"On April 29, 2010, the United States House of Representatives approved H.R. 2499, The Puerto Rico Democracy Act. Yet again, this legislation purports to address the 112-year-old political status question concerning Puerto Rico. While the need to address the status issue is critical to Puerto Rico and all Puerto Rican...s, this legislation is woefully inadequate, contradictory and confusing. A law that reflects fair provisions essential for self-determination by and for the Puerto Rican people, who deserve no less as citizens of this country, needs to be implemented. It is time to draft a resolution that adequately addresses the status issue of Puerto Rico in a manner that is clear, transparent, inclusive, and just, once and for all". -Jose
Puerto Rico Democracy Act (HR 2499):Inadequate, Contradictory, Confusing
Greetings,
I stand in solidarity with the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights and the eight million Puerto Ricans, who despite being citizens of the United States, are being systematically disenfranchised under H.R. 2499, The Puerto Rico Democracy Act.
This legislation, which was approved by the United States House of Representatives on April 29, 2010, purports to address the 112-year-old political status question concerning Puerto Rico. While the need to address the status issue is critical to Puerto Rico and all Puerto Ricans, this legislation is woefully inadequate, contradictory and confusing. We ask you, as a United States Senator, along with all other members of the House, the Senate and the President of the United States, to reject H.R. 2499 and create a law that reflects fair provisions essential for self-determination by and for the Puerto Rican people, who deserve no less as citizens of this country. The more serious problems with H.R.-2499 include, but are not limited to the following:
1) As approved by the House or Representatives, H.R. 2499 stipulates that Puerto Ricans will hold a plebiscite for voters to choose whether to:
a) "…continue to have its present form of political status" (the Commonwealth status currently in place), or;
b) "…have a different political status."
If voters were to choose the option for a “different political status,” a second plebiscite would be required for Puerto Ricans to choose among four choices:
1) Independence;
2) Sovereignty in Association with the United States;
3) Statehood; or,
4) Commonwealth, or the status quo.
This is a fundamental exercise in hypocrisy, based in deceit, since any first stage vote by Puerto Ricans for a “different political status” would force a second vote that would continue to include the status quo option. This ploy undermines the purpose of the first stage vote, and invites yet another return to the status quo option, regardless of the expressed will of the Puerto Rican people.
2) H.R. 2499 allows a vote to only those Puerto Ricans born on the island, who “comply with local elections commission regulations” to cast a vote. This restriction shuts off the voice of millions of stateside Puerto Ricans not born on the island, yet who were born to parents who moved from Puerto Rico, or who themselves were born in Puerto Rico and moved to the United States. Cynically, however, this legislation would enfranchise hundreds of thousands of non-Puerto Rican residents living in Puerto Rico.
3) Ballots for the plebiscite would only be in English, despite posing a significant violation of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, intended to protect language minorities, including Puerto Ricans, via policies that include the receipt of ballots in their own language.
4) United Nations Resolution 1514 sets forth three acceptable options for an internationally sanctioned political status. While H.R. 2499 includes the three options, it ignores the further UN requirement that the affected people be fully informed and that they understand each option prior to a vote.
5) International law requires the release of political prisoners for opposing colonial rule prior to any plebiscite vote. Currently there are still Puerto Ricans serving jail sentences for political views, including Carlos Alberto Torres and Oscar Lopez. These prisoners have been in jail nearly 30 years for political acts, and deserve release before any legitimate vote on the political status of Puerto Rico is made. There is precedent for such release in the case of Nelson Mandela exiting his extended prison term in South Africa prior to a vote on the status of his country.
6) There is a problem of transparency. The day after the bill was passed in the House of Representatives, nearly every media outlet dubbed it the "Statehood Bill." Conservative commentators have spoken of the "impending" statehood of Puerto Rico, stirring anti-Hispanic rhetoric amidst the current immigration debates, and causing fear that the US will add two Puerto Rican senators and six Puerto Rican members to the House of Representatives through this legislation. The process must be fully transparent so that Puerto Ricans are not demonized, but this legislation blithely ignores the respect that Puerto Ricans deserve as United States citizens.
7) H.R. 2499 cannot adequately address the status of Puerto Rico because it ignores and fails to allow for the unification of the eight million Puerto Ricans who dividedly inhabit the United States. For this reason, the four Puerto Rican members of congress are split on H.R. 2499; two for and two against. The provisions in the legislation are so contradictory and divisive making it impossible to reach consensus and therefore worsening the situation.
For all of the foregoing reasons, I urge the United States Senate to reject H.R. 2499 in its present form, and to propose legislation that honestly respects the critical civil and human rights objectives at the forefront of this issue. I also urge President Obama to fulfill his campaign promise to the Puerto Rican people and address this issue in a fair, open and transparent fashion.
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