EDITORIAL: Manmade disaster: Puerto Ricans are rightly pointing their fingers at their own leaders

Jan. 23--Woe is Puerto Rico, and the island's residents are right to point the finger not only at unresponsive Washington or callous debt collectors, but at their own corrupt and inept government.

In San Juan, people are in the streets protesting Gov. Wanda Vázquez, just five months after she took over from Ricardo Rosselló, who resigned in the thick of scandal.

The ire is well-founded. Last week, with thousands of Puerto Ricans left homeless after several earthquakes and aftershocks, a local blogger discovered pallets of humanitarian aid -- including water and expired baby food -- sitting undistributed in government warehouses, some dating back to 2017, when two hurricanes devastated the island.

Following the discovery, Vázquez fired several members of her cabinet.

This is tragic, not only because of those denied help. It makes it that much easier for Puerto Rico's critics -- including President Trump -- to label the island a bottomless money pit.

Last week, Gov. Cuomo visited the island and deployed 115 members of New York's National Guard, promising blankets and pillows and more. He rightly called out the Trump administration's slow earthquake response and months-long holdup of Hurricane aid.

He should also deploy his brand of constructive criticism and Empire State know-how to help Vázquez's government get its act together. The Puerto Rican people deserve far better than their leaders.

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