At Least 10 Trailers of Hurricane Donations Found Rotting in Puerto Rico Parking Lot

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SAN JUAN, P.R. — At least 10 trailers full of food, water and baby supplies donated for victims of Hurricane Maria were left to rot at a state elections office in Puerto Rico, where they broke open and became infested by rats.

Radio Isla, a local radio station, posted a video Friday showing cases of beans, water, Tylenol and other goods covered in rat and lizard droppings.

The Puerto Rico elections commission offices had been used as a collection center for goods donated from around the country for victims of the devastating hurricane that struck the island last year. For weeks, hurricane survivors lacked running water and electricity. Widespread power failures and a severe diesel shortage kept stores, restaurants and banks closed, making it difficult for people to purchase groceries.

The goods donated by private entities and nonprofit groups were collected at the elections commission offices, and then distributed by the National Guard. Once the crisis subsided, goods were moved to trailers in the parking lot of the election bureau’s San Juan offices but apparently not delivered, despite continuing problems on the island. Authorities on Friday acknowledged that they have been there for nearly a year.

“I agree, it should have been handed out as soon as possible,” said Maj. Paul Dahlen, a spokesman for the National Guard.

He said some of the materials arrived after the National Guard ended its mission in May. He could not explain why no other agency distributed the materials after that.

But the head of the elections commission said that he has been calling the governor’s office and the National Guard regularly inquiring about plans to distribute the material, to no avail.

“Whatever was left after the National Guard left was put in those containers,” Nicolás Gautier, interim president of the elections council, told CBS News. “In one of these containers was food for dogs and apparently several of the boxes were broken. After the placement in the van, that brings a lot of rats and it infected everything.”

Mr. Gautier said the rats had moved from the trailers into the elections commission offices.

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