SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- (AP) -- The head of Cuba's legislature, Ricardo Alarcon, plans to visit the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico next month for an event celebrating a Havana-based foundation that promotes ties between the two islands.

 Alarcon's office confirmed Wednesday the National Assembly president had applied for a visa to visit Puerto Rico for the June 9 event, but had received no word yet on whether the U.S. government would grant the visa.

 The Mission of Puerto Rico in Cuba, a foundation established in Havana, is celebrating its 35th anniversary at the event and has invited Alarcon to attend.

 Puerto Rican independence supporters have generally found support in communist Cuba, with its poor relations with the United States. Both Cuba and Puerto Rico are Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands.

 Although some of Puerto Rico's lawmakers have said Alarcon should be denied a visa because of concerns about human rights in Cuba, Gov. Sila Calderon has said she will not intervene.

 Independence has gained less than 5 percent of support in recent plebiscites on Puerto Rico's status with the United States. Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since 1898, and islanders have U.S. citizenship.

 Some lawmakers also complained Puerto Rico should reject Cuba's support of the territory's push to end U.S. Navy exercises on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques.

 On Saturday, Cuban President Fidel Castro led thousands in a Havana protest against the U.S. military's use of Vieques, which has 9,400 residents.

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