Vieques: The mayor stopped by
Vieques has trucks with large speakers mounted on them that drive around to make announcements about events, funerals, new businesses, sales, whatever. Most feature very loud salsa music. (The funerals usually go for a more reserved sound track.) Elections are coming up in November and the race for alcade (mayor) is really heating up. The incumbent Dámaso Serrano López and the young challenger Evelyn Delerme each have their own (possibly fleets of) announcement trucks plastered with their faces and slogans.
So when we were sitting out enjoying our evening cocktail, we didn’t really think anything of it when we heard the Dámaso truck coming up the hill. But started to know something up when heard “Barrio Lujan” (our neighborhood) in the announcement. And then started seeing people walking down the street behind us.
A few minutes later about 20 people came walking up our street, now decked out in Dámaso T-shirts and hats. One of them peeked in the gate and told us in English that the mayor was here and asked if we wanted to talk with him. So we got to say “mucho gusto” and chat for a couple minutes (again in English) about where we’re moving from, the fact that he’s visited San Francisco, and the recent Travel and Leisure award. He left a 16 page booklet, all of which directly answers the question “What have you done for me lately?” (Images below)
I’m not sure that I’m very aligned with Dámaso’s politics, but it is kinda nice to be somewhere where the mayor does stroll up the street to talk to people. I wonder when Evelyn is going to drop by?
