Thousands greet Obama in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)

Wooing Hispanic voters back home, President Barack Obama kept his campaign pledge to become the first president since John F. Kennedy to make an official visit to this recession-battered U.S. territory.

"The aspirations and the struggles on this island mirror those across America," Obama declared Tuesday.

On a sweltering day, thousands crowded the main roads and waved flags as Obama's motorcade roared by.

A huge banner filled eight stories of a building, featuring the images of Kennedy and Obama. "We are proud to be part of history," it said.