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Puerto Rico governor fires 2 more cabinet members after the discovery of Hurricane Maria supplies stacked in a warehouse

Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez announced Sunday the dismissal of two more cabinet members — her secretaries of family services, Glorimar Andújar, and hous...
Puerto Ricans Protest After Warehouse Full Of Undistributed Relief Supplies Found

(CNN) — Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez announced Sunday the dismissal of two more cabinet members — her secretaries of family services, Glorimar Andújar, and housing, Fernando Gil-Enseñat.

The move comes after the discovery of a warehouse filled with supplies believed to be for Hurricane Maria, which ravaged the island two years ago, the governor had previously said.

“Under my administration nobody can come to me with lies. I have a commitment [with the people of Puerto Rico. Public officials serving with me have to have the same commitment,” Governor Vázquez said during Sunday’s news conference.

The dismissals mean Vázquez fired three members of her cabinet in a little over 24 hours — Carlos Acevedo, the director of Puerto Rico’s Office of Emergency Management, was dismissed Saturday.

Acevedo has denied allegations that his office mishandled the supplies saying the agency continued to distribute them, including during the time Hurricane Dorian and Hurricane Karen threatened the territory. Some of the pallets of water that remained in the warehouse had expired, he said.

He said no residents had been denied the supplies in the warehouse, including food, diapers, baby formula and cots, he said.

Vázquez announced Sunday that Nino Correa will be the new chief of operations for Puerto Rico’s Emergency Management Office, replacing Acevedo.

The governor had previously said that Secretary of State Elmer Román will now coordinate emergency aid and Adjutant General of the Puerto Rico National Guard José Reyes will be in charge of the Office of Emergency Management.

She has already ordered the secretary of state to conduct an investigation into allegations that the supplies were mishandled.

What was in the warehouse

The discovery of the supplies was made earlier Saturday, when several residents were seen opening the rolling metal doors of the building and calling for authorities to distribute what was inside — including the numerous pallets of water and other boxes with emergency supplies.

The warehouse was in the city of Ponce, on Puerto Rico’s southern coast.

It didn’t take long for families to begin lining up outside hoping to get bottled water, food and emergency radios, CNN affiliate WAPA reported.

Residents have continued to deal with disaster in the past weeks — tremors and aftershocks since late December have destroyed or severely damaged hundreds of structures ad forced thousands in the southern area of the island to flee their homes.

More than 8,000 people have been living in outdoor shelters in the cities of Yauco, Peñuelas, Guánica, Guayanilla and Ponce. Some of those displaced are residents who are too afraid to return home for fear a wall or the roof will collapse

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