FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2011
Center for Puerto Rico Equality & Advancement to hold
Policy Briefing at the U.S. Congress
The Center for Puerto Rico Equality & Advancement (CPREA), an independent and non-partisan policy and education organization that advocates on behalf of civil rights and equality for Puerto Rico, will present its Spring 20ll Status and Economic Policy Briefing Tuesday, May 3rd at the Rayburn Office Building of the U.S. House of Representatives, Room 2237, at 3:00 p.m. The briefing will include presentations by four panelists followed by a Q&A.
The briefing will focus on the March 2011 Report of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status, which made recommendations to resolve the question of the territory’s future status, regarding Federal programs and the islands; and concerning the insular economy.
Confirmed panelists include: Puerto Rico’s Secretary of State, Kenneth D. McClintock, advisor and counsel on national security and territorial law to the administrations of President’s Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Howard L. Hills; Graduate School of Business of the University of Puerto Rico Professor Carlos A. Colon De Armas; and Democratic National Committee Member Andres W. Lopez. The moderator will be Jeffrey L. Farrow, coordinator of policy regarding Puerto Rico and other territories in Clinton and Carter White Houses and former Staff Director of the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on territories issues.
In the evening, the law firm of Akin/Gump will host a reception and fundraiser for CPREA.
CPREA President Rafael Rodriguez said in announcing the briefing that, “As we seek to deal with Puerto Rico’s territorial status and economy, it is important that we lay out a path to attain true equal social/economic equality for the 3.7 million U.S. citizens of the islands. While staying true to our central message of Civil Rights and Equality for Puerto Rico, this status and economic policy discussion will strongly argue why Puerto Rico’s territorial status is in the way of economic growth and potential, and why there can be no parity without equality.”
The Center for Puerto Rico Equality & Advancement (CPREA) is committed to advancing a bold, innovative course of policy analysis, education, and action aimed at empowering the people of Puerto Rico to attain their full rights – and discharge their full responsibilities – as citizens of the United States of America.
This seems to be another satellite organization of the statehood party, the New Progressive Party (NPP). All the participants or panelist are supporters of statehood for the island. Consequently the forum will not sustained an objective discussion of the status of the island nor of the White House report. This will be one more propaganda mechanism for promoting statehood. Some of the participants are hired guns of the govt. of P.R. You could very well rename the forum as a Statehood Briefing on Puerto Rico. There is really no policy involved in the discussion, except maybe a mention of the plebiscite the governor has announced and that you could have covered in a brief press release.
So how do we independentistas crash this party and make it about independence? Is there any info on being able to go down there? Is it open to the public? i’m all for agitating…
It is open to public. It’s in the US Congress. Bring the guaguas!!!!
I had a very LONG conversation with the CPREA Friday. Over 40 minutes. Yeyo, your political instinct is dead on. Mr. Rodriguez is convinced that Puerto Rican statehood is a political reality in the United States political landscape. More to come on this.