La Perla, the seaside neighborhood in Puerto Rico made famous by the music video for the hit song "Despacito," is struggling to provide aid and fresh water to its residents a month after Hurricane Maria.
More than 78 percent of Puerto Rico—including La Perla—is still without power, CNN revealed in a report that aired Thursday.
CNN anchor Bill Weir visited the former drug slum-turned-tourist hot spot and found that in a local hospital, doctors were having to attend to patients in the dark using only their cellphones for lighting.
'Despacito' made this neighborhood famous. Hurricane Maria left it in ruins.
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) October 20, 2017
CNN's @BillWeirCNN has more. https://t.co/CZ4SouYCui
After the devastation of Maria, Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi, the man behind the biggest Latin hit of all time, donated five generators to a La Perla hospital. However, Weir revealed, to get them installed "they have to go to the mayor's office and fill out paperwork."
Weir said that in La Perla drinking water and power are still "elusive luxuries."
Responding to the CNN report, Fonsi wrote: "Aaahhhh, so much work to be done."
Aaahhhh, so much work to be done. Help me rebuild La Perla. https://t.co/deqmFx3Cfs https://t.co/MAdpIH8YF0
— Luis Fonsi (@LuisFonsi) October 20, 2017
The Puerto Rican native has been fundraising to help "rebuild" the island. His online campaign has so far raised $38,000.
La Perla was once known for being a dangerous part of town, inhabited by feuding drug lords. But a crackdown by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in 2011 curbed illicit activity and the government has worked to improve the living standards in the neighborhood.
The efforts to make La Perla a more friendly seaside town included painting houses bright colors—as seen in the video for "Despacito," which features Fonsi and Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee sauntering around the neighborhood's colorful streets.
In August, "Despacito" became the most-watched video of all time on YouTube. It has been streamed more than four billion times.
"Despacito" provided a huge boost in tourism to Puerto Rico and offered some economic salvation to the country, which, in May, declared bankruptcy with debts of $70 billion.
Local newspaper El Nuevo Dia reported in July that tourism in Puerto Rico had increased by 45 percent after "Despacito" began topping music charts around the world.
In an Instagram post, Fonsi said it was a "joy" to hear the video had boosted Puerto Rico's economy. "Puerto Rico is the true protagonist of this song and this video. It was always my great inspiration," he added.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
