Sun May 04 03:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Trump’s Legacy of Harm in Puerto Rico Fuels Calls for Independence

**San Juan, Puerto Rico** – The ongoing impact of former President Donald Trump’s policies on Puerto Rico is fueling a renewed push for independence, according to a new report from Daily Kos. The article highlights a pattern of actions by the Trump administration that have caused significant damage to the island, exacerbating existing challenges and undermining its recovery from past disasters.

The report cites several examples of Trump’s detrimental influence: his infamous 2017 visit following Hurricane Maria, his opposition to disaster aid proposals, a MAGA rally featuring anti-Puerto Rican rhetoric, and his suggestion to sell the island. These actions, coupled with his administration’s cuts to vital federal funding for infrastructure, climate research, and disaster preparedness, have left Puerto Rico struggling.

Specifically, the Trump administration’s termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program resulted in the cancellation of nearly $1.6 million in funding for a project aimed at mitigating landslides in the Río Grande de Añasco watershed. Further, researchers report facing pressure to avoid using terms like “climate change” and “diversity” in grant proposals, hindering crucial research on coastal erosion, renewable energy, and the health impacts of climate change.

These actions, argues the report, have eroded trust in the U.S. government and strengthened the independence movement. Political anthropologist Yarimar Bonilla, in a recent New York Times op-ed, contends that the island’s repeated crises, coupled with the increasingly authoritarian leanings of the U.S., have made the promise of American citizenship feel less like protection and more like a threat. Bonilla’s work, including the documentary “Aftermath of Disaster,” provides further insight into the situation on the ground.

The Daily Kos article concludes by emphasizing the growing sentiment among Puerto Ricans that self-determination is the only path forward. The continued challenges facing the island, combined with the lasting consequences of the Trump administration’s policies, are pushing the conversation towards independence with renewed urgency.

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