<div dir="ltr">
<span class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-1 gmail-c2-2 gmail-c2-3 gmail-c2-4 gmail-c2-5 gmail-c2-6 gmail-c2-7 gmail-c2-8"><h3 class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-h3 gmail-c2-1 gmail-c2-2 gmail-c2-c gmail-c2-d gmail-c2-41 gmail-c2-n gmail-c2-3l gmail-c2-32 gmail-c2-42 gmail-c2-3 gmail-c2-43 gmail-c2-44 gmail-c2-34 gmail-c2-45 gmail-c2-46 gmail-c2-47 gmail-c2-48"><font size="1"><span style="font-weight:normal"><a href="https://elfrentepr.org/blog/f/the-fallacy-of-statehood-win-in-puerto-rico-elections">https://elfrentepr.org/blog/f/the-fallacy-of-statehood-win-in-puerto-rico-elections</a></span></font></h3><h3 class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-h3 gmail-c2-1 gmail-c2-2 gmail-c2-c gmail-c2-d gmail-c2-41 gmail-c2-n gmail-c2-3l gmail-c2-32 gmail-c2-42 gmail-c2-3 gmail-c2-43 gmail-c2-44 gmail-c2-34 gmail-c2-45 gmail-c2-46 gmail-c2-47 gmail-c2-48"><font size="4">The Fallacy of Statehood Win in Puerto Rico Elections</font></h3><div class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-div gmail-c2-1 gmail-c2-2 gmail-c2-49 gmail-c2-3 gmail-c2-4 gmail-c2-5 gmail-c2-6 gmail-c2-7 gmail-c2-8"><span class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-1 gmail-c2-2 gmail-c2-c gmail-c2-d gmail-c2-31 gmail-c2-32 gmail-c2-33 gmail-c2-3 gmail-c2-4a gmail-c2-4b gmail-c2-34 gmail-c2-4c gmail-c2-4d gmail-c2-4e gmail-c2-4f">November 16, 2020</span><span class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-1 gmail-c2-2 gmail-c2-c gmail-c2-d gmail-c2-31 gmail-c2-32 gmail-c2-33 gmail-c2-4g gmail-c2-4h gmail-c2-3 gmail-c2-4a gmail-c2-4b gmail-c2-34 gmail-c2-4c gmail-c2-4d gmail-c2-4e gmail-c2-4f"></span><span> - by Professor Ana M. López<strong class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-15 gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-3"> <br></strong></span></div></span><span class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-1 gmail-c2-2 gmail-c2-3 gmail-c2-4 gmail-c2-5 gmail-c2-6 gmail-c2-7 gmail-c2-8"><div class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-p gmail-c2-1 gmail-c2-2 gmail-c2-c gmail-c2-d gmail-c2-31 gmail-c2-32 gmail-c2-33 gmail-c2-4i gmail-c2-4j gmail-c2-4k gmail-c2-3 gmail-c2-4l gmail-c2-4 gmail-c2-34 gmail-c2-5 gmail-c2-6 gmail-c2-7 gmail-c2-8 gmail-x-rt"><p style="margin:0px"><span><strong class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-15 gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-3"><br></strong></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span>It
is a fallacy that this consultation constituted a majority vote and
that the people of Puerto Rico “staked their claim to admission as the
51st State of the Union.”</span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><br></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span>First,
elections in a colonial regime cannot be a binding expression of a
people since the people of Puerto Rico are not free to engage in a
democratic process because of 122 years of US military occupation and
colonial rule. What takes place in Puerto Rico every four years is of
little utility to the people of Puerto Rico. Whomever wins colonial
elections merely becomes an administrator of the colony for the
interests of the US and Wall Street. Additionally, colonial elections
have no real authority, and the elected officials have no real power
since all local economic decisions are made by the Financial Supervisory
and Management Board created by federal legislation (PROMESA, 2016).
This fiscal board was not an elected body by and of the people of Puerto
Rico, but is instead authorized and executed by the US Congress where
there is no Puerto Rican voting representation. Furthermore, Congress
specifically addressed this so-called plebiscite and stated that it will
not be binding.</span></p><div><img src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/a27d2b16-a6d8-4bfa-8e1b-738a22aa971e/El%20Frente%20projection%20in%20DC_DSF6150.jpg/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:1280" class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-img gmail-c2-1 gmail-c2-2 gmail-c2-1r gmail-c2-4t gmail-c2-3b gmail-c2-3c gmail-c2-32 gmail-c2-33 gmail-c2-1a gmail-c2-3 gmail-c2-4 gmail-c2-5 gmail-c2-6 gmail-c2-7 gmail-c2-8" alt="Lolita Lebron, Capitol Building, image projection, independence, Puerto Rico" title="Lolita Lebron, Capitol Building, image projection, independence, Puerto Rico" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="444" height="278">Graphic
featuring the image of Lolita Lebron projected on the side of the
Museum of the American Indian with the Capitol Building in the
background. Photo Credit: John Melendez Rivera</div><p style="margin:0px"><span><em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3">What is the fuss about this statehood win?</em></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3"><br></em></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span>The
“yes” or “no” vote for statehood in Puerto Rico on Nov. 3, 2020 is
neither a “plebiscite” nor a “referendum”. It constitutes a mere
consultation, poll or survey of approximately 50% of the registered
voter’s opinion. Less voters turned out for this election than ever
before. A real plebiscite would be supervised by the United Nations and
would outline the consequences of the peoples’ decision. Puerto Rico,
as a colony of the US, is reviewed every year by the United Nations
Decolonization Committee and their resolutions have consistently called
upon the United States to immediately transfer power to the people of
Puerto Rico to enable the free exercise of their self-determination and
inalienable right to independence in accordance with General Assembly
Resolution 1514 (XV). Since “plebiscites” have often been used to
annex a territory or country, another viable alternative is to utilize a
people’s constituent assembly for creating a new government and
constitution for an independent nation. It would be consistent with how
the original 13 United States colonies went about their independence
against Britain. The indignant question posed to the Puerto Rican
people on Nov. 3, 2020 was also not a referendum. So, what is the
distinction between a plebiscite and a referendum?</span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><br></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3"><strong class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-15 gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-3">A Plebiscite</strong></em> <em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3">is</em> <em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3">a
direct vote of the qualified voters of a state in regard to some
important public question or the vote by which the people of a political
unit determine independence or annexation with another country.
Originally plebiscites were used by the Roman Empire to incorporate
occupied territories and later used by Napoleon Bonaparte to do the same
in Europe for France.</em></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3">In
Europe, plebiscites are elections held to decide two paramount types of
political issues- government legitimacy and the nationality of
territories contested between governments. Following the French
Revolution in 1789, the plebiscite was widely popular in France, rooted
as it was in the ideas of nationalism and popular sovereignty. In the
20th century, totalitarian regimes have employed plebiscites to
legitimize their rule. Plebiscites also have been used as a device for
deciding the nationality of territories. For example, after World War I,
the League of Nations proposed 11 such plebiscites, the most notable of
which was held in 1935 in the Saar, where its inhabitants chose
overwhelmingly to return to Germany rather than become a part of France</em><em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3"><strong class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-15 gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-3">.</strong></em></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3"><strong class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-15 gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-3"><br></strong></em></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3"><strong class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-15 gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-3">In contrast, a referendum is</strong></em> <em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3">the
right reserved to the people to approve or reject an act of the
legislature, or the right of the people to approve or reject legislation
that has been referred to them by the legislature. The referendum
power is created by state constitutions and is conferred on the citizens
of a state or a local
subdivision of the state. Referendums provide the people with a means
of expressing their opinion on proposed legislation before it becomes
operative as a law. A referendum does not permit the people to
invalidate a law that is already operative but rather suspends or annuls
a law that has not yet gone into effect. In this sense, a referendum is
similar to a governor's </em><a class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-a gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4q gmail-c2-c gmail-c2-d gmail-c2-4r gmail-c2-f gmail-c2-4s gmail-c2-3 gmail-c2-40 gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-16 gmail-c2-q" href="https://webmail.hostos.cuny.edu/owa/redir.aspx?REF=hWmfjyHcyUheESL5RbJk3box8O_FbbzIc7HEyUBP0ONtTEZU_IfYCAFodHRwczovL2xlZ2FsLWRpY3Rpb25hcnkudGhlZnJlZWRpY3Rpb25hcnkuY29tL1ZldG8." rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3">Veto</em></a> <em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3">power.</em> <em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3"> Also, by referendum, the people may reinstate an act that the legislature has expressly repealed.</em></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3"><br></em></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span>It
is a fallacy that the statehood option promoted by the Partido Nuevo
Progresista (PNP) which received a 52% “yes” vote in the polls
represented a “majority” of the Puerto Rican people. It was not a
majority when only half of the registered voters participated. Almost
half of the participating voters cast a “NO” vote to Statehood.
Therefore, only approximately 26% of voters casted a “YES” vote. That
is clearly NOT a majority. What is significant is that 50 % of eligible
voters essentially boycotted these colonial elections and did not
participate in this farce. Historically, Puerto Rico has had a high
voter turnout culture. In the 1990’s, 93% of registered voters
participated. Over the last 20 years with the rise of governmental
corruption and abuse, the electorate has shown their discontent with
corrupt governance and the dysfunction of the colonial two party system
by not voting. Recall the summer of 2019 and the peoples uprising that
ousted the Pro-Statehood governor Ricardo Roselló due to corruption,
immorality, an economic crisis, poor handling of hurricane Maria,
allegedly stealing hurricane relief funds, lying about the 4,645 deaths,
etc. <br></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><br></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span>When looking at the governor’s election results and the
“statehood” status consultation, it is evident that the Statehood party
has received lesser votes than in previous elections. This year the
statehood advocates PNP received 35% of the votes in the governor’s race
due to the insertion of other political parties. The Partido
Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP) and Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana
(MVC) combined obtained almost 30% of the votes and Partido Popular
Democrático (PPD) the other 33%.</span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><br></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span>The
6 million Puerto Ricans dispersed throughout the US live “statehood”
every day and it “isn’t pretty”. The imposed US citizenship of 1917 does
not grant Puerto Ricans the same “privileges and immunities” of the US
Constitution. <br></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><br></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span>We are treated as “second class citizens” and suffer the
same social, economic and racial inequalities that other racial groups
are subjected to like the Black, Mexican and Native American
communities. Puerto Ricans go from being an “external colony” to an
“internal colony” community in the US. A vote for statehood is not
progressive; it is the culmination of the immoral colonial objective-the
extinction of the Puerto Rican nation and the annihilation of the
Puerto Rican nationality.</span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><br></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span>Finally,
the illegality and immorality of making Puerto Rico a state lies
exclusively in the hands of the US Congress and not in Puerto Rico. The
Senate and the House of Representatives will have to vote to approve on
whether it incorporates Puerto Rico into the federal union. That a
nation could be incorporated into another nation without negative
consequences for the country being absorbed is farfetched. Puerto Rico
is a Spanish speaking country and a part of Latin America historically
and culturally. Twenty Six percent of Puerto Rican voters may think they
want to become a state, but the US Congress has never expressed that
interest after 122 years. If asked appropriately, most Puerto Ricans
would want to maintain their nation, national identity, island territory
and culture. The United States prefers to maintain the status quo and
keep Puerto Rico a colony.</span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><br></span></p><p style="margin:0px"><span><em class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-c2-9 gmail-c2-a gmail-c2-4m gmail-c2-s gmail-c2-o gmail-c2-4n gmail-c2-4o gmail-c2-3">Professor
Ana M. Lopez, has been teaching at Hostos Community College for 31
years, Humanities Department - Latin American & Caribbean Studies
Unit.</em></span></p></div></span>
</div>