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<h1 id="reader-title">Federal Judge Juan R. Torruella: “Puerto
Rico is in a political apartheid…we need to organize a civil
resistance”</h1>
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<p>September 15, 2016<br>
</p>
<p><span>Judge Juan R. Torruella is Puerto Rican. He is
also the longest-standing federal judge in Puerto
Rican history.</span></p>
<p><span>Judge Torruella has served on the federal bench
for 42 years, from 1974 through 2016. He is <em>still</em>
a high-ranking federal judge.</span></p>
<p><span>For 32 years (1984 through today) he has served
on the US First Circuit Court of Appeals. Seven of
those years (1994 through 2001) he was the <span><a
target="_blank"
href="http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/juan-r-torruella">Chief
Justice</a></span> of the First Circuit.</span></p>
<p><span>Torruella is also a leading interpreter of what
is known as “the Insular Cases” (<span><em><a
target="_blank"
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balzac_v._Porto_Rico">Balzac
v. Porto Rico</a></em>; </span><em>De Lima v.
Bidwell</em>; <em>Goetze v. US</em>; <em>Dooley v.
US</em>; <em>Armstrong v. US</em>; <em>Downes v.
Bidwell</em>; <em>Huus v. New York and Porto Rico
Steamship Co.</em>) and he wrote what many legal
scholars consider the <span><a target="_blank"
href="https://www.law.upenn.edu/journals/jil/articles/volume29/issue2/Torruella29U.Pa.J.Int%27lL.283%282007%29.pdf">definitive
analysis</a></span> of those cases:</span></p>
<p><span>In 2013, Judge Torruella called for a <span><a
target="_blank"
href="http://elvocero.com/sugerencia-firme-y-decidida/">general
strike against US chain stores</a></span>, by the
consumers of Puerto Rico.</span></p>
<p><span>Over the past three years, his feelings have
deepened.</span></p>
<p><span>Five days ago – on September 10, 2016 – Judge
Torruella delivered a <span><a target="_blank"
href="http://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/nota/torruellainvitaalaresistenciacivil-2239885/">thundering
speech</a></span> to the <em>Colegio de Abogados</em>
(the Bar Association of Puerto Rico) in Río Grande,
PR.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>JUDGE TORRUELLA’S SPEECH</strong></span></p>
<p><span>Here is a video of the <span><a target="_blank"
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGUDEQ9CSe8">complete
speech</a></span>.</span></p>
<p><span>This is what Judge Torruella, of the US Circuit
Court of Appeals (1<sup>st</sup> Circuit) had to say
about the current relationship between Puerto Rico and
the US.</span></p>
<p><span>The time code for each statement is also
provided:</span></p>
<p><span>“The PROMESA bill makes our own elections
superfluous, here in Puerto Rico.” <strong>(11:20 –
11:27)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“The principal purpose of PROMESA is to establish
<span><a target="_blank"
href="https://waragainstallpuertoricans.com/2016/05/21/a-fake-promesa-for-puerto-rico-the-new-financial-control-board-bill/">a
collection agency</a> </span>for bondholders.”
<strong>(11:54 – 12:03)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“We have a castrated government.” <strong>(12:20
– 12:24)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“The imposition of a <span><a target="_blank"
href="https://waragainstallpuertoricans.com/2016/06/30/puerto-rico-gets-a-financial-control-board/">Financial
Control Board</a></span> is the most demeaning,
un-democratic, and colonial act in our entire history
with the United States.” <strong>(13:00 – 13:45)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“We have fewer rights today, than we had under
Spain in 1898.” <strong>(15:50 – 16:10)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“Puerto Rico is in a political apartheid.” <strong>(25:10
– 25:30)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“From 1920 until today, the <a target="_blank"
href="https://waragainstallpuertoricans.com/2016/03/08/new-york-times-agrees-no-more-jones-act-in-puerto-rico-2/"><u>Jones
Act</u></a> has cost Puerto Ricans $75.8
billion…which is more than the current debt.” <strong>(33:45
– 34:10)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“Thanks to the Jones Act, Puerto Rico subsidizes
27.7% of the US Merchant Marine.” <strong>(34:20 –
34:45)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“Puerto Rico is the fourth-largest market in the
world for US products. Puerto Ricans buy more US goods
per capita, <span><a target="_blank"
href="https://waragainstallpuertoricans.com/2015/12/31/federal-judge-juan-r-torruella-calls-for-a-general-strike-of-u-s-chain-stores-in-puerto-rico/">than
any other country on earth</a></span><strong>.</strong>”
<strong>(34:40 – 34:45)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“We must unite and be prepared to take action. We
must not be docile, or accept whatever is imposed upon
us. (this was followed by a 45-second standing
ovation) <strong>(47:15 – 48:30)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“We must defend our civil rights, and undertake
civil resistance.” <strong>(49:00 – 49:15)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“This <span><a target="_blank"
href="https://waragainstallpuertoricans.com/2015/11/01/where-are-the-puerto-rican-celebrities/">civil
resistance</a></span> is in the great tradition of
Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King.” <strong>(49:15
– 49:45)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“We must organize a movement of civil
resistance.” (standing ovation of 30 seconds) <strong>(50:00
– 50:40)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“The most effective way to get their attention is
through their pockets…and so we should organize an
economic boycott.” <strong>(51:15 – 51:30)</strong></span></p>
<p><span>“President Obama, I respectfully request that you
free <span><a target="_blank"
href="https://waragainstallpuertoricans.com/2016/03/05/oscar-lopez-rivera-and-pedro-albizu-campostwo-great-puerto-rican-heroes/">Oscar
López Rivera</a></span>.” (45-second standing
ovation) <strong>(54:15 – 55:00)</strong></span></p>
<p><span><strong>ATTENTION MUST BE PAID</strong></span></p>
<p><span>As Arthur Miller once wrote in <em>Death of a
Salesman</em>, “attention must be paid to such a
man.”</span></p>
<p><span><strong><em>All</em></strong> of the above
statements were made during an hour-long speech…which
was researched, written, and delivered by Judge
Torruella himself.</span></p>
<p><span>The statements are not slogans from an excited
college student. They are not threats from a left-wing
radical, a “suspected terrorist,” or a person under
FBI surveillance.</span></p>
<p><span>They are the words of federal Judge Juan
Torruella, the second-highest ranking Puerto Rican
jurist in the US.</span></p>
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