Everyone knows how Puerto Rico is, with its beautiful beaches right next to the Atlantic Ocean. Those very same beaches are public spaces. However, that has changed as more and more houses are being built right at the beach front which are cutting off easy access to the seashore. Furthermore, with the buildings on the beach front, prices for these properties are high. Meaning, the only ones who can afford it are rich people. Ultimately, the rich are cutting off access to the beach for the lower social class and are gentrifying Puerto Rico.
There aren’t just new buildings that are being built, there are also old buildings that overlook the ocean that are being taken over by the rich. One example of this is Brenda Velázquez, a woman who lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Quebradillas.
Following Brenda, she would enjoy the view on a daily basis, and that would soon be taken away because she found out that a new tenant, Giovanni Feroce, had bought the building she was living in. Additionally, Giovanni wanted everyone in the building out because he was going turn the whole apartment into a hotel or an Airbnb rental. Situations like this are happening all over the island and are not showing any sign of slowing down. Maybe soon the whole island will just be a place for the rich to enjoy.
What are Puerto Ricans Doing About This?
Puerto Ricans have started a movement against gentrification, “Beaches Belong to the People.” It is a law that buildings can’t block access to the beaches. However, there are many buildings that are blocking off most of the beaches and making it way harder to go into and enjoy the beach. Additionally, the movement hasn’t just been happening in Rincón, the most famous side of Puerto Rico, but it has spread all over the island.
In one protest that took place on the fourth of July, climate activists went to a construction site and demolished it as a type of resistance to the development that has been going on at the beachfront. Additionally, they went to the infinity pool that was being built and broke it down with sledgehammers. This is just a few examples of what Puerto Ricans did to fight against the privatization of the beaches.
Why are the rich going to the Island?
One of the leading reasons that rich people are moving to Puerto Rico is because they can avoid taxes. The reason there are nearly no taxes in Puerto Rico is because of ACT 22.
The Act was created to attract wealthy investors to the island. Furthermore, people can take their 39.6% federal income tax and drop it down to zero-four percent income tax.
What do the residents have to say about the Gentrification?
The people of Puerto Rico have much to say about this situation. A woman named Loret stated, “I have been going to three beaches all my life. Now I see them being blocked off. It felt personal. I felt like I had to protest against this.”
Another person said, “These rich people are just pushing us out and think we are just gonna let it happen.” As this situation goes further, the people of the island have been saying “Las playas son del pueblo.” The saying can be translated to: “The beaches belong to the public.”
By Samuel Cruz
Sources:
The Guardian: ‘The beaches belong to the people’: inside Puerto Rico’s anti-gentrification protests
LA Times: Latinx Files: Will Puerto Rico stop being for Puerto Ricans soon?
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of R9 Studios FL (Thanks to all the fans!!!)’s Flickr Page–Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Karen Bryan Flickr Page–Creative Commons License
