Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón hosted the first-ever Diwali celebration at Santa Catalina Palace in San Juan on November 10, recognizing the Indian American and broader South Asian community’s contributions to the island. Organized with PRDesi Cultural and Education Organization (PRDesi CEO), the gathering brought together cultural traditions and discussions about community engagement, business and investment.
Following the Diwali dinner, González-Colón sat down for an exclusive interview with South Asian Herald that ended around midnight. Her willingness to spend time with us so late in the evening demonstrated her commitment to engaging with the diaspora and recognizing the media’s role in connecting communities.
During the interview, the Governor discussed Puerto Rico’s connections with India, opportunities in pharmaceuticals and aerospace, and the possibility of a trade mission to India. She also spoke about investment incentives, reconstruction following Hurricane Maria, efforts to strengthen the electricity system, and balancing her responsibilities as governor with raising young twins.
The Diwali celebration at the Governor’s palace marks an important occasion for the Indian American and broader South Asian community in Puerto Rico. What is the significance of hosting this celebration, and what message does it send about Puerto Rico’s commitment to cultural diversity and inclusion?
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First, Puerto Rico is open for business, and we welcome everyone who chooses to call the island home. Celebrating is part of our tradition. We are happy people, we have the longest Christmas celebration on earth, and we are also deeply religious. We care about our neighbors, family values, traditions and the triumph of good over evil.
Welcoming people is a Puerto Rican tradition. We invite our neighbors into our homes to share our food and music. That same spirit extends to people who move here and invest in the island. When I learned about Diwali, I felt it was something we could share and celebrate together, especially with so many South Asians now living in Puerto Rico.
It is about giving thanks and caring for one another. This is my first celebration of the Festival of Lights, and we wanted to mark it simply, by giving from the heart and sharing with friends.
PRDesi CEO has played an important role in organizing today’s Diwali celebration and promoting South Asian culture in Puerto Rico. How do you view the organization’s contributions to fostering cultural understanding and community engagement?
This is the first time a Diwali dinner of this kind has taken place at the mansion. I hope the community continues to grow on the island and that we have more opportunities to engage in the future.
PRDesi’s activities extend beyond culture. The nonprofit is also involved in education and investment initiatives. Several businesses are exploring opportunities to establish a presence here, and I believe we can help one another. Puerto Rico is open for business.
The next celebration will be Bollywood Fest 2026 on Saturday. We are also seeing more restaurants open on the island, offering more opportunities than before to experience South Asian food and culture. These developments suggest that more people are considering making Puerto Rico their home.
How would you describe the contributions of the South Asian community to Puerto Rico’s cultural landscape, economic development, and business sector?
Many South Asians now call Puerto Rico home, and that is an honor for us. They are working here, investing here and creating jobs, and we welcome them.
We celebrate their contributions and their commitment to helping Puerto Rico’s economy grow. We want to be part of that celebration and recognize the role they play in the island’s development.
How would you characterize Puerto Rico’s engagement with South Asian countries, particularly India? What opportunities do you see for strengthening cultural, economic, and people-to-people ties?
People bring more than their businesses. They bring their food, traditions, common sense, family values, care for others and good spirits. Those qualities are deeply familiar to Puerto Ricans and resonate with us.
That is one reason we are celebrating Diwali, as many countries do around the world. It is easy for us to connect with the celebration and its meaning. Many South Asians living here share those values, and we are happy to celebrate with them.
Many people are also unaware that pharmaceuticals and medical devices account for 45 percent of our economy. Manufacturing is a major part of Puerto Rico’s economy, and India is a manufacturing hub as well. I believe that creates a direct connection.
Many pharmaceutical and medical device plants in Puerto Rico have sister facilities in India. Our engineers travel there, and engineers from India come here to work at those plants. Those exchanges provide a foundation for strengthening our ties.
Can you share insights into other areas?
Beyond the sectors I mentioned, we also have considerable activity in aerospace. Engineers work here at Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell and other companies involved in aerospace and defense.
Many people associate Puerto Rico primarily with tourism, but manufacturing, defense and other industries account for a much larger share of our economy. I would like to expand those opportunities and strengthen our relationships with India and other countries.
Is Puerto Rico considering a trade delegation or official business mission to India in the near future? If so, which sectors would be prioritized, and what outcomes would you hope to achieve?
That is something we will explore with our economic development department, possibly for next year. I believe it would be a valuable opportunity.
A trade mission to India could help us attract more companies interested in investing here and taking advantage of available tax incentives. Japanese and Taiwanese companies are already investing in Puerto Rico because they want to manufacture in the United States. Indian companies could pursue similar opportunities, using Puerto Rico as a hub to serve the Western Hemisphere.
Puerto Rican businesses and engineers could also explore opportunities in India. We have considerable expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and research and development, and I believe there is potential for both sides to benefit.
How does Act 60 help in bringing investments into Puerto Rico?
When I was speaker of the House in Puerto Rico, then-Governor Luis G. Fortuño pursued provisions designed to attract investors to the island and generate capital for local investment.
Those incentives have helped bring investment into infrastructure and housing while creating jobs. We are seeing companies establish operations here that previously had no presence on the island. The incentives require people to spend a certain amount of time in Puerto Rico. I consider them among the most attractive tax benefits available, which is why so many people are looking at opportunities here.
Depending on the incentive, investors must meet requirements related to residency, investment or business operations on the island. For us, that means jobs and companies being managed from Puerto Rico, with opportunities to export from here. There are several types of benefits and decrees available, and many people are moving here with their families because of those opportunities.
How is Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane Maria progressing, and what are your priorities for rebuilding infrastructure and strengthening the island’s resilience?
We are a very resilient community. Hurricane Maria struck in 2017, and, thanks to President Donald Trump, we received more than $70 billion in investment for infrastructure, including telecommunications, water and electricity. We are also investing in roads, schools, healthcare and other areas. Considerable construction is still underway using FEMA funding and Community Development Block Grant funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. We are rebuilding while making our infrastructure more resilient to future hurricanes.
Strengthening the electricity grid remains a major part of that work. We have added 1,900 megawatts of generation capacity since last year, so we are making progress. We still need to lower energy costs, and that is my priority right now. We are not experiencing outages at the same level as before, but we continue to work with the Department of Energy to modernize a fragile electricity system that dates to the 1960s and 1970s.
We are exploring public-private partnerships to develop long-term generation capacity, including more than 3,000 megawatts of new generation. We are considering all types of generation to meet our future needs.
You enjoyed a full Indian meal this evening. Your thoughts on the food today, and what’s your favorite Indian dish?
This was my first time enjoying a full Indian meal. I am usually not a fan of salad and rarely put it on my plate, but tonight’s salad was so fresh and different that I really enjoyed it.
I do not usually eat spicy food, but I tried it today. The bread was good, and the soup was superb. I also enjoyed the combination of almonds, pistachios and pecans. It was a lovely mix of flavors.
How do you balance the demands of serving as Governor with family life and raising two young children?
Like other working families, we have to find a balance between our professional responsibilities and family life. I have twins, a boy and a girl, who are two years and nine months old. I am a proud mother, and I thank God for the opportunity to be their mother. I can tell you that it is my favorite job.
(This interview has been edited for length, brevity and clarity)
