Rihanna Begs Trump to Send Aid to Puerto Rico
PHOTO: Gabriel Maseda/NurPhoto/Getty Images
For more than a week, Puerto Rico has suffered the effects of Hurricane Maria, a category 4 storm that has left the entire U.S. territory without power potentially for months, without additional aid from other countries. That changed earlier today, when President Donald Trump finally waived the Jones Act, a 1920 shipping law that would prevent non-U.S. vessels from transporting goods between U.S. ports, after immense pressure from the nation, Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rossello, and other public figures. One of them was Rihanna, who on Twitter early Thursday morning urged the president to send aid to the 3.5 million American citizens who reside on the island.
The singer tweeted a cover of Wednesday’s New York Daily News, which superimposed the headline “American Tragedy” in large block letters and “No food, no water, no power, no medical care for the dying … Puerto Rico needs more help, Mr. President!” over a photo of victims of Hurricane Maria. For the caption, Rihanna wrote, “Dear @realDonaldTrump I know you’ve probably already seen this, but I just wanted to make sure! Don’t let your people die like this.”
The tweet has since gone viral with over 50,000 retweets and 116,000 likes, bringing much needed attention to the amount of international aid that would have been denied by Trump’s refusal to temporarily waive the Jones Act. Before that, the singer had twice tweeted at the president, quoting a CBS News video of San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz saying, “I know that leaders aren’t supposed to cry…but we are having a humanitarian crisis here,” and posting a link to a video from The Shade Room calling for relief efforts.
On Wednesday, the President told reporters he based his decision on business interests, saying “a lot of people that work in the shipping industry…don’t want the Jones Act lifted,” reported Newsweek. The singer has yet to comment on the President’s announcement to backtrack on his initial statement, but she did send another tweet praising former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush for their fundraising efforts.
“Round of APPLAUSE to these gentlemen for taking control of this devastating situation!!! #CaribbeanGirl #OneLove,” wrote the singer, who is from Barbados.
Rihanna is not the only celebrity who has publically called for increased aid to Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands affected by Hurricane Maria. On Sunday, Jennifer Lopez, who is of Puerto Rican descent as well as cochair of the Empire State Relief & Recovery Effort, announced she would donate $1 million to relief efforts. Earlier, she had posted a video on Instagram urging fans to donate to Puerto Rico First Lady Beatriz Areizaga’s relief fund.
While social media is a good way to spread the word, here are some other ways you can contribute to the Puerto Rico relief effort.