Congresswoman Plaskett Celerates Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day

For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland October 12, 2026                                                    202-808-6129 PRESS RELEASE CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT CELERATES VIRGIN ISLANDS-PUERTO RICO FRIENDSHIP DAY U.S. Virgin Islands —Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett joins our local community in celebrating Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Weekend, culminating today on Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day. The holiday honors the deep and enduring bonds of family, culture, and shared history between the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Today is also Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a recognition of the first peoples of the Caribbean and the Americas, whose presence and legacy remain woven into the identity of our islands. “The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are bound by far more than the waters between us,” said Congresswoman Plaskett. “From enslaved Africans who escaped the Danish West Indies to find freedom in Puerto Rico, to Puerto Ricans who came to our islands in the early 1900s to cut cane and seek opportunity, to the families who live, work, and worship across our shores today, we share a common thread of resilience, culture, food, faith, and kinship. On this Friendship Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we are reminded that as people of color, telling our own stories is essential. When we tell them with truth and pride, we preserve our history, strengthen our unity, and ensure our children know who they are.” In observance of Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day, all of Congresswoman Plaskett’s offices in Washington, D.C., St. Croix, and St. Thomas are closed today, Monday, October 12, 2026. The offices will reopen for regular business hours on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Should you need assistance during those days when the offices are closed, please call 340-778-5900 on St. Croix or 340-774-4408 on St. Thomas, leave a message and someone will respond in short order. ###