US Vice President Kamala Harris Incident in Puerto Rico
US Vice President Kamala Harris was seen smiling and clapping as a man started singing in Spanish outside a community centre in Puerto Rico, only to be told later that he was actually protesting against her. The 59-year-old vice president had just visited the Goyoco community centre in San Juan when the incident took place in the courtyard.
Unaware Applause
Unaware, the vice president nodded and applauded. However, a staffer subsequently informed her of the meaning of the lyrics, causing her to abruptly stop.
“We want to know, Kamala, what did you come here for? We want to know,” the man sang, according to some translations. “The vice president is here making history. We want to know what she thinks of the colony. Long live Free Palestine and Haiti, too.”
Presence of Others
At the time, Mariana Reyes, serving as the executive director at La Goyco, and Frankie Miranda, the president of the Hispanic Federation, were present alongside Kamala. Harris was in Puerto Rico to highlight federal assistance to the territory following Hurricane Maria.
“So far, our administration has invested over $140 billion in Puerto Rico,” Harris said.
In 2017, Puerto Rico was devastated by a deadly hurricane, resulting in an estimated 3,000 fatalities.
Protests and Reactions
During Harris’ visit, protesters gathered along her motorcade route, with one holding a sign reading “Kamala Harris war criminal.” This demonstration was in opposition to the Joe Biden administration’s support of Israel.
The video showing Harris clapping garnered widespread attention, with various reactions from users on social media platforms.
“This is what happens when you blindly patronize a community for votes!!” one user said. Another wrote, “Hahahaha… Reminds me of when all those Celebs went to Haiti to show how nice it was and they got chased back to their resort. GET REKT NERD!”
“The wheels on the bus go round and round”. “These are the people who seek to rule your life,” another user ridiculed.