Puerto Rico

As anticipated, there was no overarching agreement over the future of the political status of Puerto Rico—although the predominantly shared sentiment from speakers was that the discussion draft was a good start to relinquishing themselves of colonialism.

Over the weekend, Latino Rebels received testimonies from three speakers, each representing a different take on the status question and the discussion draft bill. We are sharing each testimony here to show the broad political spectrum this discussion draft debate represents.

A petition filed in April by American Samoans asks the Supreme Court to overturn a set of century-old rulings used to deny equal rights and federal benefits to the residents of American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Guam, and other U.S. territories.

A green wave of pro-choice demonstrators washed over Old San Juan on Saturday, May 28 —the International Day of Action for Women’s Health— to demand abortion rights be protected in the face of legislative attacks.

Latino Rebels Radio: May 26, 2022

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston rejected the Fiscal Control Board for Puerto Rico’s claim that, due to “sovereign immunity,” it did not have to submit to the right of access to information and deliver documents on their processes requested by the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo.

Even if the Puerto Rico Status Act passes the House —which is far from certain— it would still need to pass the Senate, where 60 votes are required to break a filibuster. If it doesn’t pass Congress, then there will be no binding plebiscite, currently scheduled for November 5, 2023.

On May 5, the super PAC Salvemos a Puerto Rico and its president pled guilty to one count of falsifying documents to hide donor identities from the Federal Election Commission, leading to an investigation into whether they coordinated with Gov. Pedro Pierluisi’s 2020 campaign.

The Puerto Rico Status Act brings together two competing bills in the House: the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act and the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act. Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s in it.

Following a press conference on Thursday, members of the House negotiating team behind a potential consensus bill on Puerto Rico’s status released what is likely a messaging bill meant to act as a framework for further negotiations and their outcome.

Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner, Jenniffer González Colón, tell Latino Rebels that, despite their opposing perspectives on Puerto Rico’s status question, there are at least two areas of common ground driving the negotiations on a consensus bill.

A consensus bill to determine the future of Puerto Rico’s status is imminent, Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) said, but sources close to the matter tell Latino Rebels that no draft has been circulated to the key stakeholders in the process and that the tense negotiations over the bill’s language have hit a series of dead ends.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced Monday that it suspended the search for potential survivors of a capsized boat near Puerto Rico after finding 11 bodies and rescuing 38 migrants from a vessel that had carried an estimated 60 to 75 passengers.

Colombia’s constitutional court legalized medically-assisted suicide in a ruling Wednesday, making it the first country in Latin America to do so. Euthanasia has been legal in Colombia since 1997.

Puerto Rico’s governor announced Thursday that he was rejecting a proposed $12.4 billion budget filed by a federal control board overseeing the island’s finances and would submit his own version as the U.S. territory emerges from bankruptcy.

Puerto Rico’s Centro de Periodismo Investigativo and feminist media outlet Todas launched the Gender Investigative Unit, a collaborative project that seeks to conduct in-depth investigations aimed at addressing systemic gender violence in Puerto Rico and train journalists from the island to better cover these issues.

If ‘Roe v. Wade’ is overturned, the fear is that the religious right in Puerto Rico and the two main parties will be emboldened to further limit women’s rights. The hope is that young women, part of the increasingly powerful Boricua female voting bloc, will go to the polls in large numbers.

A racist flyer appeared in Guayama, Puerto Rico last week in the run-up to the town’s special mayoral election on Saturday, May 7. “Do you want this BLACK MAN to be the next mayor of Guayama?” the flyer read.

Since the implementation of Act 22 approved in 2012 in Puerto Rico, which attracts foreign investors with tax incentives, access to affordable housing for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault has been a growing challenge.

Puerto Rico is undergoing a fundamental shift in its social and political architecture, and for the first time since I can remember, strong winds are blowing in favor of self-determination and possibly, eventually, independence.

In a surprising display of bipartisanship, U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) issued a joint statement on Thursday concerning the ongoing debate in the House of Representatives on Puerto Rico’s political status. My statement with @RepJenniffer below. pic.twitter.com/rmmtFEzJcZ — Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@NydiaVelazquez) April 28, 2022 “We both […]