Never underestimate the power of an active Puerto Rican who is passionate about politics. Today at the Hispanic Leadership Network conference in Miami, the issue of the island’s political status and how poorly CNN handled it last night was front and center. A new post by Univision News presents a very detailed account of what both GOP candidates Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney had to say about the upcoming November plebiscite question.
Americans will never accept a flag with 51 stars in it?
Here is what was said and guess who was in the middle of it all? Elizabeth Cuevas-Neunder, the CEO of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce in Florida and an self-described Fortuñista. Here is an excerpt of what Unvision reported. It started with Gingrich bringing up the CNN question:
…Gingrich noted that the question was “one that unfortunately was not covered very well last night and I regret that Wolf Blitzer did not turn and ask the rest of us.”
“I have had a firm position on the right of the Puerto Rican people to have a referendum,” Gingrich said to applause. “I am not dictating the outcome of the referendum because there are several options and the Puerto Rican people have to make that decision.
“But I think they have every right and I support their right to have a referendum to decide on statehood or not and that is something which I would actively support as their right to have a referendum and then, as every other state has, to negotiate the process of accession if that’s what the people of Puerto Rico want to do,” he added.
Then it continues when Cuevas-Neander jumps in.
“Mr. Speaker, I am the lady of the question,” she said, standing up in the front of the audience. “Our Puerto Ricans have given more men and women to the United States Armed Forces than any other state in the union. We have four million Puerto Ricans in the United States who are voters. We have 52 percent of our children who are in poverty. The question is very simple – you want our vote, yes or no?”
“The question is do you believe that we are able to be a state or not? Simple.”
“I just said what I believe and if you don’t like it I am sorry we disagree,” replied Gingrich. “I believe the people of Puerto Rico should make the decision.”
“What I’m telling you is if the people of Puerto Rico make the decision that they want to be a state,” Gingrich continued to applause from the crowd, “I will work actively to help them negotiate the process of accession to the United States, but the people of Puerto Rico have to decide their future. I would welcome them if they make the decision, but I will not tell them what decision they should make.”
An hour later, according to Univision News, Mitt Romney talked about Puerto Rico. Romney supports statehood.
An hour later, Romney addressed the issue in his remarks at the conference, receiving a warmer response from the crowd, including from Cuevas-Neunder, who stood and applauded the former Massachusetts governor.
“I’m looking forward to the time when the people of Puerto Rico make their decision about becoming a state,” he said as the audience cheered. “Wow, we’ve got some friends here.”
“I think it’s in November you’re having a referendum and I expect the people of Puerto Rico will decide that they want to become a state and I can tell you that I will work with [Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño] to make sure that if that vote comes out in favor of statehood that we will go through the process in Washington to provide statehood to Puerto Rico.”
More bullshit Fortuno is one of the worst Governors Puerto Rico has ever had and it sounds like Cuevas-Neander wants to force the people of Puerto Rico to become a state against there will. The majority of Puerto Ricans don’t want statehood But Fortuno and Neander don’t care its my way or the highway and that ain’t going to happen.
This is the best reply ever!
Paul is absolutely right. Those two, Fortuno & Neander, are trying to force a lopsided vote down the throats of Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico because they think they are going to get a result of 51% in the plebicite. This is interesting because in 1950 when 99.9 % of the Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico wanted to vote to resolve the colonial situation of Puerto Rico, the United States Congress said they could only vote “yes or no” for the “constitution” that Munos Marin & ELA were pushing and which was drafted in the United States Congress. What a democracy we have in America. Go to hell with your “american tricks” and get the hell out of Boriken NOW!
I am glad that Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans are finally getting some respect and notoriety because of this, but the sad thing is that the perspective is very skewed. Puerto Rican Republicans (which are in the HUGE minority here in the states, and are definitely not the majority in PR either), whose agenda is statehood for Puerto Rico, are being highlighted and made to seem as if this is the prevailing wish of Puerto Ricans. There is a reason that in every plebiscite ends up resulting in a rejection of statehood for Puerto Rico. Now, Gingrich’s answer was very condescending in my eyes because all he says is that he feels that Puerto Rico should get the right to choose, but most people don’t know that a vote on the political status of Puerto Rico means absolutely NOTHING! It is nothing more than a recommendation made by the people of Puerto Rico that will most likely be ignored no matter which way it goes. This is an extremely complex issue that most non Puerto Rican Americans (because lets face it, we may be treated as second class citizens, but we are ALL Americans afterall) would just not understand.
BINGO!!!!
Unless you are a Puerto Rican from Chicago where those who actually turn out to vote (alas, no more than 20,000+ from a population of over 150,000+) vote Democrat.
And I wonder about New York…I am quite sure the overwhelming amount of Puerto Ricans there (and in Connecticut) vote Democrat as well.
This is just for a small minority vote in FL. In fact, our guess is that Fortuño association will mobilize PRIcan vote in US towards Obama, which is a bit sad because Obama’s position on status is poor.
The fact is that Puerto Ricans everywhere mostly vote Democrat, even the PNP, Fortuno’s party claims to be Democrat and sends delegates to the DNC. It’s only with Fortuno (at least over the past 20 years) that PNP’s are coming out as hardcore Republicans and it’s for mostly fiscal issues. I grew up in New Jersey, where there are about 500,000 Puerto Ricans (about 49% of the total Latino populatioin of the state) and we are by and large Democrat. The only real Puerto Rican Republicans are the ones who are wealthy or think they are and business owners (which unfortunately there aren’t many in the Boricua community), because even the moral right wing conservatives in our community realize how they benefit from the social services which are defended by the democrats. Another thing which is funny is that we really struggle to get the vote out (like you mentioned only about 20k out of 150k people come out to vote), but in PR over 85% of the registered voters come out, but that’s because they feel the consequences of your party not being in power is on a daily basis!
Ditto! Nico .. Willard and Newt were both condescending, Sorry mean no offense but Ms. Cuevas didn’t come across polish either..
None taken! She was passionate but we kind of threw up when she praised Fortuño.
As my dear aunt Sixta would say, “MAS DE LO MISMO CON MANTEQUILLA Y SAL” (literally “more of the same, with butter and salt”) No candidate, president or whatever can make any other assertion than to support the decision, we the people of Puerto Rico make. According to the law (PL 447, PL 600; US Congress) the U.S. Congress determines what the status of Puerto Rico is and will be. So far the U.S. Congress does not want or is willing to something about the relationship with the colony of Puerto Rico! In a previous post I stated that if Puerto Rico were to be economically efficiently well managed, so that wealth were to be created, most likely Congress will not hesitate in giving us a political solution. Until that happens they are happy to give us the leftovers and maintain the status quo. Let us put shame on them by doing what is right!
Yup!
Actually, it’s beyond that. Puerto Rico actually outperforms about a third of the states in terms of creating wealth and adding to the economy. There are still lots of American companies there like McNeil (who makes Tylenol), Johnson & Johnson, etc… Although it was much greater before gov. rosello allowed the expiration of the law that allowed the pharma and other businesses to operate without paying state tax, once those companies left, the contribution to the American economy waned a little, and Puerto Rico stopped being the pharmaceutical capital of the world!
And it is still dependent on the US for its economy and the island’s public sector is still large and has actually grown again this year.
We should cut any aid to Puerto Rico if they do not want to become a state. Is all they want is MONEY?
yeah, that is all we want, money, you are so right, we would actually want self-determination and btw, it would cost US 19 billion dollars if PR were to become the 51st state of the Union. We doubt American taxpayers would approve.
Really, you are just trying to say something to piss people off, right? Because if you cared to know, you would research and find out that it’s CONGRESS who won’t allow PR to become a state. The US benefits TOO much from PR being a colony… oops, I mean commonwealth!
That is true. But the point is that why wait for Congress?
Thank you American Bill, you got it right; we don’t want to become a state. We have been telling you this since that damn day in July of 1898. We want to be Boricuas, we always have. We want to preserve our distinct identity, our distinct culture and our distinct Puerto Rican dialect of the Spanish language. The United States created the dependency in Puerto Rico to make us think that we could never stand up on our own. We believe in God, we always have and he will guide us. Get over it Bill, we don’t love you and we want to run our own country so we can fix it ourselves. In the words of Jose de Diego; “Go with the devil and leave us with God.” Thank you from Borikua Al.
Mabrika, Greetings, As a Taino Descendant, Puerto Rico has been treated unfairly for many decades, first the invasion of the Spaniards who stole most of the gold, the many tests that have been done to our people hidden by lies. The Military testing grounds that have kicked many people from their homes.
With great leadership Boriken ( Puerto Rico) will be able to be a successful and prosperous country on its own. – Akitchitay Urayoel
What great leadership?
Well, there is none. So till that happens the Island will continue to suffer. The turn around will be with communities helping each other. We can not rely on leadership its all lies and propaganda. The key is unity among people. Akitchitay Urayoel
According to the US Supreme Court, in which we have a seating judge of Puerto Rican ethnicity, we are second class citizens. (De Lima v. Bidwell, 182 U.S. 1 (1901) and Downes v. Bidwell, 182 U.S. 244 (1901)). Thus, Puerto Rico was foreign and domestic at the same time. “By classifying Puerto Rico as an unincorporated territory, it appears as if the Supreme Court was trying to reap the benefits of the United States‘new possession without having to accept the “ignorant and lawless brigands that infest Puerto Rico.” (See Downes, 182 U.S. at 341.Whilst in an international sense Puerto Rico was not a foreign country, since it was subject to the sovereignty of and was owned by the United States, it was foreign to the United States in a domestic sense because the island had not been incorporated into the United States, but was merely appurtenant thereto as a possession) as fellow Americans.” (Cardozo Journal of Law & Gender, 296, Vol. 16:291) It’s interesting to read how these cases asking basically the same question get different answers, thus creating the complex situation of today. We should demand US Congress to do the right thing; allow Puerto Rico to be a nation. As a nation we can force ourselves to perform. There will not be more welfare. I am of the opinion that we need to look at this using the left side of the brain. With time, effort and desire we can and we will accomplish the task of creating a NATION!
Good luck to this Island ,they should try to make it on their own without aid from US.