Thousands of New York politicians, lobbyists and staffers are gathering in San Juan, Puerto Rico this week for the 40th annual Somos conference, running Nov. 4-7 at the Hilton El Caribe hotel. Assembly Member Karines Reyes, who chairs the conference, said organizers expect nearly 4,000 attendees this year, with close to 3,000 already registered, which she described as the event's highest-ever turnout.
From a One-Day Reception to a Four-Day Institution
City & State New York, which is covering the conference this week, noted that New York's political class flocks to Somos every year following Election Day. Reyes, who also chairs the Assembly and Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, said the conference has grown from a single-day reception into a multiday event that now includes a day of service, with this year's edition expanding those service activities and spreading workshops across two days instead of one. This year's theme, Abriendo Caminos — translated as Blazing Trails — was chosen deliberately broad, Reyes said, to capture the wide and diverse Latino community the conference represents.
Somos also holds a separate annual spring conference in Albany, distinct from the November gathering in Puerto Rico. That Albany event, held in April at the Empire State Plaza, likewise marked the organization's 40th anniversary this year under the theme Del Momento, Al Movimiento — From the Moment to the Movement — according to a CSEA NY account of CSEA leaders who attended. The Somos New York conference booklet confirmed the April 18 Albany date and framed it as a celebration of the organization's four decades as a nonpartisan nonprofit.
Drought Criticism Shadowed the Lead-Up
The San Juan conference proceeded despite months of criticism tied to Puerto Rico's water shortages. UPROSE Executive Director Elizabeth Yeampierre sent Somos Executive Director Rosa Pelton Alcántara an open letter on Aug. 12 arguing that the four-plus-day event at the El Caribe hotel would further stress San Juan's water system, according to City & State's earlier reporting. Somos confirmed plans to carry on as usual, pointing to its island relief work and sustainability-focused legislative workshops as part of its response.
Puerto Rico is experiencing drought, with water rationing ongoing.
A Changing New York Delegation
This year's Somos gathering arrives amid shifts in New York's Latino political leadership. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, is retiring, while Rep. Adriano Espaillat lost his reelection bid.
Reyes is considering whether Somos might eventually rotate its conference to other Latino countries. She said this year's gathering is meant to celebrate Latino trailblazers and the conference's own 40-year legacy.
