On eve of MLB games, mayor says San Juan ‘open for business’
The mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, has attended only a handful of Major League Baseball games in her life, and she hopes that will change soon. Carmen Yulin Cruz wants it known that her city "is open for business" seven months removed from Hurricane Maria. As baseball opens a two-game series in San Juan between the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins, Cruz tells The Associated Press she wants to see more games there again soon.
AP Sports Writer
Soon, she hopes, that will change.
Cruz,
Her hopes for these games are simple: Cruz wants it known that
"I think it's important that we are thankful for those who didn't neglect us and understand that this is a very long road to recovery," Cruz said in a telephone interview. "Continued help is necessary. That's number one. Number two, there is something to be said that assuring that sports and cultural events are seen as a tool for financial and social development. It shows we're capable of putting together world-class level of activity and our facilities are up to it."
Cruz pleaded loudly for help in the days after Maria hit
The mayor was a regular guest on newscasts around the world after the storm, criticizing the response of the
But media coverage helped her make points then, and she believes attention directed at
"News organizations will say 'Live from
There was some doubt that these games would be played in
Unlike Zika, however, Maria remains an enormous problem all across
Cruz said she never lost faith. Weekly meetings were held to keep people updated on plans and progress.
"I was very, very clear on this," Cruz said. "Once we committed to these games, they were going to happen."
MLB players from
"We've had some tremendous players, us and the Indians, who have come from that island,"
Cruz said she'll be watching the games closely and has no doubt that
"Sports unites people," Cruz said. "For two days, we're all one. We leave our sorrows and we focus on assuring that we show how proud we are for everything our country has accomplished, for how hard our people are working and how proud we are to be represented by our players."
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