespeople 119 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: for the twenty ten student strike was Giovanni Roberto, who 120 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: would become a founding member of the Mutual Aid Center 121 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 1: in kawas Lamira is. Dignity is not an abstract concept. 122 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:51,199 Speaker 1: Giovanni says, dignity is expressed in our access to resources. 123 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: The experience of the university strike made Giovanni want to 124 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: organize beyond protesting. He was tired of making demands on 125 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: a government that he fel well didn't represent him. Giovanni 126 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: wanted to create alternatives. 127 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 6: Coundria and Puerto Rico is quixtuan. Puerto Rico no moriria moni. 128 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 1: One of the biggest issues that Giovanni saw was food 129 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: and security. Giovanni says it's a common saying in Puerto 130 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: Rico that without American occupation of the island, people would 131 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: go hungry, but growing up in an impoverished family where 132 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: he frequently faced food and security, Giovanni knew people were 133 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: already going hungry. In Puerto Rico, over forty three percent 134 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: of the population and over fifty seven percent of youth 135 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 1: live under the poverty line. Forty percent received the ban 136 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 1: programa y Assistancia nutricone, a federal food stipend that Giovanni 137 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: and many others say is not nearly enough to meet 138 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: people's needs. Giovanni wanted to start a project that could 139 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:15,680 Speaker 1: bring students together through food mamayo so In twenty thirteen, 140 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: about two years after the historic strike, Giovanni started a 141 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: solidarity based food project at the university. At first, the 142 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: whole operation was just Giovanni and his mom cooking together 143 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: in their small kitchen and bringing trays of food to 144 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,200 Speaker 1: one of the University of Puerto Rico campuses in Kye, 145 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: where students could pay what they want or take the 146 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: food for free. On this day in twenty thirteen, Giovanni 147 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,839 Speaker 1: and his mom are cooking a chicken casserole with bright orange. 148 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 6: Carrots mabinausa para insia conversatione amata tampas and Lailapato. 149 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:01,559 Speaker 1: Soon students began to get involved, bringing donations and helping 150 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: Giovanni cook and set up. But as the project got 151 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: more attention, they were also harassed by university police, who 152 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: claimed they didn't have the proper permits. The students were 153 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: challenging power by insisting that food was a right, not 154 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: a commodity. When the officer tells Giovanni he can't run 155 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: a business without permits, Giovanni tries to explain that the 156 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: exchange of food is not about a monetary transaction, but 157 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: about addressing hunger. After the confrontation, university officials were forced 158 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: to negotiate with the students, asking Giovanni to send a 159 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 1: written proposal for the project. Giovanni decided to call the 160 00:12:52,800 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: projects the Puerto Rico. That's Decoto, who also became involved 161 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: as a young university. 162 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 4: Student, Javes young Mass. 163 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: She says the project became more than just a space 164 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:21,199 Speaker 1: where people ate. Soon the sounds of Bomba and Flena 165 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 1: filled the air, as well as discussions about different political issues. 166 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 4: Mon funds into Rico Persona. 167 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,680 Speaker 1: In twenty twelve, at twenty two was passed, which incentivized 168 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: millionaires to buy property in Puerto Rico by virtually eliminating 169 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: tax contributions. Maricel says it created a fiscal paradise for 170 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: the wealthy. 171 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 4: Controca loridrel. 172 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 1: Then, in twenty sixteen, a fiscal control Board, known colloquially 173 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: as La Junta, became the governing body over Puerto Rico's budget. 174 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: The board consists of seven members, six appointed by the 175 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 1: President of the United States with recommendation from congressional leadership 176 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: from both political parties, and one member appointed by the 177 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: governor of Puerto Rico. La Junta's actions led to funding 178 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: cuts in social programs such as healthcare, pensions, and education. 179 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: Hundreds of schools were also closed. 180 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 4: I thinka Puerto Ricos and Maria queer jo Joe fue 181 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 4: El bum El Cantaso. 182 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: Marisel was seeing Puerto Rico change before her eyes, with 183 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: government services diminishing and privatization continuing to expand. A crisis 184 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: was brewing, and then came Hurricane. 185 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 3: Maria coming up on Latino USA. Hurricane Maria hits Puerto 186 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 3: Rico with a complete lack of government response. The young 187 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 3: organizers at Cormeloes decide to take matters into their own hands. 188 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 3: Stay with us, Yes, Hey, we're back. Before the break, 189 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 3: we were listening to a story about the Comeloes Socialist 190 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 3: de Puerto Rico. It's a group of young people in 191 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 3: college students in Puerto Rico who came together in twenty 192 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 3: thirteen to provide meals to students who faced food insecurity 193 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 3: on campus. But the plate of food was just the beginning. 194 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 3: It was providing a space where people could meet and 195 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 3: where they began to organize. Then, in September of twenty seventeen, 196 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 3: a Category five hurricane was set to hit the island. 197 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 3: The organizers braced themselves for what this would mean and 198 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 3: how they would respond. Producer Juli Rocha picks up this 199 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 3: story from here. 200 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 7: Josent Pia ca no sente Leiro Guido. 201 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: In the days leading up to the hurricane, Giovanni did 202 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 1: his best to fortify the storage room where they kept 203 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: the supplies for the community kitchen at the university. His 204 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: friends told him he was getting too worked up, but 205 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:56,479 Speaker 1: Giovanni felt they weren't grasping the severity of the situation, 206 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: especially since Hurricane Irma passed close to the island just 207 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: days before, leading to power outages and water issues. Giovanni, 208 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:12,880 Speaker 1: who's almost a decade older than most of the other organizers, 209 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:17,160 Speaker 1: remembers when Hurricane George hit the island in nineteen ninety eight. 210 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 1: He recalls the feeling of the winds, which blew the 211 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:25,199 Speaker 1: roof of his house, and George was a Category three storm. 212 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,920 Speaker 1: Maria was predicted to be a Category five that would 213 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:42,720 Speaker 1: pass right through Puerto Rico, and when Giovanni saw the 214 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 1: predictions for Maria, he felt it would be a disaster 215 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 1: unlike anything he'd seen before. He secured their food supplies 216 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:52,880 Speaker 1: and contacted friends in the diaspora in the US who 217 00:17:52,880 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 1: were ready to help in the aftermath. Giovanni and Paola, 218 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: who we heard from earlier, decided to weather the storm 219 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 1: at Giovanni's mom's house. The night before the storm hit, 220 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:14,719 Speaker 1: Giovanni remembers hugging Paola, securing all of the windows, and 221 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:15,880 Speaker 1: going to sleep. 222 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:26,640 Speaker 4: Po Maria, said de Puerto Ricos. 223 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 1: Boola expected that even in the most dire emergency, she 224 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 1: would at least have her phone to communicate, but the 225 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: hurricane knocked down Puerto Rico's electrical grid and cell towers, 226 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: leaving people without communication. Si says Puerto Rico was a 227 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: completely different reality. The day after the hurricane. When it 228 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,880 Speaker 1: was safe to leave the house, Baola and Giovanni took 229 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 1: their car to see what had happened. 230 00:18:54,960 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 4: La Montaign. 231 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 1: Giovanni and Paola remember what it felt like to look 232 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:10,119 Speaker 1: out the car window and see the mountains without a 233 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 1: single tree, trunks and branches strown all over the highway. 234 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: But the disaster wasn't just the hurricane, it was the response. Marisel, 235 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: one of the organizers with Cooes, says what really killed 236 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: people was the aftermath. What really led to countless deaths 237 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,880 Speaker 1: that eventually tallied into the thousands was waiting for aid 238 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:50,919 Speaker 1: that never came. Mariseel remembers hearing news that Puerto Ricans 239 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 1: living in the mainland US were sending supplies, but that 240 00:19:54,359 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 1: government officials weren't letting them through. Yes, she recalls the 241 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: sound of helicopters flying overhead. She says, the US sent surveillance, 242 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: but it didn't send food. It became clear that they 243 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 1: couldn't wait for the government to respond. Although supermarkets were 244 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,920 Speaker 1: often empty and had huge lines, the Tima Gomeloes still 245 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: had the pantry with dry goods for the community kitchen 246 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: at the university moment GERMPO. They saw that because of 247 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: the work they did, they actually had the capacity to respond, 248 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,920 Speaker 1: and they wanted to figure out a way to use 249 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:47,200 Speaker 1: their food supply to cook for the community. Giovanni was 250 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: familiar with the work of another group named urbe Apier, 251 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: a group that was focusing on rescuing abandoned spaces in Gauguas. 252 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: The organization was founded in twenty fifteen by thirty eight 253 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: year old Gagwas resident se Soo mar I spoke with 254 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: Sosomd at his desk inside a community art gallery that 255 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: had once been a clothing store before the property was 256 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: abandoned in twenty ten. Soe Soomr is someone who speaks 257 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:14,879 Speaker 1: with his hands, his brightly painted nails drumming emphatically on 258 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,360 Speaker 1: the table as he tells me the story of how 259 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:18,400 Speaker 1: the project came. 260 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:25,440 Speaker 7: Together Luja Maya Damne per Miram. 261 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: For years, Soe Somar had been noticing the way development 262 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:37,160 Speaker 1: in Gagwas and all over the island, favored big company interests, 263 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: particularly retail companies from the United States. In the early 264 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,919 Speaker 1: two thousands, shopping mall started opening up outside of Gatwas, 265 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:49,119 Speaker 1: herding the city. Small business community shops closed, people left, 266 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 1: and real estate speculators began buying up properties, waiting for 267 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: the right moment to sell, while often leaving those properties abandoned. 268 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 1: Urbapie wanted to bring community spaces backs. They began by 269 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: occupying the abandoned clothing store and turning it into a 270 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:09,119 Speaker 1: gallery for local artists. But once they took over one space, 271 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 1: sil so Madis's people kept approaching him with more and 272 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 1: more ideas for community spaces. So a few days after 273 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:20,880 Speaker 1: the hurricane, and without any cell service, Giovanni and Paola 274 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,120 Speaker 1: went to Gauas looking for so mad to see if 275 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 1: he could help them find a space where they could 276 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: cook and serve food. 277 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 7: Medillo. 278 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:41,680 Speaker 1: In the city center, Giovanni and Paula shouted Si Soma's 279 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: name until finally he appeared on one of the balconies. 280 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:51,399 Speaker 4: Hens Ya. 281 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: Paola and Giovanni told so Matter their idea, and the 282 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: organizers called a meeting at Giovanni's mom's house. Food wasn't 283 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: coming into the island at the level needed to meet 284 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:05,919 Speaker 1: the critical demand. Many people had electric stoves and with 285 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 1: the power out for months, had no way to cook 286 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:08,960 Speaker 1: for themselves. 287 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 2: Centro. 288 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: They wanted to call the space Centro the Mutual Aid Center. 289 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,360 Speaker 1: They wanted to make it clear that they weren't part 290 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: of the government, that they were everyday people coming together 291 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: to meet their own needs. So so Mar to Giovanni 292 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: and the other organizers about an abandoned cafeteria that urbe 293 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 1: Apier had been using as a storage space. Giovanni remembers 294 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: when he and the other organizers with comeoes went to 295 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: see the space immediately after meeting with se so Mar, 296 00:23:56,200 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: the space was filled with plastic tables, folding chairs, paintings 297 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,919 Speaker 1: from the art gallery. Over the course of three days, 298 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: the Comeloa's team and other community members cleared the space 299 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: and began to build a Kitchenisa moel Marisel remembers neighbors 300 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: donating their stoves and volunteers coming to carry them by 301 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 1: hand into the space. After three days of cleaning all 302 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: day with dozens of volunteers, the team had transformed the 303 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: abandoned cafeteria into a functioning community kitchen. 304 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,120 Speaker 8: A is. 305 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 1: With a megaphone, the organizers drove around Gaguas, telling people 306 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:49,360 Speaker 1: where and when they could get food, what they could donate, 307 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 1: and how they could get involved. 308 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 7: Bemparagain Peramo. 309 00:24:56,119 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: Community members began lining up outside the space as people 310 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:03,360 Speaker 1: who waited for food. A video from the Comedoros Facebook 311 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 1: live captured the words of a volunteer explaining that this 312 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 1: project is led by people in the community, from Marora, teachers, plumbers, 313 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: retired folks. He says, everyone's skills are needed. Dozens of 314 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 1: people began to get involved person The project brought together 315 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 1: all kinds of people. It was students working alongside elders. 316 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 1: Electricians and plumbers came to offer their services to get 317 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: the kitchen up and running. People with and without cooking 318 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: experience also joined the effort. 319 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:17,680 Speaker 4: Person a moment, persona asona. 320 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: It was an intense time. Marisel was crying every day 321 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 1: with news of all the death and suffering. She says, 322 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 1: it was a time of crying together, comforting each other, 323 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: and getting back to work. Despite the suffering, she says, 324 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: everyone also felt useful and important. Although they were successfully 325 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: serving food to the community every day from Monday to Friday, 326 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: the process of actually cooking in the cafeteria was a 327 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:59,119 Speaker 1: bit complicated since there was no running water in the building. 328 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 1: Young valan here Is moved back and forth all day 329 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 1: carrying buckets of water. Seeing that the work was getting 330 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 1: too complicated in the small cafeteria space, organizers reached out 331 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 1: to so soomat Agan and found a larger space just 332 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: a few blocks away. This was the Social Security building 333 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:18,600 Speaker 1: that had been abandoned for decades. I asked some of 334 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:21,159 Speaker 1: the elders in the community if they remembered going to 335 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:31,919 Speaker 1: the building when it was open. They all gave me 336 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,719 Speaker 1: the same response of that was way back when I 337 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 1: was a kid, since the building had been closed for 338 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:43,200 Speaker 1: over thirty years. One day, after serving food to the community, 339 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,159 Speaker 1: Giovanni told the group of volunteers to meet inside the 340 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 1: Social Security building. There, he asked the group to decide 341 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 1: whether or not they would leave the smaller cafeteria and 342 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:56,159 Speaker 1: occupy the larger space of the Social Security building. 343 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:12,880 Speaker 7: Nosi momento. 344 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: Standing in a circle, looking each other in the eye, 345 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:17,920 Speaker 1: Giovanni talked about. 346 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:18,639 Speaker 5: The possible risks. 347 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: They didn't know who the owners of the building were, 348 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: and Giovanni knew that those owners could show up one 349 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 1: day and demand their right to the space. He asked 350 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,679 Speaker 1: everyone if they were willing to take that risk. The 351 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: answer was yes. The Social Security Building is a large, 352 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: one story government office building with a big parking lot 353 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 1: in the frontis Maricelo remembers that when they first entered 354 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: the building, it still had cubicles and vinyl floors, all 355 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 1: rad and covered in mold. After being abandoned for more 356 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 1: than thirty years. 357 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 3: Y. 358 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 7: Yah Yamo. 359 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: Giovanni says the building had become the home to millions 360 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: of cockroaches, hundreds of mice, and a few dozen cats. 361 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: Not to mention, there was a small forest growing on 362 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 1: the roof. The volunteers decided to tackle the space room 363 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,800 Speaker 1: by room. Their first task was to clean the former 364 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: reception area and turn it into a kitchen. As the 365 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:48,719 Speaker 1: volunteers cleared the space, they also got in touch with Michelbron, 366 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: a lawyer with the Centro, an organization that supports communities 367 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: that rescue abandoned spaces. Her first task locate the. 368 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 9: Owners Reba crim Ya, Armoni, Cipio Vseno. 369 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: Michele tried everything. She consulted the property registerry multiple times, 370 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: called the municipality, but for months no one could locate 371 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: the deed. Michele works with many other spaces, like the 372 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: Mutual Aid Center that are creating community spaces in abandoned properties. 373 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: I asked her about the number of abandoned properties in 374 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 1: Puerto Ricoentro. She says The level of abandonment can be 375 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: attributed to numerous causes, people moving from the countryside to 376 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 1: the city, laws like Act twenty and Act twenty two, 377 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:56,880 Speaker 1: and of course, the destruction caused by the hurricane. But 378 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 1: while Michel says the hurricane did cause a lot of damage, 379 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: she's also seen a sharp rise in community led occupations 380 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 1: of abandoned spaces after the. 381 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:22,720 Speaker 9: Disaster Lovento orrescaslu No. 382 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 1: Michel explains that in the aftermath of the hurricane, after 383 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: weeks without food, water, or electricity, people began to rethink 384 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: strategies like community gardens, solar power, and the occupation of 385 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: abandoned spaces no electricity. 386 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 3: A j. 387 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 1: That's no Rixantos, who runs a community garden down the 388 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:12,320 Speaker 1: street from the Mutual Aid Center. He says that while 389 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: there were other community led occupations in the years prior, 390 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:19,200 Speaker 1: the hurricane mobilized many people to get involved and these 391 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: projects began to grow. The community garden he's standing in, 392 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: called Puerto Felice. The Garden of Happiness was once an 393 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 1: abandoned yard littered with trash, but after the hurricane, when 394 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: it was rare to find fresh produce in the supermarkets, 395 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:36,719 Speaker 1: people took over the space, cleaning up the crash and 396 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: creating garden beds with composts they made from food scraps 397 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 1: and watered with collected rain water. In the lush patio space, 398 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:55,160 Speaker 1: Naboris is now growing tomatoes, avocados, and pineapples, along with 399 00:32:55,280 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 1: dozens of medicinal earths. And while the strata you have 400 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 1: rescuing abandoned spaces isn't unique, the gagwas. The projects like 401 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 1: the Mutual Aid Center in Gauguas inspired people in other 402 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 1: parts of the island to start their own projects, such 403 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 1: as the Mutual Aid Center in Las Carolinas, by. 404 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 5: A group of. 405 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:22,240 Speaker 1: About a dozen women, many of them over sixty, occupied 406 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:25,640 Speaker 1: an abandoned schoolhouse and to this day they come together 407 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: on Tuesdays and Thursdays to cook and distribute food to 408 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 1: over one hundred neighbors. But because although these mutual Aid 409 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: centers were responses to the aftermath of the hurricane, many 410 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 1: of them have stayed open years after, becoming the first 411 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 1: responders in the crises to come. When COVID nineteen hit 412 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 1: the island in twenty twenty, Mariseelle says it was just 413 00:33:55,600 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 1: like Maria. There was no comprehensive government response Even though 414 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 1: they could no longer serve food for fear of spreading 415 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:10,240 Speaker 1: the virus, the organizers at the Mutual Aid Center pivoted 416 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: and decided to give out bags of groceries. They put 417 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:16,880 Speaker 1: out an ad on social media. Mariseel says that within 418 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 1: twenty minutes of publishing the ad on Facebook, her phone 419 00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:23,359 Speaker 1: started to blow up. From eight a m. Until six 420 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:26,479 Speaker 1: p m. Her only job was to take the never 421 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: ending stream. 422 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 5: Of calls ro Bieen. 423 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:34,920 Speaker 4: And ban. 424 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 1: All day, Maricel was hearing stories of people who were 425 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 1: desperate for food. Along with the ad to receive aid, 426 00:34:45,800 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 1: they also put out a call for donations. Bank transfers 427 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: from around the island and the diaspora in the US 428 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:05,759 Speaker 1: began to pour in. 429 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:12,400 Speaker 4: Casa Mintra made Mariconne says. 430 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:14,720 Speaker 1: Just as quickly as the money came in, the money 431 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 1: went out as they bought more and more food for 432 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:18,440 Speaker 1: all the people who needed it. 433 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:25,600 Speaker 4: Sieme compress Man do comptas compress. 434 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,600 Speaker 1: Marisinne says. They were able to grow their capacity, distributing 435 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 1: hundreds of bags of groceries weekly in the height of 436 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:36,080 Speaker 1: the pandemic. But after weeks of working tirelessly to feed 437 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 1: people and still no government response, they decided to organize 438 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:46,040 Speaker 1: a protest. On May thirty first, twenty twenty, the Comeloes 439 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: team started a car caravan and drove to the Department 440 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: of the Family, the Department of Labor, and other government offices. 441 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 6: Aposto yeo, I'm the Aposto. 442 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:05,640 Speaker 1: Standing in front of the Department of the Family, Giovanni 443 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: and Baola read the testimonials of people who received the 444 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: groceries they organized. As Giovanni went out into the street 445 00:36:13,719 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 1: to speak to a police officer, he was arrested. Later 446 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:19,840 Speaker 1: that day. His friend brought him some food and a 447 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:23,279 Speaker 1: frozen water bottle to his holding cell. He began to drum, 448 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:43,239 Speaker 1: hitting the icy bottle against the concrete you. Giovanni wanted 449 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: to think of a chant that could communicate to the 450 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 1: guards why he was there. 451 00:36:53,160 --> 00:37:01,840 Speaker 5: Yo i. 452 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:06,720 Speaker 7: Joma, and went to yosarea. 453 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:11,000 Speaker 1: He began to sing what I want is food for 454 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:15,279 Speaker 1: the poor, Food for the poor, repeating it over and over. 455 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:23,560 Speaker 1: One of the guards even started to sing along. Friends 456 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 1: and supporters gathered to demand his release. Giovanni was released 457 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 1: later that day, but the arrest made front page headlines, 458 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:33,760 Speaker 1: leading more and more people to learn about the Mutual 459 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:42,960 Speaker 1: Aid Center. Organizers continued to do their work from the 460 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:46,879 Speaker 1: Social Security building in Gutwas. Then in December of twenty 461 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:50,440 Speaker 1: twenty one, Maricel got a call from Michelle, the lawyer 462 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 1: who was working on tracking down the owner. 463 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:56,960 Speaker 4: Of the building, mire Le Condre and Conre. 464 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:03,480 Speaker 1: Michele had finally found the deed of the property. Turns out, 465 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:06,600 Speaker 1: in twenty fifteen, the Morgan Red Group, a large real 466 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:09,720 Speaker 1: estate development company in Puerto Rico, had bought the property. 467 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,440 Speaker 1: The company purchased the property for one hundred and eight 468 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 1: thousand dollars, which is only one third of the market value. 469 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:18,879 Speaker 1: Because they were able to pay cash. Morgan Reed also 470 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:22,200 Speaker 1: benefited from Act twenty two, the law that exempts wealthy 471 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:24,600 Speaker 1: individuals from capital gains taxes. 472 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:29,080 Speaker 4: Maria Baga. 473 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 1: Maricina says that in the aftermath of the hurricane, many 474 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:37,120 Speaker 1: people were displaced or had to leave their homes. Many 475 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:40,640 Speaker 1: properties were repossessed by banks, and with policies like Act 476 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:43,680 Speaker 1: twenty and Act twenty two, large real estate companies have 477 00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:46,799 Speaker 1: been able to profit from the disaster, buying up properties 478 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:48,799 Speaker 1: and waiting for the right moment to sell. 479 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:55,600 Speaker 4: Larentas de guns Amil, La de ojocinto Amil Dosento in 480 00:38:55,719 --> 00:38:56,719 Speaker 4: San Juangi and San. 481 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:01,640 Speaker 1: With more and more real estates v frands in Puerto 482 00:39:01,719 --> 00:39:05,560 Speaker 1: Rico have become unpayable for Puerto Ricans. Data from the 483 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:09,400 Speaker 1: Federal Housing Financing Agency shows that housing prices in Puerto 484 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:12,720 Speaker 1: Rico have increased twenty four percent in the last two years, 485 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:15,759 Speaker 1: while the median income for Puerto Ricans is just over 486 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:19,440 Speaker 1: twenty one thousand dollars. In September of twenty twenty one, 487 00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:22,520 Speaker 1: the Mutual Aid Center in Gaguas reached out to Morgan 488 00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 1: reed to begin negotiations, but they didn't get a reply 489 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:30,759 Speaker 1: for months. Then in December of twenty twenty one, Marisel received. 490 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:37,400 Speaker 4: A Callnos diamo a barsona lissendo are you tjando in 491 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:39,759 Speaker 4: no yo si can? 492 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 1: It was from someone who was looking for properties to buy. 493 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:46,640 Speaker 1: He'd seen the building in a realtor's catalog, but when 494 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:49,320 Speaker 1: he put the location on the GPS, he noticed it 495 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:52,640 Speaker 1: said Centro Pojo mutuo, so he called the number on 496 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:55,840 Speaker 1: the page. Marisel explained who they were, and the person 497 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:58,480 Speaker 1: gave her the contact of the realtor who was selling 498 00:39:58,520 --> 00:40:02,120 Speaker 1: the property on Morgan Reid's by half through the realtors, 499 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: Michelle was able to contact Brian Tenenbaum, the chief operating 500 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:09,400 Speaker 1: officer of Morgan Reed in Puerto Rico and the person 501 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:12,520 Speaker 1: with the authority to donate or sell the building. I 502 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,760 Speaker 1: reached out to Brian Tenenbaum for an interview multiple times, 503 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:19,320 Speaker 1: but he never responded. He appears in this promotional video 504 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 1: for Morgan Reid You. 505 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:22,640 Speaker 8: Do Act twenty two. 506 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:23,880 Speaker 7: It's a no brainer. 507 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:27,040 Speaker 8: Not paying the federal taxes on that passive income and 508 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:29,960 Speaker 8: paying zero percent here allows you to do so much more. 509 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:36,120 Speaker 8: One of the phrases that immediately was painted on every 510 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:39,799 Speaker 8: sign and billboard after Hurricane Maria was Puerto Rico selevanta. 511 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:42,280 Speaker 8: But I think the real phrase everybody needs to understand 512 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:43,840 Speaker 8: now is Puerto Rico put in futuro. 513 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:47,800 Speaker 1: Michell points out that when Morgan Reid purchased the property 514 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,680 Speaker 1: where the Mutual Aid Center now stands, they paid one 515 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:53,880 Speaker 1: hundred and eight thousand dollars because the building itself was 516 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 1: in complete disrepair, with the government recommending that the building 517 00:40:57,719 --> 00:41:01,239 Speaker 1: be demolished. Then, in December of twenty twenty one, they 518 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:04,840 Speaker 1: were selling the building for three hundred and sixty thousand dollars. 519 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:10,279 Speaker 9: Laimbercione La Mejora Lokis. 520 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:15,920 Speaker 1: Michel says the only reason they're able to sell the 521 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:18,480 Speaker 1: building at that price is because of all of the 522 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:22,359 Speaker 1: work the volunteers put in to rescue the space. Since 523 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:25,440 Speaker 1: that moment in December, the Mutual Aid Center in Gatwas 524 00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:28,640 Speaker 1: has been in negotiations with Morgan Reed. In late May 525 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:31,080 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty two, they held a space to update 526 00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:34,520 Speaker 1: the community. People of all ages gathered in plastic chairs 527 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:42,399 Speaker 1: in the parking lot. Giovanni explained that Morgan Reed asked 528 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:44,640 Speaker 1: them to present them with an offer, and they did. 529 00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:51,960 Speaker 1: As of now, both parties are still negotiating. One of 530 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:55,000 Speaker 1: the elders let the group in some chance, saying Puerto 531 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:56,520 Speaker 1: Rico is not for sale. 532 00:41:56,880 --> 00:41:59,360 Speaker 4: Damn not seven day Damn. 533 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:03,719 Speaker 1: Yes, the Mutual Aid Center is not for sale. The 534 00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:05,560 Speaker 1: Mutual Aid Center defends. 535 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:07,720 Speaker 10: Itself Benji dot. 536 00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:15,239 Speaker 3: In this. 537 00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:21,000 Speaker 1: Marizale says that when you rescue in abandoned space, a 538 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:22,320 Speaker 1: new community is formed. 539 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:30,479 Speaker 4: So mi Ami, come bim to side. You been some MISSI. 540 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:36,160 Speaker 1: Principal Paula says the people with the Mutual Aid Center 541 00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:37,480 Speaker 1: are her family. 542 00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:55,799 Speaker 6: Officeinground the town, not a Jotropa. 543 00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:01,279 Speaker 1: Giovanni says they're not gonna leave the building without a fight. 544 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:04,560 Speaker 1: He begins to look around the room, a small office 545 00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:07,520 Speaker 1: space next to the kitchen. He points to the wooden roof, 546 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:11,000 Speaker 1: telling me how he built that roof himself. He points 547 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 1: at the window panes made from plastic tubing, which he 548 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:17,320 Speaker 1: also built. He says he has faith that the building 549 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:21,279 Speaker 1: will be theirs, because in so many ways it already is. 550 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:51,280 Speaker 3: This episode was produced by Julia Rocha. It was edited 551 00:43:51,320 --> 00:43:54,480 Speaker 3: by Julio Ricardo Barela and mixed by Lea Shaw Damren. 552 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:59,400 Speaker 3: The Latino USA team includes Andrea Lopez Crusado, Marta Martinez, 553 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:05,080 Speaker 3: Day's contredas, Mike Sargent, Julieta Martinelli, Victoria Strada, Prinando Leanos, 554 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:10,040 Speaker 3: Junior Alejandra Salasad and Patricia Sulbaran, with help from ra Ulpees. 555 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:14,120 Speaker 3: Our editorial director is Fernanda Santos. Our director of engineering 556 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:18,200 Speaker 3: is Stephanie Lebau. Our senior engineer is Julia Caruso. Our 557 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:20,600 Speaker 3: associate engineers are Gabriel Abias. 558 00:44:20,200 --> 00:44:20,560 Speaker 1: And j J. 559 00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:21,120 Speaker 7: Krubin. 560 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:25,720 Speaker 3: Our marketing manager is Luis Luna. Special thanks to Elijo 561 00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:29,840 Speaker 3: de Borinken and Derek Basquez Rivera for providing music for 562 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:34,320 Speaker 3: this episode and to Conmedores Socialist Porto Rico for granting 563 00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:37,960 Speaker 3: us access to their archives. Our theme music was composed 564 00:44:38,239 --> 00:44:41,720 Speaker 3: by Zenia Rubinos. I'm your host and executive producer Marie Jojosa. 565 00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:43,520 Speaker 3: Join us again on our next episode and in the 566 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:46,360 Speaker 3: meantime look for us on social media and Accorda de 567 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:48,040 Speaker 3: notevayes Joao. 568 00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:54,759 Speaker 10: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Anni E. 569 00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:58,720 Speaker 10: Casey Foundation creates a brighter future for the nation's children 570 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:04,120 Speaker 10: by strengthening family les, building greater economic opportunity, and transforming communities. 571 00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:08,440 Speaker 10: The Ford Foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines 572 00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:13,600 Speaker 10: of social change worldwide, and funding for Latino USA is 573 00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:16,600 Speaker 10: Coverage of a culture of health is made possible in 574 00:45:16,719 --> 00:45:19,440 Speaker 10: part by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 575 00:45:23,560 --> 00:45:29,960 Speaker 6: Buenosias in tol Perto ricosmos M Bibodies, dil kamnikawurs in Treviamosa, 576 00:45:30,080 --> 00:45:30,440 Speaker 6: Julia