Why do we suffer from anxiety? Let me count the ways:
- Explosion of violent crime incidents
- Dengue Fever
- Chikungunya
- Zika
- PR Bankruptcy
- PROMESA & the Fiscal Control Board (FOMB)
- Reduced Government Support & Services
- Hurricane Irma
- Hurricane Maria Devastation, Death, & Government Abandonment
- Disintegration of the electrical system
- Collapse of the water & sewage system
- Destruction of the hospital
- Closure of the schools
- Implosion of the ATM ferry system
- Earthquake induced school closures
- Covid-19
- Closure of the schools
- Closure of businesses
- Reduced availability of healthcare
- Continued interruptions and reductions of government services
- Economic ruin
These conditions and problems began a decade or more ago, and they are not being addressed by our governments. Little has improved over the years, and none of the issues above have been corrected, in fact, they have become more obvious and significantly worse. The most painful part is that a substantial portion of our community has realized that things are not going to improve any time soon, and they have left the island.
The pandemic, racist politics, and economic decline are causing global anxiety, to be sure. The level of concern and fear in impoverished communities is extremely high, and in Vieques, it’s off the charts. Who among the living here isn’t anxious?