By: CRISTINA CORUJO, ABC News
(NEW YORK) The Puerto Rican government responded this weekend to the plea of thousands who have asked the island s leaders to address the ongoing crisis of gender violence.
Newly sworn-in Gov. Pedro Pierluisi signed an executive order Sunday declaring a state of emergency that would allocate resources to deal with gender violence in Puerto Rico. 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 in a news release. For too long, vulnerable victims have suffered the consequences of systematic machismo, inequity, discrimination, lack of education, lack of guidance and above all, lack of action. It is my duty and my commitment as governor to establish a STOP to gender violence, and for these purposes I have declared a state of emergency.