By Justine Coleman, The Hill — 26 January 2021
Newly sworn-in Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi declared a state of emergency in response to killings targeting women and transgender people in recent years. The order, signed on Sunday, is set to last until 30 June 2022. Puerto Rican police reported at least 5,517 women were victims of domestic violence in 2020, and the Gender Equality Observatory documented at least 60 direct and indirect femicides and six transfemicides. “Gender violence is a social evil, based on ignorance and attitudes that cannot have space or tolerance in the Puerto Rico that we aspire to,” Pierluisi said. The governor’s order establishes various programmes to address the violence including a 17-member committee and a mobile app for victims to report violence discreetly.