Long live community leaders, tabonucos of Puerto Rico!

This article is the preface of the book "Ciencia y solidaridad: Historias de líderes comunitarios en Puerto Rico" (Science and Solidarity: Stories of Community Leaders in Puerto Rico). The community leaders of Puerto Rico are an essential fiber of our country. They constitute an important network of support and security for countless individuals, especially those who are vulnerable and marginalized, in the face of disasters, everyday crises, and institutional failures. They are like the tabonuco, a native tree of Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles, with great historical, social, and cultural significance. The resin of the tabonuco was used by our indigenous people to light torches; its wood was used to build houses and boats. It was also used to treat colds and skin ulcers.