NYC's woke socialist mayor makes huge gaffe with city's Puerto Rican community... then tries to blame junior staffer

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:06, 3 June 2026 | Updated: 22:17, 3 June 2026 Mayor Zohran Mamdani has infuriated Puerto Ricans in New York City after canceling a highly anticipated celebration that people wait all year for, a new report claims.  The Democratic socialist's office sent out an email to Latino community leaders that said Mamdani decided to do away with the annual pre-Puerto Rican Day Parade event at Gracie Mansion because he and his team are 'prioritizing' his attendance at the parade, the New York Post reported.  The gathering, known as the PR Heritage event, was set to be held on June 11. The 69th annual Puerto Rican Day Parade is on June 14.  'As mentioned in our call, we will not be hosting a reception at Gracie Mansion,' Alvaro Lopez, the Brooklyn borough director of the Mayor's Office of Mass Engagement, wrote in the letter reviewed by the Post. The memo continued: 'In an effort to celebrate the National Puerto Rican Day in the company of as many working class New Yorkers as possible, Mayor Mamdani and our administration are prioritizing his attendance at the 5th Avenue Parade and the Knickerbocker Parade on June 14th instead of hosting an invitation-only reception.'  The traditional Puerto Rican Day parade, which starts on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, will begin at 12pm that day. The Knickerbocker Parade, which is held in Bushwick, Brooklyn, begins at 11am.  The missive left members of the Puerto Rican community enraged, but a City Hall source told the outlet that a 'junior staffer who spoke out of turn' was to blame for the massive blunder, and that the mayor never had plans to ditch the event.  'We are excited to welcome community members and leaders to Gracie Mansion for a reception celebrating Puerto Rican Day and the generations of Puerto Ricans whose organizing, culture, and contributions continue to strengthen New York City,' a spokesperson for Mamdani's office told the Post.   New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has left the city's Puerto Rican community fuming after one of his staff members sent an email out that his office is canceling the annual pre-Puerto Rican Day Parade event at Gracie Mansion The event was set to be held on June 11. The 69th annual Puerto Rican Day parade is on June 14. (Pictured: Spectators at the 2025 Puerto Rican Day parade They added: 'The gathering will recognize the vital role Puerto Ricans and Nuyoricans play in the civic, cultural, and economic life of our city. More details to come soon.'  The spokesperson then clarified that the reception will take place either on June 12, June 13, or right before the parade on Fifth Avenue.   News of Mamdani possibly reportedly canceling the cherished event has enraged the Puerto Rican community, as one person said it felt like 'a real slap in the face.'  'Since Mayor Koch, every mayor has celebrated the contributions of our community with a reception at Gracie Mansion held during the week leading up to the National Puerto Rican Day parade, which is the largest parade in New York City,' an unnamed advocate told the publication.  Edward Irving Koch was the mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989. He started the tradition of hosting the pre-parade event at Gracie Mansion.  'If this mayor chooses to end that tradition, it’s a real slap in the face to our community - not just to those of us here in New York City but to the many government, community and business leaders who travel here from Puerto Rico each year and look forward to the Gracie reception,' they continued.  The news comes just days after Mamdani faced controversy for not attending the  annual Celebrate Israel Parade on Sunday.  He spoke of his decision to skip the event during his first 'Ask the Mayor' segment on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show - which allows residents across the five boroughs to call in with questions for Mamdani.  When asked about his no-show at the parade, the mayor said, in part: 'This parade, which is the Celebrate Israel Parade, is one that has featured, and we saw just recently a number of far-right ministers, including Minister Smotrich, whose rhetoric and actions represent a vision of annihilation, a complicity in genocide and a disregard for the lives of Palestinians.  Alvaro Lopez, the Brooklyn borough director of the Mayor's Office of Mass Engagement, sent the memo to Latino community leaders, a source said Mamdani with US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), who is Puerto Rican, at the parade last year 'To this moment in time, the Israeli government is carrying out a genocide in Gaza. We are seeing the continued killing and injuring of civilians in Lebanon.  'I’ve said time and time again that I believe in Israel’s right to exist as a state with equal rights for all. That’s a key part of my belief of the world from one part to the other, is the importance of equal rights for people wherever they may be.'  The Daily Mail contacted Mamdani's office for comment.   The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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