Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared her position on Puerto Rico’s statehood vs. independence debate during a Q & A on Instagram Live. She answered a question by stating that Puerto Rico is a colony, and the colonizer (the United States) should not be making the decision. Instead, she’s proposing a binding plebiscite where residents of the island can vote.
“Puerto Rican referendums have historically been non-binding. So Puerto Ricans have had plebiscites, they have voted, and in the past, many have voted for statehood. You vote for statehood. It’s still been non-binding…” she said during the livestream, “It’s almost like a poll… and it gets sent to Congress and that’s where the question of Puerto Rican political status goes to die.”
Ocasio-Cortez also noted that while Puerto Rico election turnouts tend to be high, turnout for the last referendum was low, since many residents chose to boycott it.
“In my opinion, we should be approaching a process of binding self-determination where we honor and implement the result of a plebiscite no matter what they are, without pre-conditions, because that is how you wrap up this whole historical inequity in a just way,” she said. She added that the public should also demand self-determination for Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other U.S. territories.
“Honor the ability for people to self-govern. It’s a principle of American democracy.”
On Thursday, a Florida poll by POLITICO was released, where more than 80 percent of likely voters with Puerto Rican background voted for statehood. Here are those results:
For more on the question of statehood vs. independence for Puerto Rico and the latest about Rep. Darren Soto’s statehood bill, go here or here.
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Amanda Alcántara is the Digital Media Editor at Futuro Media. She tweets from @YoSoy_Amanda.
wait one minute miss Amanda- I see statehood, I see independence, where are the 50% that want commonwealth or association. the numbers are low because you all have cut them out of the equation. please, don’t talk b/s , tell it like it really is. pr’s are stuck between a rock and a hard place that they did not create. the u.s. started the whole mess in 1898 without given pr’s one word of say. again in 1917 they gave pr’s citizenship, again, without one word of say. sorry to tell you but that is just tough s..t time. Puerto Rico will never, ever get 75 or 80% of the vote needed for statehood. so keep your wallet open and your mouth shut and eat it up. john Houghton – anasco, p.r.
p.s. you need to write an article about the 10 biggest changes statehood would bring to P.R.- #1- billions to buy all of the beach front land for motels where all the pr,s will not work so they would bring in whoever to do it.
[…] engineered by U.S. policy; and that, in fact, by opposing Trump’s disastrous policy agenda and advocating for ameliorative measures, Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive Democrats are doing their very best […]
How about you support what our past generations have always wanted a truly free and independent Puerto Rico
A true and independent country, are you out of your mind. What about the federal money that pores in to help pay retirement, veterans that severed. I suppose you would like for VA hospital to pull out , Social Security medicare to stop. Or just stop everything coming in. Do you really think the Puerto Rico will be able to sustain it self. Before it was a commonwealth Puerto Rico was an improvised country with Spains political believes. There were thing that had happened many years ago but if U.S had not pulled the island out of state it was in it would have been as it in any other Latin country would be in. It sad that people like yourself still think the way you do and think that most of those people weren’t even born there. They have no clue and of our Puerto Rican people who do live here say that it would be a mistake to even live there. So your opinion is yours but it’s yours alone.
Free and independent Puerto Rico are you crazy is that even a rational thought. Could you imagine how many people would die loss all they’re benefits that keeps them safe. It’s people like who only think of themselves, if it did happen would you yourself move back, I don’t think so. My father lived here and moved back and said to me, I made a big mistake. Why because he lost everything, his job new car his wife because of the lack of knowledge in the clinics. My family came here because they were poor and my abuelo worked on farms in Minnesota in the cold weather to send money to my abuelita to feed and cloth them. But soon he was able to bring them where life was much better and they had more than they could ask for. Oh and by the way Puerto Rico has a lot of veterans including me.
[…] While building her IKEA furniture and sipping wine, the Democratic congresswoman went on Instagram Live on Wednesday night, answering questions on the military draft, climate concerns and the state of Puerto Rico, among others. In her Instagram Q&A, Ocasio-Cortez delved into her position on Puerto Rico’s statehood vs. independence debate. […]