District 23 representative José “Cheito” Rivera Madera and chairman of the Chamber’s Commission for Tourism and Cooperativism, asked Puerto Rico police on Tuesday to take immediate action against the “lack of control” of tourists in San Juan.
“In recent weeks we have seen a total lack of control in the behavior of tourists visiting us in San Juan. From fighting, attacks on residents and a total disrespect for the executive order and protocols issued by the Ministry of Health to prevent COVID-19 contamination, to people late at night on Airbnb who are the authority on the island do not recognize, ”stated Rivera Madera in a written communication.
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The representative said that “the situation has already become unsustainable, so we ask the Puerto Rico Police Department to take immediate action to address this issue and apply the law to those who violate it. We cannot continue to endanger the safety and health of the residents of Isla Verde, Condado and Old San Juan, or the thousands of employees who work in hotels, inns and restaurants who provide excellent service to those who visit us. The tourism office and its director, Carlos Mercado, have made every effort to address the situation, but the police must now take action. “
Rivera Madera insisted that “we all want tourism activity to get back up and running as soon as possible. We have had some difficult years and thousands of jobs depend on it, but this is a land of law and order. We don’t want to send the world the message that disorder is part of the experience of a visit to Puerto Rico, I ask the police to act and intervene on all those tourists who break protocols. To the owners of Airbnb, we urge you to take the necessary precautions when renting out their properties, as we must be responsible and protect the lives of tourist workers on our island ”.