Obama visits a sharply divided Puerto Rico

[bemildred]

Source: al Jazeera

Fulfilling a promise made in his 2008 presidential campaign to address the political status of Puerto Rico, US President Barack Obama will arrive on the Caribbean island on Tuesday, June 14.

This will be the first official visit made by a US executive leader to the non-incorporated territory in 50 years. John F Kennedy was the last to make such a visit - in 1961.

Clean streets, potholes filled, freshly painted public housing and local artisan food kiosks, decorated with Puerto Rican and US flags, have been arranged to welcome the president.

Meanwhile, for the past three weeks, civil society organisations have been planning their show of force, to focus the president's attention on the socio-economic crisis that keeps nearly 50 per cent of the country just below the poverty line. As of April, the unemployment rate remains at just over 16 per cent.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/06/201161319551387122.html

[INdemo]

1. Is he there to give one of his great speeches filled with

promises that he will never keep? We have have heard many of them and promises that have been forgotten.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

2. Wow they actually fixed some potholes prior to an election year. I'm

amazed I don't think that happened during my entire life there. Now if we could make these visits an annual or even bi annual thing. We'd be set.

[Lost-in-FL]

3. Lol!!! +1000

You are so right!