Can you guess who tweeted this:

“‘When Trump visited the island territory last October, OFFICIALS told him in a briefing 16 PEOPLE had died from Maria.’ The Washington Post. This was long AFTER the hurricane took place. Over many months it went to 64 PEOPLE. Then, like magic, ‘3000 PEOPLE KILLED.’ […] FIFTY TIMES LAST ORIGINAL NUMBER – NO WAY!”

If you guessed Donald J. Trump, you are correct. This is from an actual tweet written by the President of the United States on September 14th of 2018.

On September 22nd of 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. Since then, the tiny island filled with a vibrant culture and lively people had to learn how to rebuild their homes, and their lives. It has now been a year since the small U.S. Commonwealth country pleaded for help from Trump, and got a handful of paper towels thrown at them as “support”.

The President has also been dismissing the alarming death toll from the hurricane as “fake news”, which is startling. Around 3,000 deaths have been confirmed by the Puerto Rican government, however, U.S. officials keep placing the count around 64. This simply doesn’t make sense. A Category 4 hurricane, the worst ever natural disaster to hit the U.S. , with only 64 deaths? It can’t be.

Like Trump, many people don’t seem to be taking the situation in Puerto Rico as seriously as they should, despite it being a major crisis occurring right now. For some, it is simply because they do not know enough about Puerto Rico to care about it. This is where I step in. I am determined to prove to these people how special Puerto Rico is, and why it is worth caring about. I present to you: the six best things (in my opinion) that have come out of Puerto Rico.

1. THE FOOD

Mofongo, tostones, arroz con pollo… Need I say more? I was introduced to these foods a few months ago, and without a doubt, mofongo is now on my top 5 favorite foods list. It is a fried plantain mixed with salt, garlic and oil or butter. Although it may not sound like the most appetizing dish, once you taste it, it changes your life.

1. PIÑA COLADAS

The one thing that a lot of people look forward to at Celebration of the World, specifically in the Puerto Rican booth, is the piña colada. The perfect amount of sweetness and refreshingness makes it the perfect drink to have on a hot summer day.

1. REGGAETON

Reggaeton, the genre of music that has now taken over most countries’ top charts, was actually born in the 90s in Puerto Rico! Nowadays, many of the most famous reggaeton artists are from that very island, including Ozuna, Nicky Jam, Daddy Yankee, Bad Bunny, among many others.

1. THE CELEBS

Besides the amazing Puerto Rican reggaetoneros, there are also the other iconic, talented people who came out of the island, including but not limited to: Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Rita Moreno, Gina Rodriguez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Bruno Mars. The list could go on forever.

1. VIEJO SAN JUAN

This colonial area inside the capital is rich with history and beautiful old houses that have been maintained for decades. The colors, architecture, people, restaurants, and cultural buzz will make you instantly fall in love with Viejo San Juan.

1. THE NATURE

Lastly, there are beautiful natural wonders that you can only find in Puerto Rico. Some examples are:

1. 1. Parque Nacional de las Cavernas del Rio Camuy: the largest cave system in the Western hemisphere! The river is also the third largest underground river in the world!
   2. Yunque Rainforest: the only rainforest of the U.S. Forest Service.
   3. Playa Flamenco: often on many top 10 beaches lists. It’s one of the many beautiful Caribbean beaches in Puerto Rico.
   4. Bioluminescent Lakes: every time you move you create a green glowing light in the water! It is kind of unsettling, but super cool to see first-hand, especially for people interested in marine biology!

While this is a very cheerful list, we cannot forget about Puerto Rico’s ongoing crisis. The island still needs help and support a whole year after the natural disaster. Here is a link to a website that states many ways you can help the people of Puerto Rico; however, if you want to help from the comfort of your own home, skip down to the part that talks about charities you can donate to. It is time to wake up and realize that Puerto Rico is a beautiful country that cannot be relegated to the back of our minds.