Luis Laracuente
“ There were many as could be expected of an operation that was never expected to reach the level of complexity that it did . But teamwork and the leadership of our leaders is what proved to be the golden key
by : Jolie Gonzalez-Padilla
Jolie : Take us back to the days leading up to September 20th , 2017 ; as Hurricane Maria made its way toward the Island of Puerto Rico . - how did you feel , and what went through your mind during those hours when the storm was ravaging the island ? Luis : It was a mix of feelings because Irma had missed just a few weeks prior so there were still hopes that Maria would do the same . I remember speaking with my parents ( who live in Puerto Rico ) a few days leading up to Maria and my mom saying your dad is worried . Now , my dad never gets worried or at least hides it well . So , that ’ s when I knew this was serious . It ’ s important to note that for Puerto Ricans hurricanes were a normal occurrence . You grow up being told that houses and buildings in Puerto Rico can withstand any storm because of the way they are built . Though , that was the believe until Maria hit . As soon as it made land fall hotels , homes , bridges , roads , etc . were being torn apart . News reports were coming out that rivers were over flowing , and towns were being flooded . What I felt was nothing compared to what every single Puerto Rican was feeling that day . I was worried sure , but they were horrified . I went home this past holiday season and what I saw did not look anything like what I had seen just 5 months prior .
Jolie : Tell us about September 21st , 2017 for you …. Were you able to reach your family ? Luis Laracuente : I was able to reach my family the day of the hurricane . For some reason my mom ’ s phone was able to receive phone calls for a few hours after Maria . After those first few hours passed , all communication stopped for about two weeks . Thankfully , most of my family living in Puerto Rico ( aunt , uncle , grandparents and parents ) were all staying at my parent ’ s house . So , we knew that if one was safe , all were safe .
Jolie : How did you get involved in relief efforts in Tampa ? Luis : After those first few hours , losing communication with my family and watching the destruction as some pictures were coming out I picked up the phone and called the one person I knew would know what to do , Colonel EJ Otero .
Jolie : Tell us about the Tampa team , the people and organizations behind the efforts ; I know it was a big team of people that jumped in immediately to help ; who would you say played a major part in the relief efforts . Luis : The team became a family ! We truly did . It was something I had never experienced before . People from all walks of life came together for one mission , to help Puerto Rico . The amazing thing about it was that every person that came into the team came with a specific set of skills that proved essential to the team . Course Of Action PR , All American Music Productions and Homeland Intelligence Technologies took the lead but these organizations were comprised of experienced leaders like , Air Force Retired Colonel EJ Otero , Army Retired Colonel Bill Oliva , Army Master Sergeant Walter Gonzalez , Air Force Tech Sergeant Kelvin Valle , Brenda Irizarry , Richard Trella , Arlene Oliva , Liza Fleming , Edwin Santana , Antonio Soler , Linda Perez , Marisol Garcia , Jose Daniel Garcia , Don Edwin Irizarry , Doña Isabel Cancel , Luis Adorno , Deborah Tamargo , Mariann Persad were among many , many more .
Jolie : What role did you play in these efforts ? Luis : My role was minimal compared to those of Colonels Otero & Oliva but being involved in politics I tried to gather as much assistance from elected officials here in Tampa . Several of the current PRFFA staffers are colleagues of mine so the first phone call I made after speaking with Colonel Otero was to those working for the government of Puerto Rico in Orlando and Washington D . C . In addition , I helped with parking ( which in my opinion was the most fun ) and packing as everyone else on the team did . What was truly special about this team was that every single one of us did the hard work .
Jolie : What obstacles did you encounter , and how were you able to overcome them ? Luis : There were many as could be expected of an operation that was never expected to reach the level of complexity that it did . But teamwork and the leadership of our leaders is what proved to be the golden key to our success .
Jolie : What ’ s next for Puerto Rico ? Luis Laracuente : Government of Puerto Rico needs to put an end to bureaucratic and political games . During the first few days after the hurricane everyone came together with optimism . Hoping for a stronger Puerto Rico . Therefore , it is time to make that a reality . The governor needs to focus solely on improving Puerto Rico .
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14 Latin Times Magazine www . latintimesmedia . com Abraza el calor de tu cultura !