Letter to the editor: Response to “How San Juan’s mayor failed her own citizens”

I am a native of Puerto Rico, an Ole Miss grad, a former AROTC cadet regimental commander and a former U.S. Army officer. I am submitting this response to Mr. Dean’s opinion published in The Daily Mississippian on Oct. 4, 2017.

It pains me to see misinformation and vitriol published for the purpose of politics by someone with neither firsthand knowledge nor “official” reports.

Attacking a lady for trying to save her people, especially those in hospitals without power, is despicable.

I have family and friends there. Ninety-seven percent are still without power. Roads are damaged or blocked. Communications is slowly being restored. Most businesses are shut down. The civilian infrastructure is unable to function.

Gen. Buchanan just arrived a few days ago and agrees with the mayor’s statements. There is a video interview with Gen. Buchanan supporting these facts.

Note: Puerto Rico has had U.S. citizenship for more than a century without the need for immigration. Many have served in every U.S. war since 1917.

Ernesto J. Anaya is a 1981 astronomy and physics and 1983 history and Spanish alumnus from Atlanta.