[Note: The print version of this article said there was no minimum wage in Puerto Rico. This was incorrect and was corrected in MIM Notes 160. In fact, U.S. companies in Puerto Rico do have to pay the minimum wage of $5.15. The rest of Puerto Rico is required by Puerto Rico to pay $4.25/hour.]
Pedro Rossello', governor of Puerto Rico and willing lackey of u.s. colonialism, spoke at Harvard University in mid- February. A graduate of Yale medical school who later went on to finish his medical training at Harvard, Rossello' was elected chair of the New Progressive Party, a pro-statehood party, in 1991. He was then elected Governor in 1992 and reelected in 1996 by a large margin. He was at Harvard to commemorate Puerto Rico's "100 years of solitude" (100 years of colonialism). It was 100 years ago in 1998 that the u.s. invaded Puerto Rico and took over as its colonial master.
At times Rossello' sounds almost radical in his opposition to the current status of Puerto Rico which he correctly labels colonialism while calling for self-determination. But this radical rhetoric is just a cover that helps him sell a referendum on statehood as self-determination for the Puerto Rican people. As a "Freely associated state" or commonwealth, the Puerto Rican people have u.s. citizenship but if they live in Puerto Rico they can not vote on u.s. ballots. Puerto Rican's can and are expected to fight in u.s. wars, and Rossello' pointed out that Puerto Ricans sustain combat causalities in u.s. wars in numbers far exceeding their proportion in the population. Rossello''s goal, like that of other colonial lackeys who desire greater access to their master's wealth and privilege, is to gain full statehood for Puerto Rico as the 51st state.
Congressman Young from Alaska has proposed a bill in the u.s. congress, now referred to as the Young bill or HR856, which calls for a political status referendum in Puerto Rico. Rossello' refers to this as the "self determination process," an "orderly method" which would allow the people of Puerto Rico to decide what they want with all the definitions spelled out clearly for them. But this so-called self determination is not real democracy. It is not possible to talk about the Puerto Rican people exercising their right to self determination with u.s. troops occupying their island and the u.s. government controlling the country.
The referendum would offer the Puerto Rican people three options: current commonwealth status, statehood, or status as an independent republic. One of the reasons Rossello' is such a supporter of this referendum is that in similar previous referendums Puerto Ricans have supported statehood in large numbers so the chance that it would win is high. In Puerto Rico's last country-wide vote on status in 1993, 48.6% voted to remain a u.s. commonwealth, 46.3% for statehood and 4.4% percent for independence. [Note that MIM in no way sees this as truly representative of the people of Puerto Rico.] Commonwealth status, which dates back to 1952, means that Puerto Ricans are legally u.s. citizens and may serve in the armed forces. But they pay no federal taxes and cannot vote for president.
Rossello' said "the Puerto Rican electorate should be given the right to end colonialism." But MIM agrees with the representative from the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican POWs and Political Prisoners who asked during the question and answer period: "How can you speak about self determination without the withdrawal of u.s. troops from Puerto Rico?" Self determination is not possible for an occupied people. Any referendum held under such conditions does not offer the people real power and real freedom of choice.
Several Puerto Rican activists protested outside the talk before it began shouting "Piti Yanqui go to Hell, Puerto Rico not for Sale." Those who spoke during the question period in favor of independence got loud applause but only from a minority in the audience: most of the Puerto Ricans in the crowd were Rossello' supporters who cheered loudly when he gave the stupid response to one question about the national oppression of Puerto Rican people in this country "You have a choice, you can go back to Puerto Rico." As if in Puerto Rico the people are all living free from national oppression because they are not in the minority. This demonstrates Rossello' 's total lack of understanding of the concept of colonialism and makes it clear that he only uses the term as rhetoric to appease the Puerto Rican peoples genuine desire for self determination.
A Puerto Rican activist with Latinos for Social Change pointed out that in 1917 u.s. citizenship was imposed on Puerto Rico after the Puerto Rican legislature voted against it. And in both Puerto Rico and the united states they have criminalized the struggle for independence. He pointed out that resolution 1514 in the United Nations states that every colonial country has a right to self determination and can use every means necessary to struggle for independence. When Rossello' tried to respond to him by also suggesting he go back to Puerto Rico he pointed out that 60% of Puerto Ricans on the island live off of food stamps, 13% of the island is occupied by the u.s. military and unemployment is 19%. MIM would add to this that Rossello' himself said that as many Puerto Ricans live in the u.s. as on the island (where the population is 3.8 million) so carrying out the struggle for self-determination for Puerto Rican people within u.s. borders is an important part of the national liberation struggle.
After he had spoke for about a minute both Rossello' and the Harvard moderator tried to shut up this activist, telling him he could only ask a question and could not state his opinion. They threatened to call security when he went on for another sentence. And rather than respond to the activist's statements, Rossello' said "you have demonstrated what system you would impose on the Puerto Rican people by your actions here tonight." This is ironic considering that the pro-colonialism view is given hours of free speaking time but when the pro-independence view attempts to speak for a minute (less time than several of the other pro- statehood questions), the speaker is threatened with arrest.
As we commemorate the 100 years of u.s. imperialism in Puerto Rico MIM fights for genuine self determination for the Puerto Rican people. In the united states, within the belly of the beast, we organize again u.s. military and political control over the island. At the same time, both in Puerto Rico and the u.s., we organize the people for the national liberation struggle that will overthrow imperialism and allow the Puerto Rican people to finally exercise their right to self-determination. Commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Puerto Rican colonialism by joining MIM in the fight to overthrow imperialism.