Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia reacts to the murder of Angie Noemí González: “We are in an emergency of gender violence”

After reporting the assassination of the first woman victim of gender violence in 2021, Governor Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia acknowledged today, Tuesday, that the country is in an “emergency” and assured that they will implement an embracing strategy to address the issue which has been climbing for the past few years.

“We are in an emergency of gender violence and we are going to implement an embracing strategy to manage this crisis that has the advice of those who attend to these cases every day.“, The first executive said through his official Twitter account.

This morning the Police confirmed the murder of the nurse Angie Noemí González Santos, 29, at the hands of her husband, Roberto Félix Rodríguez, who -according to the authorities- confessed to the facts. The woman, a mother of three girls, has been missing since Jan. 15.

“As a people, we reject all forms of violence, and in particular, Puerto Rican women cannot and must not continue to live in fear that their lives are in danger. It is horrible that this continues to happen in our society. and we all need this united to fight- “, The governor added.

Prior to the general election, the governor had promised to declare a state of emergency once he assumed the leadership of the country. Last week, to questions The New Day, Pierluisi indicated that he could take such action at any time, as organizations working with the victims have demanded for more than two years.

“The executive order declaring the state of emergency the woman for the situation of violence against women is refining. I don’t have it in my office, if I had it in my office I would tell you to take it out tomorrow. I know they are giving it the finishing touches and as soon as it arrives I will evaluate it and sign it because that is my commitment. “, He stated on Tuesday last week.

For Lisdel Flors, director of the Ruth Home, it is urgent to declare a state of emergency for gender-based violence in Puerto Rico and take all necessary steps, including education campaigns in the community and in schools. “The governor, at the beginning of his administration, has expressed that he is aware of this and the organizations that we advocate for the state of emergency and the action plan against violence are confident that progress will soon be made in this direction. “, point Flowers.

“Let’s go back to the sad story of murdered women, which some try to raise should be treated the same as murdered men. No one minimizes the death of men at the hands of their partners, but certainly the statistics are clear in the state of “In addition to the fact that men are murdered in different circumstances, no man dies from harassment and is afraid of coming home because it is at home that he is suffering from violence.” the director of Ruth Home, a shelter that works with victims of gender-based violence and their children.

For more than two years, several organizations have demanded that a state of emergency be declared for gender-based violence in the country. However, the claim was not accepted by the administration of Wanda Vázquez Garced who, instead, issued an executive order enacting as a “priority service” the struggle to ensure the safety of women.

Through the executive order, he said, it will seek a coordinated response to gender-based violence by government agencies, follow-up by relevant authorities on existing protection orders, and assign resources needed to address the issue. On this last point he acknowledged that he will need the endorsement of the Board of Fiscal Supervision (JSF) when making his budget request.

“Angie Noemí González Sants was a mother of three daughters and a beloved daughter who had to return safely to her home, to watch her daughters grow up and live their lives in peace. Once again we lose a meaningless life, without respect for human dignity “, Said Pierluisi.