'We're Not Going to Quit,' Bad Bunny Tells Puerto Rico

Bad Bunny fans in San Juan drowned out memories of Hurricane Maria in one booming voice on Saturday, the eighth anniversary of the devastating storm. The AP reports that the idea was to remind the world about the power of "la isla del encanto"—"the island of enchantment." Streaming his last show in Puerto Rico this year to viewers around the world following a historic 30-concert residency in the US territory, Bad Bunny looked into a camera and thundered: "We're not going to quit. The entire world is watching!" The crowd roared.

The residency was more than a series of concerts. Saturday marked the end of an extended love letter that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio sang to Puerto Rico. He tapped into what it means to be Puerto Rican, to delight in the island's beauty, defend its land and fight for its people. "This is for you," Bad Bunny said from the rooftop of an iconic Puerto Rican house installed at the concert venue as he raised his glass and the crowd raised their glasses in return. He's had a series of surprise guests during the shows. On Saturday, Marc Anthony took the stage with him.

• The storm: Maria slammed into Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm in 2017. An estimated 2,975 people died in the sweltering aftermath of the storm that razed the island's electric grid, leaving some communities without power for up to a year. Anger and frustration over the pace of reconstruction still simmers as chronic power outages persist.

• The grid: In a Sept. 11 report, the US Office of Inspector General said that 92% of approved and obligated projects related to Puerto Rico's crumbling grid were incomplete, and that $3.7 billion of available funds had not been obligated. "Over seven years after Hurricane Maria, FEMA does not know when Puerto Rico's electrical grid will be completely rebuilt. The grid remains unstable, inadequate, and vulnerable to interruptions," the report stated.
• The people: On Saturday, the number of estimated deaths appeared on the back of T-shirts and Puerto Rican flags that the crowd waved. "We are still emotional and carry the trauma of having gone through a horrible thing," said Marta Amaral, 61. "Beyond the sadness and remembering the negativity of having gone through a traumatic event, this is a celebration that we are still here, standing."