On Monday, US President Joe Biden visited the island of Puerto Rico, which had been hit hard by Hurricane Fiona last month.
During the trip, Biden promised some $60 million to Puerto Rico, which is expected to go toward creating a flood warning system and flood walls and hopefully make the island “better prepared for a storm,” as POTUS put it.
Yet even as the US president made this pledge, it appears that many regarded his visit to Puerto Rico as a political rather than a humanitarian move, related to the upcoming November mid-term elections in the United States, says Ana Vanessa Cárdenas Zanatta, a global politics expert from Anahuac Mayab University in Mexico.
According to Zanatta, while residents of Puerto Rico (an unincorporated territory of the United States) cannot vote, they can affect the voting through familial and cultural ties with those who live in the US.
Therefore, as Biden’s visit comes when his approval rating has witnessed an increase, it might help the Democrats secure more seats in Congress during the upcoming midterm elections, she suggested, noting that Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi praised Biden’s actions that demonstrate “commitment to the well-being of the American citizens of Puerto Rico."
Otherwise, Biden’s trip to Puerto Rico did not bring any immediate tangible benefits to those on the island, Zanatta remarked, pointing out that power is yet to be restored in some areas of the island.