Barack Obama vowed to stand by Puerto Rico Tuesday as it fights economic misery and mulls whether to become the 51st US state, on the first official visit by a sitting American president in 50 years.
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| US President Barack Obama speaks during a welcome ceremony in a hangar at Muniz Air National Guard Base in San Juan, Puerto Rico. |
Obama bounced on stage in a steamy airport hangar after landing in the Caribbean US commonwealth to forge a bond with islanders and please Puerto Ricans residing on the US mainland who, unlike locals, can vote in US presidential races.
Mainland-based Puerto Ricans have a large presence especially in New York state and the key electoral swing state of Florida.
"Buenas tardes," Obama said, beaming a huge grin before a large crowd waving US and Puerto Rican flags, as he recalled the trip by his Democratic predecessor John F. Kennedy in 1961.
"At the time I was about four months old -- so my memory of his visit is a little hazy. But I do remember, when I came here to campaign, I promised that I would return as president of the United States.
"And although my hair is a little grayer than during my first visit, I am glad to be able to keep that promise to the people of Puerto Rico."
Obama pledged that when people of Puerto Rico had made a "clear decision" on their future political status: "my administration will stand by you."
The White House has called on the island, ceded by Spain to the United States in 1898, to hold two plebiscites, one on whether Puerto Rico should be independent or part of the United States.
If a clear result is obtained, a second referendum would then be held to choose the island\'s future status between statehood, independence, a free association or a commonwealth.
Many Puerto Ricans offered the US president a rapturous welcome.
George Mas, a 26-year Puerto Rican US army veteran, said Obama\'s visit was welcome and praised him for hitting themes like the economy and education that were of high concern to Puerto Ricans.
"It was a big deal that he came here. It gives us a lot of hope, the fact that he came here ... that means a lot to me," he said, after watching Air Force One roll to a halt at San Juan airport.
Obama was also cheered by thousands of people in downtown San Juan as his motorcade swept through town en route to a meeting with Puerto Rico\'s Republican governor Luis Fortuno at the picturesque La Fortaleza mansion.
Some people held up signs showing Obama\'s face superimposed on Superman\'s body. Others waved banners reading, "Statehood Now."
The president was later serenaded by a children\'s orchestra and said the humidity was so intense he wished he could jump in the sparkling blue sea. He later surprised diners with an unscheduled stop at a restaurant.
But his welcome was not universal.
As pro-American demonstrators cheered his motorcade, another protest went ahead, as several thousand demonstrators demanded independence.
"Obama go home" and "Free Puerto Rican political prisoners in US jails," said banners.
Other onlookers had hoped to glimpse more than a flash of the president\'s motorcade going by, during his visit of less than five hours.
"What a disappointment, I was here early and could not even see it," said one man, Joel Martinez.
Marisa Maldonado, 53, complained that Obama held a closed Democratic Party fundraiser during his visit.
"If he is really smart, he would not be able to ignore what happens in Puerto Rico with colonialism, the poor economy, unemployment and social decline," she said.
During his airport arrival speech, the president did touch on the debilitating impact of the economic crisis on Puerto Rico.
Obama argued that the concerns of Puerto Ricans were similar to those on the mainland, in a speech offering local twists on his standard campaign rhetoric.
"How do I make sure my kids get the kind of education they need? How can I put away a little money for retirement? How can I fill up my gas tank? How can I pay the bills?" he said paraphrasing the concerns of islanders.
Though they are US citizens, the Caribbean island\'s 3.8 million inhabitants do not vote in general elections, unless they relocate as residents to the mainland. They also are moving toward deciding whether to tighten links with the mainland. In English, the island is called a US commonwealth; in Spanish, it is called a (US) Free Associated State.
And there is a growing Puerto Rican community in crucial parts of Florida, which analysts say could exert an influence on some key electoral precincts as Obama runs for a second term in November 2012.
Puerto Rico receives several billion dollars a year in US federal funding for a wide range of programs and got a healthy dose of stimulus spending from the Obama administration.