The present panorama in a nutshell
In the Borinqueño archipelago, of the 3.2 million residents, 1.2 million eat thanks to the assistance of the PAN (Programa de Asistencia Nutricional)
It is not difficult to adopt a vision of life in which we move from crisis to crisis, one of constant problems and challenges that require adjustment and adaptation. The sirring of the federal government by virtue of partisan lock down in the US Congress is in line with that notion, with the aggravating factor that it threatens basic needs with serious consequences.
In the Borinqueño archipelago, of the 3.2 million residents, 1.2 million eat thanks to the assistance of the PAN (Programa de Asistencia Nutricional), this is 39% of the residents on the island. According to data from the Department of the Family, 434,311 are older adults immersed in abject poverty; 260,347 are minors; 69,680 are adults with functional diversity; 2,833 are homeless people; 252,470 are employed and use PAN as a supplement to their income. In other words: the most vulnerable.
In San Juan, about 100,000 receive PAN, more than the total number of beneficiaries in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Vermont and New Hampshire. In New Mexico, 19% depend on food aid; Puerto Rico doubles it. That is more than three times the US national average, which is 12%, with several municipalities in which the population dependent on charities exceeds 50%.
After 127 years of American domination and 73 years of autonomy, a huge portion of our population remains unable to fend for themselves and needs government assistance to survive. It is not necessary to elaborate. For anyone with with an ounce of understanding or compassion, these few words are enough.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2025 by Jose M. Umpierre (AKA “El Zocotroco”) Photo of Puerto Rico is in the public domain,