The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico has been plagued by a long history of deep poverty, food insecurity, and economic crisis, and the island has grappled with more than a decade of uninterrupted economic decline. Even before COVID-19 increased hunger and hardship on the island, Puerto Rico was reeling from the destruction left by a series of earthquakes in January 2020 as well as Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017. Though a huge portion of the island’s population lives in poverty, a federal block grant prevents these U.S. citizens from receiving the same nutrition benefits as those living in states on the mainland.
The people of Puerto Rico should be able to access the same nutrition assistance as their fellow American citizens living stateside. By transitioning to SNAP, and away from the current block grant program, more people in Puerto Rico will have access to life-saving nutrition assistance.
It is well past time to fix this egregious problem — residents of Puerto Rico are entitled to access the same nutrition assistance as all other Americans. Please join MAZON in action today.