EQUAL CITIZENSHIP IS NOW CLOSER THAN EVER

PRSSA RESPONSE TO THE WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE REPORT ON PUERTO RICO

The White House Task Force on Puerto Rico report came out today and it is now available at the PRSSA website. While providing unprecedented recommendations for economic and social development, the report also addressed the status issue and outlined the legitimate options for Puerto Rico’s political future.

Statehood and independence were described once again as viable options, but the report described the Commonwealth or Estado Libre Asociado as an acceptable choice. However, it did not undermine the ELA’s territorial nature. The report explicitly described the current status as subject to the Territorial Clause of Article Four of the Constitution. The Task Force expresses its preference for a two-tier self-determination process. The report’s recommended format creates two venues: a continued relationship with the federal government or separation via independence options. A continued relationship with the federal government encompasses only statehood or the current territorial status. The independence options include free association and stand-alone independence.

The proposed format allows for unambiguous options and is consistent with the federal government’s policies on Puerto Rico’s status from the Clinton administration onward. Once again, the “enhanced Commonwealth” option has been rendered unfeasible and illegal. The ambiguous “sovereignty” option that the Partido Popular’s platform seemingly endorses has been completely dismissed. There are no smoke and mirrors in this process.

For decades, the political debate in Puerto Rico has been polluted by distortions about the feasibility of an improved or enhanced ELA. It is because of these distortions that Puerto Rico remains a U.S. territory. The people of Puerto Rico have been lied to long enough, while this report forces the supporters of the current status or the illegal enhancing of it to finally support a non-territorial option. This is wishful thinking. The PPD leadership is likely to support bypassing the plebiscite vote and convening in a Constitutional Assembly to draft a document we already have. The PRSSA would like to make it clear: Puerto Rico does not need a new Constitution in order to pursue non-territorial options. The shady approach of convening a Constitutional Assembly is formally debunked, since there is no need to negotiate a new relationship with the United States unless independence is somehow the prevailing option. Anything short of supporting a non-territorial option would be cowardice and we will deem it as such.

It is now the time for statehood supporters to reach out to their neighbors to move past our political uncertainty. Let us protect our citizenship by voting for a truly permanent relationship with our great nation. The lie is over. Statehood is now the only way to ensure a better way of life for our future generations, while preserving the inherent values of American democracy.

Equal citizenship is now closer than ever. This is what it has always been about.