(NewsNation) – Vice-president Kamala Harris unveiled a new political platform for Puerto Rico on Sunday, targeting the Latino vote ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election with promises of economic development and improved disaster response.

While residents of Puerto Rico cannot vote in US presidential elections even though they are US citizens, the message was about more than 5.8 million people of Puerto Rican descent living on the continent who can vote, according to the Pew Research Center.

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The ad gained further visibility when Puerto Rican music stars Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin shared Harris’ video message on Instagram, highlighting her criticism of the former president Donald TrumpHis response to Hurricane Maria in 2017.

“Throughout my career, I’ve always fought for the people of Puerto Rico,” Harris said in the video. “Every chance he got, Donald Trump abandoned and insulted them.”

Harris highlighted several initiatives, including the creation of a Puerto Rico Opportunity Economy Task Force to spur economic growth and create thousands of new jobs. She also promised to speed up disaster recovery funds and upgrade the island’s power grid, which still experiences daily outages.

“I will cut red tape to ensure that disaster recovery funds are used quickly and efficiently, and I will work with leaders across the island to ensure that all Puerto Ricans have access to reliable and affordable electricity,” Harris said.

The policy proposal is to be launched Harris’ March 22 visit to Puerto Ricowhere he visited hurricane recovery efforts. During the five-hour visit, Harris toured a rebuilt home in Canovanas that was destroyed by Hurricane Maria.

“I see that we are making a difference. There’s still work to be done,” Harris said during the visit, noting that the federal government has provided about $3 billion for reliable energy sources, including rooftop solar panels.

The visit was not without controversy. A small group of protesters gathered in San Juan to demonstrate against Puerto Rico’s territorial status and to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Some protesters chanted “Yankee, go home!” as fans responded with chants of “USA!”

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President at Trump rally compares Puerto Rico to ‘garbage island’

A speaker at Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden on Sunday spent part of the time attacking Puerto Rico, drawing backlash from Democrats and the Harris campaign.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who goes by the name Kill Tony, performed a set for the audience before the former president’s speech. “There’s a lot going on. Like I don’t know if you know this, but there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Hinchcliffe said, drawing mixed reactions from the crowd.

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Harris campaign aides noted that Hinchcliffe’s remarks came while the vice president was in Philadelphia, speaking at a Puerto Rican restaurant.

Other Democrats pointed out that hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans live in Pennsylvania, which is shaping up to be one of the most critical battlegrounds on Election Day.

NewsNation’s Jackie Koppell, Kellie Meyer, The Hill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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