RESOLUTION TO REQUEST LULAC NATIONAL SUPPORT FOR PUERTO RICO ADMISSION ACT OF 2019 INTRODUCED BY US REPRESENTATIVE DARENSOTO

https://lulac.org/convention22/

RESOLUTION TO REQUEST LULAC NATIONAL SUPPORT FOR PUERTO RICO ADMISSION ACT OF 2019 INTRODUCED BY US REPRESENTATIVE DARENSOTO

WHEREAS, LULAC is our Nation’s oldest, largest, and most respected Hispano/Latino civil rights organization, established in 1929 with the mission to seek the advancement of Hispanic Americans in the areas of education, employment, and civil rights;

WHEREAS, through the Treaty of Paris of 1898, Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain and became a colony of the United States of America, subject to Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, also known as the «Territorial Clause»;

WHEREAS, in accordance with the Territorial Clause, Congress enforces unilateral plenary powers over the colonial territory of Puerto Rico, depriving the American citizens in the Island of equal civil rights;

WHEREAS, when the United States wages war, American citizens residing in Puerto Rico answer the call and fulfill their patriotic duty in defense of American prosperity, democracy and freedom; indeed, Puerto Rico has one of the highest participation rates per capita in any of the military branches of the United States;

WHEREAS, because of its colonial status, American citizens residing in Puerto Rico are denied the vote for the President of the United States, are denied proportional representation before Congress, and are denied equal access to federal programs and funds;

WHEREAS, in the past, the current colonial status of Puerto Rico was predicated on unfounded and misguided premises that it was the result of an agreement reached between the U.S. Government and the People of Puerto Rico, and that the colonial status guaranteed fiscal and political autonomy;

WHEREAS, in the last 15 years, all three branches of the U.S. Government have expressed their views that there is not nor was there ever a bilateral agreement whereby the People of Puerto Rico had fiscal or political autonomy, and that plenary power over Puerto Rico has always and continues to reside on Congress under the Territorial Clause;

WHEREAS, in 2012, 54.28% of voters in Puerto Rico rejected the territorial, colonial status;

WHEREAS, in 2016, by virtue of the Territorial Clause, Congress passed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, PROMESA, limiting self-government in Puerto Rico;

WHEREAS, in 2020, 52.52% of voters expressed their will that Puerto Rico become the 51^st State of the United States of America;

WHEREAS, on April 21, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States in United States v. Vaello-Madero found that under the Territorial Clause, Congress could discriminate against U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico, in effect sustaining the Insular Cases;

WHEREAS the aforementioned facts show that the current colonial status of Puerto Rico places plenary power in Congress, limits self-government, deprives its people of the tools it needs to improve the standard of living of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico, and it is the will of the people of Puerto Rico to redress this situation and attain true equality as U.S. citizens through statehood;

WHEREAS, currently there are two (2) bills before Congress that claim to address the question of Puerto Rico’s political status;

WHEREAS, only one of the bills before Congress, the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act or H.R. 1522, provides for a timely referendum to be held whereby U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico can express their will directly regarding statehood, and as such it is the only bill that guarantees a fair, just and expedient process of self­ determination; and

WHEREAS, LULAC and the Chapter of Puerto Rico have approved multiple resolutions supporting and requesting the Federal Government to provide the American citizens and residents of the colonial territory of Puerto Rico the opportunity to live and enjoy equal civil rights as their fellow American citizens from any other State of the Union;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that LULAC actively opposes the continuation of Puerto Rico’s political status under the Territorial Clause, that it supports and demands from the President and Congress that Puerto Rico be admitted as a State of the Union, and that it supports, endorses and will actively lobby in favor of H.R. or a counterpart, as well as its eventual signature by the President, and that all of these steps are taken to redress the continuing violations of civil rights of the American citizens residing in Puerto Rico.

Por Lcdo. Francisco J. González Magaz

Lea sobre la Convención LULAC a celebrarse en Puerto Rico:

https://lulac.org/convention22/

Resolución LULAC a Favor de la Estadidad para Puerto Rico a la Convención LULAC 2022 a celebrarse en Puerto Rico
Resolución LULAC a Favor de la Estadidad para Puerto Rico: – https://estado51prusa.com/?p=81500

Lea sobre la Convención LULAC 2022 a celebrarse en Puerto Rico:

https://lulac.org/convention22/

Resolución LULAC a Favor de la Estadidad para Puerto Rico a la Convención LULAC 2022 a celebrarse en Puerto Rico
Resolución LULAC a Favor de la Estadidad para Puerto Rico: – https://estado51prusa.com/?p=81500

Lea sobre la Convención LULAC 2022 a celebrarse en Puerto Rico: