Biden Is Bringing His Message Straight to Latino Voters in Florida Tuesday

The Democratic candidate for president will visit the Sunshine State for the first time since claiming the nomination and will participate in a Hispanic Heritage Month event in Kissimmee.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA—This Tuesday, Joe Biden will arrive in Florida to connect with Latino voters. 

The former vice president’s visit will concentrate on Central Florida, where Biden will participate in a roundtable discussion with veterans in Tampa and attend a Hispanic Heritage Month event in Kissimmee, the largest city in Osceola County, where the majority of Puerto Ricans live in Florida.

RELATED: Cubans and Venezuelans Are ‘Worse Off’ Under Trump, Biden Says

Florida Democratic Sen. Víctor M. Torres said the United States Secret Service is in charge of all preparations for the visit, with an emphasis on pandemic-related security measures.

“They are working with social distancing and how many people will be invited. Campaigns have changed a lot. Now the goal is to stay safe, promote the use of masks, and keep distancing. Unlike Trump, who does things backward and doesn’t care if people get infected. Biden is focused on prevention,” Torres told The Americano.

The senator emphasized the importance of this Florida visit—the second by a Democratic candidate within a few days. Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, participated in roundtables held in Miami last week.

These visits are part of intense campaign efforts from both Biden and President Donald Trump in Florida, a traditional swing state with 29 electoral college votes.

“I hope this message reaches the Puerto Rican and Latino communities living here, who need to know who Joe Biden is and what he can bring. I represent the million Puerto Ricans who arrived here before and after [Hurricane] Maria” Torres said.

The senator said that during the past four years he has been getting constant complaints from local Latino communities, including Puerto Ricans, regarding the unjust way Trump deals with them.

Based on that experience, Torres said he does not understand how there can be doubts among Puerto Ricans and Latinos when it comes to deciding which presidential candidate deserves their vote.

“I think, ‘How is it possible that a Puerto Rican who has suffered under Trump would vote for [him]?’ The man has done nothing for Puerto Rico or for us here who are working hard. The struggle of our people has been immense. Many have lost their jobs, don’t have health insurance, and lack affordable housing,” Torres said.

RELATED: New Investigation Could Reveal True Death Toll From Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

The senator has uncles in Ponce and Juana Díaz, and other family members in San Juan. He said every time he visits Puerto Rico, he hears about the struggles of residents in recent years due to the deep economic crisis that worsened after Hurricane Maria, the recent earthquakes, and now the pandemic.

“When I go to Puerto Rico, I hear about all the situations people are going through in the face of Trump’s abuses—how he talks badly about Puerto Rico and its people. Although the local government on the island is not doing things well, it’s important [to] not vote [in the U.S.] for someone who will affect your community and your family both in the US and the island,” Torres concluded.