I see your point, Jose, about PR not sending missles over to the U.S.–but at the same time, I think Mala’s larger point, that pandering to Latinos is taking an easy way out of confronting colonization–is right on. If there is no tension (which I disagree that there’s not, it’s just not as big of a tension as the problems in gaza are), then why does he need to issue a statement about it right now at this moment, when the whole world is standing by and justifying the complete slaughter of a group of people? I think it’s taking the easy way out–I’m hoping with all of my fingers crossed that his relative silence is based on his unwillingness to conflict with the current administrations stances–and maybe he’ll be more proactive once he actually takes office.

I just hope there is a Gaza left once he takes office.

Last time I checked my Rican history Puerto Rico was invaded as an act of war on July 25th 1898 as part of the Spanish-American war. Spain wasn’t exactly in a gift giving mood with the U.S., so let’s not revise history.

A territory is just a pretty way of saying colony.

Obama has little reason to be “pandering” at this moment. Every modern president of the United States has made a statement on Puerto Rico’s status, Obama might be following this trend, but he’s certainly not fanning the flames of this hot topic just so that a few Latinos can see he’s listening to our needs.

The conflict in Gaza is not new and it is certainly nothing like Puerto Rico. Yes, we are a colony, but there have been several opportunities to change the current situation and the people of Puerto Rico have chosen the status quo.

Abner Feal - I agree entirely with your post.

Self-determination is defined “as free choice of one’s own acts without external compulsion, and especially as the freedom of the people of a given territory to determine their own political status or independence from their current state”.

So based on that definition you are absolutely right, Puerto Ricans should decide the solution. But Puerto Ricans have been voting for a while to determine their status and the results have always been a split down the middle between statehood and Commonwealth (”Estado Libre Asociado”) supporters and less than 5% for outright independence.

There were two referendums during former Governor Pedro Rossello administration (1992-2000) and in the end Puerto Ricans were no closer to a final solution to their status issue than they where before him. In the last one in 1998, Governor Rossello tried to exclude the commonwealth option, but commonwealth supporters backed the “none of the above option” and gained with 50.3% of the vote. Anyone who believes in Puerto Ricans right to Self-Determination will have to respect that about half the population currently prefers the status quo.

Statehood and independence supporters think (and I happen to agree) that the status quo is a colonial status because Puerto Ricans are under the authority of a president and a congress for whom they do not vote and are subject to the rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court (whose judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate). That’s a colony, right? Well, looks like one to me…

But if in the exercise of their right of self-determination Puerto Ricans choose to live under that system…what can Obama do to resolve the status issue in four years? Impose a referendum in which Puerto Ricans will have to select between statehood and independence and exclude the current commonwealth status? I’d love to see that. If he manages to do that, I will believe then that he is “The Messiah”….

Having said that, if 95% percents of Puerto Ricans reject independence, how can you say that “Puerto Rico is a territory occupied by the United States?” I’m from the Dominican Republic. Our country was occupied twice by the U.S. (last one in 1965, courtesy of LBJ and 42,000 marines). I lived 23 years in Puerto Rico (moved to Florida last June), and I don’t recall seeing U.S. troops or checkpoints in the streets.

Finally, I don’t think Puerto Rico status registers as an issue for the majority of the U.S. Latino population and most Puerto Ricans in the U.S. live in heavily democratic states (except for those in Florida). So why do you think Obama is using this issue to pander to the Latino vote is beyond me.

“See here’s my problem, again, with people waving the referendum flag as proof of Puerto Rico’s self-determination: the referendums are non-binding, as in the U.S. is under no obligation to respect the results”

That’s the way it’s always been, per the U.S. constitution, Article IV, Section 3 regarding “New States”:

“New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new States shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.”

Utah was made to wait almost 50 years for statehood by the U.S. congress because concers they had about “poligamous marriage” and other issues (see here for more info on this). If you want to call that “colonialism”, that’s your prerogative and you can blame the founding fathers for that.

Regards,

Ulises

You can’t even compare Gaza and Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico should NOT be a state. They have their own culture, traditions, etc. and SPANISH is a vital factor in keeping their traditions. I am almost positive that they would not want to be a state if they actually knew what they were getting into, but unfortunately for them, they don’t. They see the “USA” as the best country in the world. I may not be Puerto Rican, but it sure does put me in awe when you see how people reject who they are because they’ve been told for decades that they’re not good enough. I’ve been there countless times and I simply can’t understand why they under-estimate who they are so much-PUERTO RICANS from Puerto Rico(very different from Anglos, African-Americans, even Puerto Ricans on the mainland, who’ve been extremely assimilated)

Besides the Puerto Ricans who seem to have low self-esteems, most of the immigrants I met over there all tended to vote for pro-statehood politicians. I personally think they shouldn’t even have the right to vote for something so sensible as the status of Puerto Rico, for they have and always will have their cultures, so why mess up an entire islands culture;one that is so rich?

All I see is an island that has been manipulated by the United States(imperialism), an island whose people have VERY low self-esteem, an island whose corrupt leaders has caused loads of damage, an island who needs to take a look back at their history.

This is a subject which to this day amazes me because it seems no one ever asks just how much money comes from the United States and what is going to happen once that money is cut off because Puerto Gains it’s so called independence? Let’s see most of the jobs come from US based companies which I’m sure will leave So what are we going to do once we are giving our so called independence? How are we going to support ourselves? Nobody ever asks these questions we are too caught up discussing stupid stuff that has no relevance to the real issues that are going to come about from Independence. We need to be working on our infrastructure, our technology, and our commerce instead of wasting time worrying about what’s going on in the Gaza or anywhere else in the world. Oh and for those of you who didn’t know this one of the ultimatums congress gave Puerto Rico in order to become a state they need to give up their culture and that I have a real problem with.

Kay,

You do cover a lot of ground with a few words, but I’m going to address only this:

“All I see is an island that has been manipulated by the United States(imperialism), an island whose people have VERY low self-esteem, an island whose corrupt leaders has caused loads of damage, an island who needs to take a look back at their history.”

To which I reply: Why didn’t Puerto Rico seek their independence from Spain before the Americans took the island from them in 1898? I mean, there was the “Grito de Lares” rebellion, but that was crushed by the Spaniards in a few hours… and that was it. By the time the Americans arrived the Cubans were almost done with the Spaniards but there was no rebellion in Puerto Rico, even though at that time the socioeconomic conditions in the island were pretty dire. I mean, the Spaniards as colonist really suck, there’s no other way to put it… but again, I repeat, Puerto Rico put up with it. Why? Who was manipulating them at that time…?

Most of the people in Puerto Rico do not believe in independence. You ask any statehood or commonwealth supporter why don’t they support independence and you get the same answer: Shaking their head, a look on their face that kind of say “look, you don’t understand”, not even letting you finish your questions and then the obligatory “Independence is not for us, we would not be able to survive, there are no resources…”. I would try to point out that there are countries with smaller territories, less resources (like Singapore and The Bahamas) that succeeded after independence, but I would still get the same mantra “independence is not for us”.

So yes, it actually look like some kind of massive brainwash, but I’m convinced that it preceded the arrival of the U.S. in 1898.