Puerto Rican Voices

Don’t miss the final episode of season five of Puerto Rican Voices “The Tax Paradise,” directed by Ana María García, premiering May 1st on CUNY TV and May 2nd on YouTube. In the last decade, Puerto Rico has become a major destination for Americans seeking to evade federal taxes. Incentives provided by the Puerto Rican government are spurring gentrification and housing insecurity. In communities like Puerta de Tierra, community leaders are challenging not just the new arrivals, but also the local politicians that have betrayed them.

For over two decades the AES coal in the Southeast coast of Puerto Rico generated 800 tons of toxic ash a day day that blew into residents' homes and leached into the groundwater. Residents in the surrounding communities of Salinas, Guayama, and Peñuelas have experienced rare skin diseases and climbing cancer rates are on the rise. A group of cancer patients now struggles to close the coal plant and obtain accountability.

Elba Dávila (a community leader in Fajardo) organizes the community of Maternillo to demand better public services for an aging community facing displacement after the Ferry Service to Vieques and Culebra was moved to the town of Ceiba. The community has collapsed without the economic activity provided by the Ferry transit and local fishermen fight to maintain their livelihoods.

Following the death of legendary artist Tito Matos, mourners filled the streets to commemorate his legacy as a musician, cultural worker, mutual aid organizer and agitator. Archival footage reveals Tito’s contributions to the transformation of Plena as both a musical tradition and a trans-diasporic movement.

After the government of Puerto Rico transferred the electrical distribution service to a private contractor, the energy crisis deepened and hundreds of workers were displaced. Many are calling for the cancellation of the controversial contract, and asserting their right to clean and reliable energy. Meanwhile, solar energy is becoming a booming business.