In her inauguration speech, González Colón vows to tackle energy woes ‘with a sense of urgency and sensitivity,’ press Congress on statehood, which ‘means equality’
By John McPhaul
Gov. Jenniffer Aidyn González Colón said Thursday in her inaugural message in front of the Capitol in San Juan that the subjects of electrical energy and promoting statehood through the New Progressive Party mayors and legislators will be among her priorities as Puerto Rico’s new chief of state.
“There are many challenges that confront our island. The most recent is the blackout that left our island without electricity in the middle of our end-of-the-year celebration,” the new governor said. “And this precisely is what moves me to attend to this first challenge with a sense of urgency and sensitivity and use the resources from the federal funds that we receive from the Congress of the United States, so that once and for all we have an electrical system that works and the does not fail us when we most need it.”
“I’m betting on a Puerto Rico that lifts itself up,” González Colón said. “And do you know what? I’m not going to govern only for those who voted for me. I’m going to be the governor for all Puerto Ricans, but do you know what? In Puerto Rico there will be order, there will be listening, there will be respect. There will be working together and everybody who wants to work will have the doors open to take Puerto Rico forward. The people are tired of divisions; the primary elections have passed.”
The former two-term resident commissioner and now governor emphasized that “the inequality that the people of Puerto Rico live with I will combat with all my force.”
“Poverty, the elements that made Puerto Ricans vote overwhelmingly in past elections to seek equality for all Puerto Ricans,” she said. “For that today I also recognize the president of the Senate, Tom Rivera Schatz, and the Speaker of the House Johnny Méndez, and the mayors and legislators who will help me also take to Congress the result of this election, where freely and voluntarily our people, once again, in an overwhelming manner, with numbers chose statehood. And statehood means equality.”
The governor was officially sworn in at around 8 a.m. on Thursday, then participated in a Mass at Santa Teresita Church in Santurce. From there she and her family moved on to the Capitol for the public acts of inauguration.
There were several protests during the day’s activities.
The police intervened with demonstrators on the Dos Hermanos Bridge in San Juan in the morning.
According to preliminary reports, the police were directing traffic when a number of protesters blocked traffic and were instructed by the police to leave. Several were arrested when they disobeyed the order.
No injuries were reported and those arrested have not been identified.
González Colón did not react Thursday morning to an incident while she participated in the Mass at the church on Loíza Street, where a protester shouted during the service.
“I came to listen here and I just heard the word of God,” González Colón told journalists upon leaving the church along with her husband, physician José Yovín Vargas. “This word is much stronger and more powerful than hate.”