SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders arrived in Puerto Rico to talk on Monday about the U.S. territory's worsening debt crisis ahead of the June 5 primary.
The Vermont senator was expected to present an economic recovery plan for the island and talk about the crisis' impact on its education and health systems.
Sanders' visit comes a day before former U.S. President Bill Clinton arrives to campaign for his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Some 250 people crowded into Sanders' first event, including former Puerto Rico governor Anibal Acevedo Vila and other supporters who expressed frustration with Puerto Rico's economic situation.
Jose Hernandez, a 62-year-old retiree, arrived early to set up signs supporting Sanders.
"Bernie pushed me into action," he said. "I was gone from Puerto Rico for 17 years and when I came back everything was the same or worse. His message convinced me. It's the first time I hear a candidate speak with such humanity, dignity and respect."
Puerto Ricans can vote in U.S. primaries but not in U.S. presidential elections. More than 200,000 Puerto Ricans have left the island in the past five years to escape a decade-long economic crisis. The majority of them have moved to the U.S. mainland.
Congress has stalled on approving a plan to help Puerto Rico manage $70 billion in debt that the governor has said is unpayable. The island already has defaulted on hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of bond payments, and officials warn the government is running out of money.
