Puerto Rico bristles after a US comedian calls it ‘a floating island of garbage’ at a Trump rally

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A comic calling Puerto Rico garbage earlier a packed Donald Trump rally successful New York was nan latest humiliation for an land territory that has agelong suffered from mistreatment, residents said Monday successful expressions of fury that could impact nan statesmanlike election.

While Puerto Ricans cannot ballot successful wide elections contempt being U.S. citizens, they tin exert a powerful power pinch relatives connected nan mainland. Phones crossed nan land of 3.2 cardinal group were ringing minutes aft nan speaker derided nan U.S. territory Sunday night, and they still buzzed Monday.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris is competing pinch Trump to win complete Puerto Rican communities successful Pennsylvania and different plaything states. Shortly aft stand-up comic Tony Hinchcliffe said that, “I don’t cognize if you guys cognize this, but there’s virtually a floating land of garbage successful nan mediate of nan water correct now. I deliberation it’s called Puerto Rico,” Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny announced he was backing Harris.

Hinchcliffe’s group besides included lewd and racist comments astir Latinos, Jews and Black people, each cardinal constituencies successful nan election.

Non-voters pinch large influence

Milagros Serrano, 81, has a boy who lives successful nan plaything authorities of Pennsylvania and said nan full family was outraged by nan comedian’s comments.

“He can’t beryllium talking astir Puerto Rico for illustration that,” she said arsenic she near for a aesculapian appointment. “He’s nan 1 who’s a portion of garbage.”

Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory successful 1917, and nan first ample activity of migration occurred aft World War II to easiness labour shortages. There are now much Puerto Ricans successful nan U.S. than connected nan island.

Those who stayed down opportunity they often consciousness for illustration second-class citizens because they can’t ballot successful statesmanlike elections and person constricted national backing compared pinch U.S. states.

That festering resentment erupted erstwhile Trump visited Puerto Rico aft Hurricane Maria slammed into nan land arsenic a powerful Category 4 large wind successful 2017. He tossed insubstantial towels into a crowd and denied nan storm’s charismatic decease toll, pinch experts estimating that astir 3,000 group died successful nan sweltering aftermath.

José Acevedo, a 48-year-old wellness worker from San Juan, shook his caput arsenic he recalled nan feelings that coursed done him erstwhile he watched nan Sunday rally.

“What humiliation, what discrimination!” he said early Monday arsenic he waited to drawback a nationalist autobus to work.

Acevedo said he instantly texted relatives successful New York, including an uncle who is simply a Republican and had planned to ballot for Trump.

“He told maine that he was going to person to analyse his decision,” Acevedo said, adding that his relatives were successful shock. “They couldn’t judge it.”

Angry guidance astatine home

The comments dominated section news sites precocious into nan nighttime and prompted Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico’s typical successful Congress for nan pro-statehood New Progressive Party and a Trump supporter, to telephone them “despicable, misguided and disgusting.”

“They do not correspond nan values of nan GOP,” she said.

Politics successful Puerto Rico are defined by nan island’s governmental status, truthful it’s communal to spot Democrats and Republicans beryllium members of nan aforesaid section party.

Meanwhile, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, a Democrat, wrote connected Facebook: “Garbage is what came retired of Tony Hinchcliffe’s mouth, and everyone who applauded him should consciousness ashamed for disrespecting Puerto Rico.”

González, who hit Pierluisi successful their party’s primary, is starring successful nan polls arsenic nan Nov. 5 predetermination looms.

Sonia Pérez, a 58-year-old parking batch attendant, said she hasn’t voted for a politician successful years but is truthful angry astir nan comedian’s comments and González’s support for Trump that she plans to cull González and nan different campaigner representing nan 2 main parties that person agelong dominated successful Puerto Rico.

“It is outrageous that successful nan 21st period location is truthful overmuch racism against Latinos erstwhile we person contributed truthful overmuch to nan state and it is not recognized,” she said.

Disbelief and indignation

Hinchcliffe’s comments besides prompted guidance from Puerto Rican stars including Ricky Martin, who antecedently endorsed Democratic statesmanlike campaigner Kamala Harris. He posted a video of nan crude joke and wrote, “This is what they deliberation of us.”

Michael Meléndez Ortiz, a 33-year-old unemployed janitor, said he and a friend thought nan video was clone astatine first because they were truthful taken aback by what nan comedian said.

“We must beryllium respected,” he said. “We are bully and upstanding people.”