Kamala Harris plans to visit Puerto Rico for the first time as vice president as Democrats reach out to Latino voters

Kamala Harris will make her first trip to Puerto Rico as vice president on Friday, as Democrats urge her to step up outreach to Latino voters ahead of the big election. 2024 Election.

Harris' visit is aimed at highlighting the government's efforts to promote the island's recovery and the influence of Puerto Rican culture around the world. Details of the trip were first revealed by CBS News.

Recently, the vice president has also been on a business trip. CBS News poll Data from late February shows President Biden's approval rating among Hispanics has fallen 12 points since 2020, from 65% to 53%, the lowest of any demographic group surveyed. It marks the steepest decline in shares for President Biden.

Democrats are launching an early aid effort in hopes of turning those numbers around.

“We're seeing outreach happening faster than normal,” said Clarissa Martinez de Castro, vice president of UnidosUS' Latino Vote Initiative. “I think a lot of times Latin Americans end up doing outreach on a whim or in their last month, so I think the fact that we're seeing some of this work in March is a positive thing. Masu.”

Because Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and not a state, Puerto Ricans living on the island are not eligible to vote in general elections, but they will be able to cast a symbolic vote for the first time this November.

“I think this is definitely a clear message to Puerto Rican voters in the battleground states in 2024,” said Julio Ricardo Barrera, founder of Latino Rebels.

Varela added: “They're trying to draw a contrast to what happened under the Trump administration, saying, “We care about the island, we're doing our best to improve the federal recovery.'' And at the end of the day, this is electoral politics.”

Harris will be accompanied on her visit by Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluiz.

She plans to stop at Canobanas' home just outside San Juan, an area severely damaged by past hurricanes. Harris plans to highlight the repair and reconstruction of homes in Canobanas as part of $140 billion in infrastructure and disaster recovery funds approved by her administration to help Puerto Rico rebuild. She also plans to visit San Juan's community center and meet with local leaders and artists to highlight the island's connections to the Puerto Rican diaspora.

Harris visited Puerto Rico in 2017 as a U.S. senator. hurricane maria devastated the island. Friday's appearance is part of Harris' official duties as vice president rather than a campaign trip, but the visit is a sign of how Biden and Harris will approach this fall's general election, with all eyes on the general election. It tells the story of Iruka.

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden also visited Puerto Rico in October 2022, and Jill Biden also visited Puerto Rico earlier this week.

“Legally, the people of Puerto Rico are a people without any power and have no political power in the federal system,” Varela said. “Right now, there are a lot of people in Puerto Rico who want to be part of the federal system, but there's always going to be a sector that doesn't want to be part of the federal system.”

Summarize this content to 100 words Kamala Harris will make her first trip to Puerto Rico as vice president on Friday, as Democrats urge her to step up outreach to Latino voters ahead of the big election. 2024 Election. Harris' visit is aimed at highlighting the government's efforts to promote the island's recovery and the influence of Puerto Rican culture around the world. Details of the trip were first revealed by CBS News. Recently, the vice president has also been on a business trip. CBS News poll Data from late February shows President Biden's approval rating among Hispanics has fallen 12 points since 2020, from 65% to 53%, the lowest of any demographic group surveyed. It marks the steepest decline in shares for President Biden.

Democrats are launching an early aid effort in hopes of turning those numbers around. “We're seeing outreach happening faster than normal,” said Clarissa Martinez de Castro, vice president of UnidosUS' Latino Vote Initiative. “I think a lot of times Latin Americans end up doing outreach on a whim or in their last month, so I think the fact that we're seeing some of this work in March is a positive thing. Masu.”

Because Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and not a state, Puerto Ricans living on the island are not eligible to vote in general elections, but they will be able to cast a symbolic vote for the first time this November. “I think this is definitely a clear message to Puerto Rican voters in the battleground states in 2024,” said Julio Ricardo Barrera, founder of Latino Rebels. Varela added: “They're trying to draw a contrast to what happened under the Trump administration, saying, “We care about the island, we're doing our best to improve the federal recovery.'' And at the end of the day, this is electoral politics.”Harris will be accompanied on her visit by Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluiz.

She plans to stop at Canobanas' home just outside San Juan, an area severely damaged by past hurricanes. Harris plans to highlight the repair and reconstruction of homes in Canobanas as part of $140 billion in infrastructure and disaster recovery funds approved by her administration to help Puerto Rico rebuild. She also plans to visit San Juan's community center and meet with local leaders and artists to highlight the island's connections to the Puerto Rican diaspora. Harris visited Puerto Rico in 2017 as a U.S. senator. hurricane maria devastated the island. Friday's appearance is part of Harris' official duties as vice president rather than a campaign trip, but the visit is a sign of how Biden and Harris will approach this fall's general election, with all eyes on the general election. It tells the story of Iruka. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden also visited Puerto Rico in October 2022, and Jill Biden also visited Puerto Rico earlier this week. “Legally, the people of Puerto Rico are a people without any power and have no political power in the federal system,” Varela said. “Right now, there are a lot of people in Puerto Rico who want to be part of the federal system, but there's always going to be a sector that doesn't want to be part of the federal system.”

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Nydia Cavazos

Nydia Cavazos is a 2024 campaign reporter for CBS News.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kamala-harris-puerto-rico-democrats-latino-voters/ Kamala Harris plans to visit Puerto Rico for the first time as vice president as Democrats reach out to Latino voters

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