“The most important thing we bring is the love of 19 million New Yorkers for the people of Puerto Rico,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. | Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo Cuomo leads state rescue mission to Puerto Rico

ALBANY — Flanked by prominent officials from Puerto Rico, a friendly labor leader and his youngest daughter, Gov. Andrew Cuomo set out Friday morning on an aid mission to the Caribbean territory as it struggles to rebuild from Hurricane Maria.

“The most important thing we bring is the love of 19 million New Yorkers for the people of Puerto Rico,” Cuomo, a Democrat positioning himself for a possible 2020 presidential bid, said at John F. Kennedy International Airport.


More specifically, the governor is bringing expertise — top officials from the New York Power Authority will meet with their Puerto Rican counterparts to help restore electrical service — 34,000 bottles of water, 1,400 cots, 500 flashlights, 3,000 cans of food, 9,600 ready-to-eat meals, 10 generators and two drones.

The governor, donning a windbreaker, said he had been invited to Puerto Rico by its governor, Ricardo Rosselló. Cuomo said he would help assess the damage so he could better know what supplies to send. Unlike a similar trip he made last week to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cuomo did not do a satellite tour of television interviews before he departed — just a press conference.

The goods and services were donated by various entities that have interests before the government. JetBlue provided the airplane, Coca Cola supplied the water, and the National Supermarket Association, the canned goods.

Last week, Cuomo used a plane donated by oil and supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis — two days after Cuomo signed a bill benefiting Catsimatidis’ refining business. A lawyer for JCOPE, the state ethics commission, blessed that arrangement and declared “it is not reasonable to infer that the gift was intended as a reward for any official action.”

The latest delegation includes New York Power Authority president Gil Quiniones, Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo and Robert Mujica, director of the state’s Budget Division.

Both Crespo and Velazquez said they were unable to reach family members who live on the island. Crespo displayed a birthday card for his mother, with whom he lost contact four days ago.

New York City is home to an estimated 700,000 people of Puerto Rican descent, and Cuomo noted the deep ties between the states in his remarks.

“Gov. Rosselló didn’t have to ask, because in New York we are family with the Puerto Rican community,” he said. “Anything this state can do for Puerto Rico we will do.”

Click here to watch a video of Cuomo’s press conference.