U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris embarked on a visit to Puerto Rico on Friday, part of a swift trip to highlight the federal aid provided to the U.S. territory in the wake of devastating hurricanes and to attend a Democratic fundraiser.
Her visit follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s launch of a campaign targeting Latino voters ahead of the November general elections. While Puerto Ricans, despite being U.S. citizens, cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections, more than 5 million Puerto Ricans reside in the U.S. mainland.
Joining Harris on the approximately five-hour visit to the island were U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman. They were welcomed by Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, a Democrat whose New Progressive Party has long advocated for statehood.
Harris’s initial stop was to visit a newly constructed home in the northern municipality of Canovanas, near the capital. The home had been destroyed by Hurricane Maria in September 2017, a powerful Category 4 storm that claimed nearly 3,000 lives in its aftermath.
As the motorcade passed through, bystanders held up their phones, leaned out of their cars to take photos, and stood outside businesses and homes, with one girl holding a sign pleading for assistance to repair their home.
This marked Harris’ first visit to Puerto Rico as vice president; she had visited as a U.S. senator in 2017 following hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Addressing ongoing challenges, Harris highlighted Puerto Rico’s intermittent energy sources and noted that daily outages have persisted since Hurricane Maria devastated the power grid. She mentioned the federal government’s efforts, including providing approximately $3 billion in reliable energy sources like rooftop solar panels and shipping mega generators last year to minimize outages.
Todman mentioned that over 6,000 homes have been repaired and more than 3,500 new units built since the devastating storm but acknowledged that much work remains.
Reconstruction post-Maria was sluggish, partly due to spending restrictions imposed by the Trump administration at the time.
During Harris’ visit, Pierluisi expressed gratitude to her and Biden for their assistance in the reconstruction efforts.
Prior to Harris’ arrival, a few dozen protesters gathered in San Juan, protesting the island’s territorial status and calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Nearby, demonstrators burned U.S. flags.
After visiting the home in Canovanas, Harris visited a community center in San Juan, where some protesters chanted “Yankee, go home!” while supporters chanted “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” One protester held a sign labeling Harris a “war criminal.”
Harris later spoke at a campaign reception before returning to the U.S. mainland Friday evening, expressing confidence in the upcoming general election and criticizing Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
