Maybe some of Univision's affiliates need a little history lesson about Puerto Rico.
Today, July 25, Puerto Rico celebrates Constitution Day, the day that commemorates Puerto Rico's Commonwealth (some would say "Colonial") relationship with the United States. Puerto Rico's Commonwealth government was established 60 years ago in 1952, and for those that really need to know, July 25, 1898 was the day US troops landed in (some would say "invaded") Puerto Rico during the Spanish American War.
Nonetheless, the following teaser from Univision wished all Puerto Ricans a Happy independence Day. Oops. Last time we checked, Puerto Rico is still a territory (colony) of the United States.
This lack of knowledge does not surprise us. There is so much ignorance about Puerto Rico, it hurts. Just look at what The Huff Post did today as well: choose 71 celebrities who are of Puerto Rican descent. Really? THIS is what we have become? Celebrating Constitution Day (or Occupation Day or even worse, the 34th anniversary of Cerro Maravilla) with boricua stars (even with two stars you admitted were not Puerto Rican)? Right now, Pedro Albizu Campos is rolling in his grave. The dumbing down of the masses is just sad.
The fact is that July 25 is a complex date in Puerto Rico. NotiCel in Puerto Rico offers its take on this Univision goof.
[…] night, Latino Rebels was the first English-language outlet to report the "oops moment" by Univision, which had broadcast a July 25 video wishing […]
Dear Partner,
After the approval of the 33rd United Nations’
resolution by consensus on June 23, 2014 asking the United States (US) to
immediately decolonize of Puerto Rico, we should work together to force the
United States government to comply with it.
The facts that the United States government has maintained
Puerto Rico as its colony for 116 years, has had Oscar López Rivera in prison for 33
years for fighting for Puerto Rico decolonization, and has ignored 33 UN
resolutions to decolonize Puerto Rico, confirm that the US government has no
intentions of ever decolonizing Puerto Rico.Therefore, we need to form a tsunami of people to force the US to comply
with the 33 resolutions.
We should peacefully protest at least 3 times a year until
we achieve our goal.The first one will
be a march up to the US Courthouse in Puerto Rico on the Abolition of
Slavery Day on March 22.The second
will be another march in Puerto Rico on a day before the UN’s Puerto Rico
decolonization hearing.The third one
will be a protest in New York City on the same day the UN holds its Puerto
Rico decolonization hearing.
These 3 protests are indispensable, because those who
have colonies don’t believe in justice for all.
Sincerely,
José M
López Sierra
Comité
Timón del Pueblo
United Partners for the Decolonization of Puerto Rico
http://www.todosunidosdescolonizarpr.blogspot.com/
Dear Partner,
Who’s the radical, Oscar López Rivera or the US?
There are some who call for keeping Puerto Rico political
prisoner Oscar López Rivera in prison forever, because he is a radical
terrorist responsible for the killing and injury people.That’s not true, but even if it were, he
would still be not guilty. Is Oscar really
the radical?
It was the government of the United States (US) that illegally
invaded Oscar’s country 116 years ago to make Puerto Rico a colony.The United States government has used everything
it could think of to train Puerto Ricans to want to be a colony of the United
States for over a century.Through its
educational system and mass media it has tried to shape the minds of Puerto
Ricans.And when that hasn’t been enough,
it has resorted to state terrorism to repress those who want independence for Puerto
Rico.All nations have an inalienable
right to self-determination and independence according to international law.That is so, because it is a natural thing for
a nation to want to be independent.That’s why most nations are.
So, Oscar is doing what is natural of wanting his nation to
be independent.The US government,
however, is doing the unnatural or radical thing of trying to prevent
Puerto Rico independence.
What the US government is doing is so radical that it is
committing a crime against humanity.The
United Nations declared it so, because colonialism is a threat to world
peace.So by the US government having
Puerto Rico as its colony, it is creating the conditions for people like Oscar to
resort to any means necessary to obtain decolonization.International law also give colonies the
right to use any means necessary to decolonize itself.And that why colonialism is a crime.
This is why, after 33 UN resolutions ignored by the US
government asking it to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico, and the US
government’s refusal to release Oscar from prison despite tremendous world
pressure to do so, we must continuously protest until it happens!
Sincerely,
José
http://www.todosunidosdescolonizarpr.blogspot.com/
Dear Partner,
Since the United Nations determined in 1960 that colonialism
is a crime against humanity, there is no longer a need for plebiscites. The solution is to give Puerto Rico her
sovereignty.
But being the United States government does not want to, it
continues to advocate the use of plebiscites to find out what Puerto Ricans
want.Even if 100% of Puerto Ricans
would want to continue being a US colony, Puerto Rico would still be obligated
to accept her sovereignty to then decide what she wants to do.
The only thing these plebiscites are good for is to divide
Puerto Ricans.A Puerto Rican didn’t
invade us to make us a colony.When will
we understand that we need to unite?
This is why we must peacefully protest at least 3 times a
year until Puerto Rico is decolonized!
José M
López Sierra
http://www.todosunidosdescolonizarpr.blogspot.com/
Why does Puerto Rico have a higher voter turnout than USA?
Puerto Ricans have a voter
turnout of about 80%. The United States (US) citizens have a voter
turnout of about 50%. What accounts for this 30 %
disparity? Could it be that Puerto Rican believe in democracy
more than US mainland citizens?
Puerto Rico is a colony of
the United States since 1898. Since that time, Puerto Ricans who have
wanted to decolonize their country have been either assassinated or
imprisoned. Many Puerto Ricans are terrified of independence for Puerto
Rico as a result of 116 years of repression.
Since colonialism is always
for exploitation, there are no opportunities in Puerto Rico for Puerto
Ricans. That is why there are now more Puerto Ricans out, than in Puerto
Rico. Therefore, Puerto Ricans are desperate to find a political solution
to our eternal colonialism!
Most Puerto Ricans believe
that decolonization can be achieved through the electoral process. But
the electoral process is ultimately under the control of the government of the
United States. Since the US government has ignored 33 United Nations
resolutions asking it to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico, and it has
maintained incarcerated Puerto Rico political prisoner Oscar López Rivera for
33 years despite worldwide support to free him, there should be no doubt that
the US government will never allow decolonization via the electoral
process. If it were possible to do it that way, we would not have it!
The better way to decolonize is for that 80% of the Puerto Rico voter
turnout to instead protest in the streets to demand our inalienable right
to self-determination and independence, and insist that the UN do the
decolonization in conformity to international law. After all, colonialism
is within the jurisdiction of international law and never under national
law. That is why it is a crime against humanity to have a colony
under international law, but not so under US law.
José M López
Sierra
http://www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com
The Second Oscar – Mandela
March in New York City 2015
We will be having our 2nd
Oscar – Mandela Protest March on Monday, June 22, 2015.We will start marching peacefully at 9 AM from
Hunter College on East 68th Street and Lexington Avenue, to East 43rd
Street and Lexington Avenue.We will
then go East (turning left) to end up at the Ralph Bunche Park on First Avenue (across
from the United Nations).
We will be at the park until
5 PM.We will be giving out flyers and
talking to people about who Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera
is. We will also be educating the public
about Puerto Rico’s colonial relationship with the government of the United
States (US).
Most people don’t know that
every year, usually on the Monday after Fathers’ Day, the United Nations holds
its hearing about the decolonization of Puerto Rico.The petitioners will usually join our protest
after this meeting.
The UN determined in 1960 that
colonialism is a crime against humanity.Since then, the UN has issued 33 resolutions asking for the US
government to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico.The US government has ignored these
resolutions.What kind of democracy
is that?
The US government tries to
keep these hearings a secret.What we
are trying to do is to get them out of the closet. The UN is in its 3rd
decade trying to make the world colony-free.Please help us!
Most people also don’t know
that the United States government takes out 14 times more money than what it
invests in Puerto Rico.But, that is
what colonies are for!
This savage exploitation
impedes Puerto Rico’s ability to provide opportunities for Puerto Ricans in
Puerto Rico.That is why there are now
more Puerto Ricans living away from Puerto Rico than in their homeland.
Oscar López Rivera has been
incarcerated for 34 years for his struggle to decolonize Puerto Rico.Since colonialism is an international crime,
international law gives Oscar the right to use whatever means necessary to decolonize
his homeland.Nelson Mandela was
incarcerated for 27 years for doing the same thing as Oscar.This is why we say, Oscar López Rivera is
our Nelson Mandela!
United Partners for Puerto
Rico Decolonization invites the
public to be part of the tsunami of people that will be necessary to make the
US government comply with the UN resolutions.These annual protests in Puerto Rico and at the UN are absolutely
necessary, because, those who maintain colonies, don’t believe in justice for
all!
José M López Sierra
787-429-1981
http://www.todosunidosdescolonizarpr.blogspot.com/