FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2022
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Fernanda Durand
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Hispanic Federation Celebrates Long-Awaited Allocation of Federal Funds to Caño Martín Peña
WASHINGTON – After years of advocacy led by grassroots community groups in Puerto Rico, Hispanic Federation is excited to celebrate a $163 million investment from the Biden administration for the next and final phase in a critical and overdue infrastructure and environmental justice project in the heart of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Caño Martín Peña Ecosystem Restoration Project, funded as part of the allocations made by the Biden administration from the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will finally allow dredging a 3.75 mile-long tidal channel that was abandoned decades ago and has been an environmental and racial justice disaster ever since. Problems along the channel were significantly worsened following Hurricane Maria.
"The project's inclusion in funding provided by the Biden administration’s allocations from the historic Infrastructure and Jobs Act, followed decades of advocacy and a visit by Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nydia Velázquez to Puerto Rico last year, " said Frankie Miranda, CEO and President of Hispanic Federation. "We are immensely inspired by the work of community organizers and others in Puerto Rico as well as in Washington D.C. We are proud to have been able to join alongside the G8 and Proyecto Enlace in this fight these last four years. This is a shining example of Puerto Rico “people power” and community-led solutions."
"This is a triumph for community-based organizations. It has not been easy, but we prevailed. We have worked and continue to work alongside all sectors to rescue our communities and integrate its richness and diversity to the rest of the city," said Lucy Cruz, President of the G-8 Group, an organization composed of the leadership of the eight communities that surround Caño Martin Peña.
The Caño Martín Peña Ecosystem Restoration Project stems from decades of advocacy efforts led by the local G8 communities and the ENLACE Project, together with over 100 allies and collaborators, including Hispanic Federation.
The day after the announcement by the Biden Administration, Hispanic Federation hosted a virtual conversation between Sen. Majority Leader Schumer, Rep. Nydia Velazquez, and leaders from the G8 and Proyecto Enlace, attended by more than 60 nonprofit, philanthropic, and community groups to celebrate the news. For more information on Hispanic Federation’s work in Puerto Rico, visit here.
Read here for background on this award-winning community organizing model to prevent the gentrification and dislocation of low-income communities.
