In Puerto Rico, Congressmembers Nydia Velázquez and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez formally endorsed the candidates of the Puerto Rican center-left alliance, known as the “Alianza,” ahead of November’s election. The Alianza, which brings together the Puerto Rican Independence Party and the Citizen’s Victory Party, has appealed to Puerto Ricans disaffected with the two main parties over corruption scandals, austerity policies and the disastrous privatization of the electrical grid.

New York Congressmember Nydia Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress, spoke Wednesday from Puerto Rico as she endorsed Alianza and its candidate for governor, Juan Dalmau.

Rep. Nydia Velázquez: “If political parties with different positions dare to make an alliance to fight for a change in Puerto Rico, the logical step for me is to support them. … Today, in front of the sun, I welcome hope and give my endorsement to Juan Dalmau for governor of Puerto Rico, Ana Irma Rivera Lassén for commissioner in Washington, Manuel Natal for mayor of San Juan, and the rest of the candidates of the alliance.”