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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino April 2021
Dems Introduce Bill to Let Puerto Ricans ‘Determine Their Own Political Future’ Originally published on COMMONDREAMS.ORG | March 18, 2021
Congress—introduced the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act.
Amid renewed debates over Puerto Rican statehood given Democratic control of both Congress and the White House, a trio of lawmakers on Thursday reintroduced a bill that would allow residents of the U.S. island territory to chart their own political path.
Ocasio-Cortez, who is also of Puerto Rican descent, echoed her recent remarks about the statehood bill versus the legislation she is co-leading.
Reps. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) joined with Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to introduce the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021, which aims to “empower Puerto Ricans with an inclusive and democratic process to determine their own political future and relationship with the United States” through a status convention with elected delegates. “Over a century ago, the United States invaded Puerto Rico. And ever since the U.S. has pursued its own colonial rule,” said Velázquez, who was born in the territory. “While many may disagree about the future of Puerto Rico’s status, we must recognize that the decision should come from those who will be impacted most: the people of Puerto Rico.” “That is why we are introducing the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act,” she continued. “After over 100 years of colonial rule, Puerto Ricans would finally have a democratic mechanism to determine their own future.” After over one hundred years of colonial rule, Puerto Ricans would have a mechanism to determine their own future. This bill introduced just now would provide a democratic option by giving the Puerto Rican people a chance to make their voices heard in two open elections. pic.twitter.com/kJI7WjISZo — Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@NydiaVelazquez) March 18, 2021 The reintroduction comes about two weeks after Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.), who is of Puerto Rican descent, and Jenniffer González Colón—a Republican who serves as the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico in
“The principled position—especially for the head of that colonizing power— is to say that people should have a process of self-determination and to not put your thumb on the scale of one direction or another,” she said Thursday. “Our bill outlines a just, democratic, and inclusive process for Puerto Ricans to decide their future.” Menendez similarly argued that “the more than three million residents of Puerto Rico deserve a comprehensive and fair process to chart their own path forward.” “This is the most inclusive approach to addressing the long-overdue question of Puerto Rico’s political status,” he said, “but most importantly, it offers the people of Puerto Rico a legitimate and democratic process to determine their own future.” Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez first unveiled the legislation last summer. At the time, they co-wrote an opinion piece for NBC News, detailing how “Puerto Rico has been subjected to policies foisted on it by a Congress frequently uninterested in the welfare of those who live there.” As the congresswomen explained: This reality touches every aspect of Puerto Rican life: Puerto Rico receives disparate treatment for Medicaid reimbursement, nutritional support, and a host of other safety net programs, despite being poorer than the poorest state. These problems and others stem from Puerto Rico’s unique, long-standing colonial status, which has resulted in the island’s residents being treated as second-class citizens. continued on page 12
… an Exercise in Dishonest Paternalistic Colonialism continued from page 7 This is a bad bill because at the heart of it lies the premise that the residents of Puerto Rico can’t choose their politcal future and status directly in a congress-sponsored binding referendum. This is the same type of paternalist colonial mentality that turned Puerto Rico into an American colony in 1898. This bill should be boycotted because it is an exercise in colonialism that perpetuates the already colonial status quo. Because only one choice will be presented to the Puerto Rican electorate- those who don’t like the option chosen by the delegates and the bilateral commission (whose members are not elected), can simply boycott the referendum and claim the voter turnout doesn’t support a status change. Congress then, will agree or disagree with that claim depending on the status presented in the referendum. Congress also retain the right to do NOTHING after the referendum. Nothing at all! So, in sum, not only does this bill make the Puerto Rican electorate a supporting character in their own story, but it also includes too many mechanisms for Congress to manipulate the choice presented to the Puerto Rican electorate, AND to ignore their will even if after including all these mechanisms and undue influence- the Puerto Ricans choose an option that the Democratic leaders in Congress don’t support. This is a betrayal of democratic principles and values. Call on @NydiaVelazquez @AOC @BernieSanders @SenSchumerto to withdraw this piece of paternalistic colonial legislation.
The residents of Puerto Rico are capable enough to decide their politcal future in a direct referendum. Let’s make sure that the will and the voices of the people of Puerto Rico are not drowned by yet another act of dishonest paternalistic colonialism. HARRY FRANQUI-RIVERA is a historian by training, a professor of history by day, and a public intellectual and blogger by night. I’m the author of: Soldiers of the Nation: Military Service and Modern Puerto Rico, 1868-1952. University of Nebraska Press, 2018. You can find his academic work at: http://www.academia.edu/ and he also write and blog about current issues, from politics to foreign policy, military matters, identity, culture, race and privilege. You can find my most popular works in; Latino Rebels www.latinorebels.com/author/harryfranquirivera, Centro Voices - centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/centrovoices, www.huffingtonpost.com/author/harryfranquirivera-315 and 80Grados- www.80grados.net/author/harry-franqui-rivera/. Follow him @hfranqui.
