The Bill to Free Puerto Rico

By Nelson Denis

War Against All Puerto Ricans

Congressman Luis Gutierrez has filed a historic bill on behalf of Puerto Rico. It creates a specific referendum, which enables Puerto Rico to choose between Independence and Commonwealth.

The “statehood” option is not included in this bill because the US congress will not give statehood to Puerto Rico…not with Donald Trump in the White House, the GOP in control of the entire legislature, and mass deportations on the Six O’Clock News.

The Gutierrez bill, also known as HR 900, allows Puerto Ricans living in the US to participate in the referéndum. This will increase the eligible electorate from 3.5 million, to roughly 9 million Puerto Ricans.

There is an understandable feeling that only Puerto Ricans living on the island should vote in this referendum. However, Puerto Ricans are a very large extended family. One million of us were forced to leave the island over the past twelve years, and nearly 800,000 of us settled in the Orlando, FL area.

With respect to the “statehood” option, it has been painfully clear for decades, that there are enormous obstacles within the US government, economy, and social structure, against the statehood of Puerto Rico. Rep. Gutierrez himself discussed several of these obstacles in a recent editorial.

It is time to resolve the political status of Puerto Rico…before the US Financial Control Board, and the people behind it, suck all the life out of the island.

Nelson Antonio Denis is a writer, film director, and former New York State Assemblyman

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