Residents gathered at a rally in downtown Hartford Wednesday to call attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico.
Lea esta historia en español. / Read this story in Spanish.
Angel Candelario was at the rally. He said he has family in more remote parts of the island.
Despite calls, texts, and social media messages -- he’s yet to hear anything from them.
"I’m just imagining that people are floating in their houses," Candelario said. "They’re pretty to look at, but when you go inside, they’re like shacks."
Candelario said his 64-year-old mother, who is battling breast cancer, is trying to get to the island to check on their relatives.
"Are we even able to get down there? And if we get down there, what the heck are we going to expect? You might see clear roads, but around the next corner you’ll see a whole flood," Candelario said.
Candelario said he’s been arguing with his mom to not go, but if she does get a ticket and head down, he’ll be there alongside her even if it means losing his job.
This story is part of “The Island Next Door,” WNPR’s reporting project about Puerto Rico and Connecticut after Hurricane Maria.
