Background
The Vivo Alliance Advocacy & Accountability Project was inspired by Karla Hernandez's futile pursuit of justice following her brutal attack and sexual assault in December 2020. She faced continuous roadblocks within the Puerto Rican justice system, which favors the perpetrators of these horrific crimes over their victims. More than two and a half years after her ordeal, no progress had been made in holding her assailant accountable and her case was finally closed with no resolution, leaving the violent perpetrator at liberty, free to rape again. After consulting with legal professionals and other assault victims, as well as non-profit organizations battling the scourge of gender/sexual violence, Karla and her husband Gerald came to the conclusion that there is a systemic problem—that victims of sexual assault and gender-based violence are at the mercy of a dysfunctional system. With these crimes at epidemic levels in Puerto Rico, Karla and Gerald decided to turn their pain into purpose and start Vivo Alliance – a non-profit organization committed to supporting victims, and exposing and addressing the systemic flaws within the Puerto Rico criminal justice system that contribute to this epidemic of violence against women.

Plan of Action
Based on recommendations from Puerto Rican legal professionals, such as Orlandy Cabrera Valentin, Esq. (Assistant Solicitor General of Puerto Rico), Vivo Alliance is assembling a team of legal and research professionals, alongside students from The University of Puerto Rico’s Legal and Journalism departments, who will embark on a comprehensive work-study program to gather critical information, define the severity of the problem, and formulate evidence-based solutions. These solutions will be promoted to the public and to legislators and policy-makers, with the end goal of strengthening victims' rights and helping to ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted and the justice system is held accountable. The present financial goal of $30K will help fund the initial phase of this project, in which a project team will be on-boarded, an online presence will be established (including an in-depth website which tracks the project's progress), key statistical data identifying the extent of the problem will be documented, and project goals and procedures will be established.

Your support is vital to the success of this project. Please click the donate button today, and please share this campaign, to not only help ensure that victims of sexual assault and gender-based violence are given a legitimate voice, but to hold violent perpetrators accountable and to bring them to justice.

Vivo Alliance is proudly partnered in this project with Integro Foundation,
a 501c3 non-profit organization. They are our legal
and fiscal agent in this project, and as such all donations made
are tax deductible, and qualify under the Act 60 exemption for Puerto Rico donors.
(Puerto Rico is a territory of the U.S. and subject to its tax laws).

For further information, or to get involved, please contact us at vivoalliancefoundation@gmail.com