The president's visit marks the first time in 50 years that a president of the United States has visited the island.
President Barack Obama, Gov. Luis Fortuno, left, and Rep. Pedor Pierluisi, D-Puerto Rico, right, tour La Fortaleza, Tuesday, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans living in Western Massachusetts said Tuesday they hope President Barack Obama’s visit to their native land will shed some light on the economic problems and opportunities on the island.
Obama’s visit marks the first time in 50 years that a president of the United States has visited the island. The last visit was by John F. Kennedy in 1961.
“This is a historic moment for sure,” said Heriberto Flores, president of New England Farmworkers Council and a local businessman.
The president, who came to the island for a political fund-raiser at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, made a brief statement to the Puerto Rican people around 11 a.m. Tuesday.
“In these challenging times, people on this island don’t quit,” Obama said. “People in America don’t quit. We don’t turn back. We place our bets on entrepreneurs and on workers and on our families. We understand that there is strength in our diversity. We renew the American dream. We have done it before. We will do it again.”
Gov. Luis Fortuño said he was happy with the president’s visit.
“We had an opportunity to discuss job creation, energy policy and more during his visit,” Fortuño said. “I am convinced that he understands the importance of job creation for people on the island as well as in the rest of the country.”
Carlos Gonzalez, the president of the Latino Chamber of Commerce, said he hopes Obama’s visit will put an emphasis on the many economic opportunities available in Puerto Rico.
“Puerto Rico is a very large purchasing power, with 80 percent of products being purchased from the U.S.,” he said. “There is an opportunity to do business in Puerto Rico and create jobs.”
The president was greeted warmly by Puerto Rican dignitaries and even well-known Puerto Rican singer Marc Anthony. However, there were also protesters proclaiming independence for the island and also denouncing the treatment of Oscar López Rivera, who has spent more than 30 years in prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy for his alleged ties to the Boricua Popular Army, a group responsible for bombings and other attacks on U.S. armed forces. Fortuño said the protesters were few.
“Voicing our opinions and expressing out thoughts is the American way and we are fortunate to live in a democracy where our rights are protected by the U.S. constitution,” he said.
Flores said that while Puerto Ricans on the island cannot vote in general elections, the hundreds of thousands who live in the United States will vote.
“I worked on the president’s campaign during the last election and he received a large portion of the Latino vote in places like New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida and Illinois. I think this visit was a smart political move on his part,” he said.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.