0:00:01 > 0:00:13Now on BBC News, time for Our World, with Yalda Hakim.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15The hurricane that destroyed Puerto Rico.
0:00:24 > 0:00:31Two months after Maria, this US territory and its American citizens
0:00:31 > 0:00:41are still suffering. How do you now see life without your son? It may
0:00:41 > 0:00:46belong to the most powerful country in the world, but this is now an
0:00:46 > 0:00:52island in crisis.Even though we are citizens of the United States,
0:00:52 > 0:00:58perhaps we are perceived to be second-class citizens.Who will fix
0:00:58 > 0:01:01it, and at what cost?
0:01:16 > 0:01:29I am in Marikau, south-west Puerto Rico. Jennifer, which is your casa?
0:01:29 > 0:01:34This one? I am here to meet Jennifer Rodriguez, who lives in a small bit
0:01:34 > 0:01:47of land with her husband and four children. This area has been cut off
0:01:47 > 0:01:57from the outside world for week s.
0:02:18 > 0:02:26This is quite extraordinary. This could actually collapse. It is all
0:02:26 > 0:02:31wooden planks, but it is damp. You can see the holes everywhere.
0:02:31 > 0:02:38Jennifer says that even before Maria this house was old and weak.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47The family were building a new more sturdy one next door, and the
0:02:47 > 0:02:52hurricane has forced them to move in early. So, the second house that she
0:02:52 > 0:02:58is living in, the municipality has told her this is not secure, that
0:02:58 > 0:03:04the house is not complete. You can see this is still being built. The
0:03:04 > 0:03:07roof is leaking, there are no drains, doors, or a bathroom.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24This area was well-known for coffee plantations. Now, completely
0:03:24 > 0:03:30destroyed, it could take up to five years for them to recover. With no
0:03:30 > 0:03:34work and relying on handouts, Jennifer feels helpless. Her
0:03:34 > 0:03:37priority is providing for her children.
0:03:55 > 0:04:01Jennifer took her children to her in-laws' home to be safe during the
0:04:01 > 0:04:08hurricane. When Maria came, what happened? How did you feel?
0:04:13 > 0:04:20When Hurricane Maria hit, much of the island's infrastructure was
0:04:20 > 0:04:24demolished. The electricity grid collapsed and the three and a half
0:04:24 > 0:04:30million residents of the island were plunged into darkness. Two months
0:04:30 > 0:04:37later, this remains America's longest blackout. What is this? That
0:04:37 > 0:04:43is your casa? And this, what is this? What has happened to the tree?
0:04:43 > 0:04:53Maria.For more than 100 years, Puerto Rico has been a territory of
0:04:53 > 0:04:58the United States. This means its people can live, travel, and work
0:04:58 > 0:05:04freely in America. And when it comes to a catastrophe like this one of
0:05:04 > 0:05:16the US has a legal obligation to help. -- one,. We have just come to
0:05:16 > 0:05:20a small medical facility deep in the mountainous area with a group of
0:05:20 > 0:05:26doctors, a specialist, and surgeons. We are here to come and meet some of
0:05:26 > 0:05:32the locals who have been badly affected by this hurricane. An hour
0:05:32 > 0:05:45away from the capital city of San Juan is Toa Alta, at the centre of
0:05:45 > 0:05:49the path of the hurricane.When we get our patients in the clinic, we
0:05:49 > 0:05:53gave him a bottle of water, and it was like giving them a bar of gold.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Gloria runs a large hospital nearby. Today, with the help of by the
0:05:57 > 0:06:00donors and charities, she set up a temporary clinic.We are providing
0:06:00 > 0:06:02support and help to these communities in particular because
0:06:02 > 0:06:07they asked us to bring some help because no other agency has come to
0:06:07 > 0:06:12help them. There is the baby.
0:06:15 > 0:06:24They are from the community. They left their house.Jocelyn is just
0:06:24 > 0:06:46two months old. Her father tells me they lost everything they own.OK.
0:06:46 > 0:06:54They need water.It does not seem a lot to ask far from one of the
0:06:54 > 0:07:02richest countries in the world. But Puerto Rican is have thought
0:07:02 > 0:07:08neglected by the United States for decades. -- Ricans. And now the
0:07:08 > 0:07:14island is in deep financial crisis. Mass unemployment mixed with decades
0:07:14 > 0:07:19of excessive or rowing by the local government meant Puerto Rico was
0:07:19 > 0:07:24facing bankruptcy even before Maria hit. -- borrowing.
0:07:27 > 0:07:35Nothing.Nada.You have no electricity.Note. You see? We drink
0:07:35 > 0:07:43water from... We buy filtered water. We have some water today! That is
0:07:43 > 0:07:48great.After finishing at the clinic, Gloria invites us back to
0:07:48 > 0:07:56her place.We still have some of the windows...Oh, yeah, from the
0:07:56 > 0:08:01hurricane. It looks like a middle-class American home, but by
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Puerto Rican standards, this is luxury. But like most people here,
0:08:04 > 0:08:09she still does not have electricity. So, we have flashlights like
0:08:09 > 0:08:15everybody else. We put lights all over.Puerto Rico owes over $70
0:08:15 > 0:08:20billion to the US. Because of the debt, the island's electricity grid
0:08:20 > 0:08:26was badly maintained, even before Maria. Now, completely broken, it
0:08:26 > 0:08:31could take up to a year for power to fully return. And many people are
0:08:31 > 0:08:38tired of waiting.My husband always asks me, why do we leave, why don't
0:08:38 > 0:08:46we buy a house outside? What about showing my employees if it is better
0:08:46 > 0:08:52to leave, but to is they hear? It is like a dilemma, but in my heart, I
0:08:52 > 0:09:02prefer to stay. -- is it better to stay.Wins the hurricane, tens of
0:09:02 > 0:09:10thousands of people have left for America. -- since. Locals on the
0:09:10 > 0:09:14island can only vote for their government, but once on the
0:09:14 > 0:09:17mainland, they can vote for national elections. This could change the
0:09:17 > 0:09:23political landscape in the US.
0:09:27 > 0:09:34President Trump visited the island two weeks after the hurricane.There
0:09:34 > 0:09:39is a lot of love in this room to be a lot of love in this room.But it
0:09:39 > 0:09:52wasn't coming from the Mayor of San Juan whom he criticised for asking
0:09:52 > 0:09:57for help.I am doing what I never thought I would do, I am begging
0:09:57 > 0:10:02anyone who can hear us to save us from dying.The president had
0:10:02 > 0:10:06tweeted that Puerto Rico was mismanaged. After his visit he came
0:10:06 > 0:10:14under fire for his lack of empathy and for slow emergency responses. In
0:10:14 > 0:10:19one of his tweets, President Trump said that Puerto Rico is more or
0:10:19 > 0:10:22less broken, it has broken infrastructure, it is in trouble, it
0:10:22 > 0:10:28has debt. None of those things are factually correct.No, they are not.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32What is incorrect is for a president that is supposed to be the
0:10:32 > 0:10:38commander-in-chief to become the Hate-in-Chief, and to become the
0:10:38 > 0:10:42person who just tweets away his hate. That is what is incorrect.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48This is for one person, one meal a day.She believes America needs to
0:10:48 > 0:10:53forget about Puerto Rico's debt. To write off the billions of US dollars
0:10:53 > 0:11:00the island owes.We took as a country more money borrowed than we
0:11:00 > 0:11:04knew we could pay at some point. We knew we were taking debt for the
0:11:04 > 0:11:08next generation and the next generation. And it is time they
0:11:08 > 0:11:12accept they have lost, because he was going to pay the debt?That is a
0:11:12 > 0:11:17good question. No one should pay it. I said this to the president. You
0:11:17 > 0:11:26either count the debt or you count the dead. And the choice... It is
0:11:26 > 0:11:31very simple.I still remain baffled because there is no discussion about
0:11:31 > 0:11:35this debt going away, this more than 70 billion. You talk about
0:11:35 > 0:11:41rebuilding and hope and change, but how, when the debt is not going
0:11:41 > 0:11:44anywhere in the poverty situation remains the same and now it is all
0:11:44 > 0:11:49being... You know, the hurricane has added to your woes. This is why the
0:11:49 > 0:11:56international community must take a step forward and stand with the
0:11:56 > 0:12:04people of Puerto Rico. Our relationship with the United States
0:12:04 > 0:12:09puts us at a disadvantage even though we are citizens of the United
0:12:09 > 0:12:20States, perhaps we are perceived to be second-class citizens.
0:12:22 > 0:12:28This is the start of the problem. Many Puerto Rico resident feel they
0:12:28 > 0:12:32are stuck between a rock and a hard place, another fully American nor
0:12:32 > 0:12:40independence, but trapped in Lego. -- in limbo. It is Sunday and I have
0:12:40 > 0:12:44come back to the mountainous region of Maricao to join Jennifer and her
0:12:44 > 0:12:47family followed. You have had a haircut!
0:12:47 > 0:12:53family followed. You have had a haircut! -- for lunch. This is the
0:12:53 > 0:13:00room we were in. She has been busy making her unfinished house more of
0:13:00 > 0:13:04a home.
0:13:10 > 0:13:18You have spent the last few days just rearranging, cleaning... In the
0:13:18 > 0:13:21aftermath of Maria, millions of people in Puerto Rico were left
0:13:21 > 0:13:28without running water. But I am struck by how well Jennifer seems to
0:13:28 > 0:13:35be coping. Jennifer, is it difficult to cook without water and any
0:13:35 > 0:13:42electricity? For so many people, all of your family? Jennifer tells meet
0:13:42 > 0:13:46that even before Maria, power cuts were common, and getting clean water
0:13:46 > 0:13:49has been a problem for over ten years. She says the local
0:13:49 > 0:13:57authorities never laid down water pipes.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08Why didn't you say something to someone? The MoU, the local
0:14:08 > 0:14:17authorities, why don't you ask for a change? -- the mayor.
0:14:22 > 0:14:30Jennifer is not the only one with these kinds of problems. Even before
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Maria, Puerto Rico's water quality was worse than any other US
0:14:34 > 0:14:38territory or state.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50Nice to see that the family are trying to have some kind of
0:14:50 > 0:14:57normality back in their life and they are altogether enjoying a meal.
0:14:57 > 0:15:14And trying to forget all the daily hardships that they face. Gloria has
0:15:14 > 0:15:20a bee clinic -- Gloria who set up the clinic is searching for the man
0:15:20 > 0:15:26with the tiny baby we saw a few days ago. Before Maria struck, Jose
0:15:26 > 0:15:36evacuated his family to another village. There is nothing left. The
0:15:36 > 0:15:44bathroom is the only thing left.
0:16:00 > 0:16:14What do you think when you see your baby's cost there? -- cot. Jose and
0:16:14 > 0:16:19his family now stay at his mother 's house on the other side of the road.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24It is one of the only houses on the street still standing.
0:16:34 > 0:16:41Is it frustrating for you to wait with two small children?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53But it's not just buildings and infrastructure that have been
0:16:53 > 0:16:58destroyed. People have lost their lives. I just want to know a little
0:16:58 > 0:17:05more about what your son was like, what kind of person he was.
0:17:24 > 0:17:2927-year-old Anthony passed away 16 days after the hurricane in. His
0:17:29 > 0:17:37family suspect he died of an infection spread by rats.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56Anthony's family think he handled wood contaminated by rat you're in
0:17:56 > 0:18:03in the aftermath of the hurricane in. -- and that made him ill. He
0:18:03 > 0:18:10went to the hospital and two days later he died.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23How do you now see live without your son?
0:18:29 > 0:18:38Since the hurricane, there have been at least 76 cases of the infection,
0:18:38 > 0:18:43that is a dramatic increase. The bigger son and cases like your son
0:18:43 > 0:18:47should be counted in the official death toll of the hurricane? -- do
0:18:47 > 0:18:50you think your son.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03The death of Anthony was not because of the impact of the hurricane in
0:19:03 > 0:19:07itself, it was the result of something that happened in the
0:19:07 > 0:19:12aftermath of the hurricane in. And it is something that she will have
0:19:12 > 0:19:16to live with the rest of her life. Could his death have been avoided
0:19:16 > 0:19:22and could more have been done? The official hurricane death toll is 55.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26But that is just the people whose death has been verified by autopsy
0:19:26 > 0:19:31to have been directly caused by the hurricane. The real figure could be
0:19:31 > 0:19:38over 500 people. We may never know the truth. The organisation with
0:19:38 > 0:19:43ultimate responsibility of the United States relief effort is the
0:19:43 > 0:19:49Federal emergency management agency, or FEMA.This is the largest FEMA
0:19:49 > 0:19:55response in the Caribbean, it has been the most Catholic event in
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Puerto Rico and probably will be in the entire United States. --
0:19:59 > 0:20:07catastrophic events.There is piles of rubbish, do you think it is a
0:20:07 > 0:20:14public health prices?We are taking that very seriously.I know it is an
0:20:14 > 0:20:18example of how catastrophic things are but it is also an example of our
0:20:18 > 0:20:22slow things have been?We are doing what we have with the equipment that
0:20:22 > 0:20:29we have, and compared to Florida or to Texas, we are an island, there is
0:20:29 > 0:20:34not enough...I'm not making a comparison, I am making it, we are
0:20:34 > 0:20:39an island. So there was not enough trucks, there was not enough
0:20:39 > 0:20:42equipment in Puerto Rico, and everything has to be brought by air
0:20:42 > 0:20:48or sea. What would you say to the people who are incredibly frustrated
0:20:48 > 0:20:53who say that FEMA is not doing anything?I understand their
0:20:53 > 0:20:56frustration, I don't have water power at my house. We understand
0:20:56 > 0:21:02there is a lot more that we need to do, and we will continue working.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07FEMA say they are doing what they can. But with the territory in
0:21:07 > 0:21:10financial chaos before Maria, the task of rebuilding Puerto Rico is
0:21:10 > 0:21:18daunting. With the island's competed relationship with America, it is
0:21:18 > 0:21:22unclear who is going to fix things. In the meantime -- meantime people
0:21:22 > 0:21:26are relying on the kindness of strangers. A charity made up of
0:21:26 > 0:21:30university students has arrived here to Jennifer's home and they are
0:21:30 > 0:21:34basically visiting the families who have children, to give them toys and
0:21:34 > 0:21:39food and help out in whatever way they can. Jennifer, have you been
0:21:39 > 0:21:50getting help like this? Why you emotional?
0:22:01 > 0:22:07Does it give you hope?
0:22:20 > 0:22:26Today has been one of the better days that in -- Jennifer. But her
0:22:26 > 0:22:30fight to provide for her children is far from over. Aid can only be a
0:22:30 > 0:22:36short-term solution. The apocalyptic destruction brought on by hurricane
0:22:36 > 0:22:41Maria has lifted the veil and showed the world Puerto Rico's broken
0:22:41 > 0:22:48economy and rapid -- rented property -- rampant poverty. With no money
0:22:48 > 0:22:53and its peoples lives still in shreds, an even bigger storm is
0:22:53 > 0:22:58gathering.