Fraternidad, Volume 2, Number 17 Page: 14
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Pap/e 14
México, D. F., Octuber lst., 1945
The Problem of the Independence
of Puerto Rico
The Council for Pan American
Democracy of New York warmly
applauded President Truman's sta-
tement that the people of Puerto
Rico should be rewarded for their
war service "with an opportunity to
settle by free choice their future
relation to the United State, but
pointed out that the Tydings-Piñe-
ro "plebiscite" bilí (S. 1002) offers
only an "opportunity" to vote for
a continuation of colonialism under
three different ñames.
The full statement of the Council
for Pan American DemocTacy Reads
as follows:
"The people of Puerto Rico, oi
the United States and of all demo-
cratic lands will be lieartened by
President Truman's declaration, as
reported by Go ver ñor Tugwell, that
the ploopíe of Puerto Rico liave
earned by their war service the
opportunity to 'settle by free choicc
their future relation to the United
States.
"The principies of sclf-determi-
nation and national liberation for
all peoples were established as Uni-
ted Nations goals in -the Alantic
Oharter, and -the declarations of
Teherán, Yalta and Potsdam. It
would be a great thing were the
United States to take moral leader-
ship in implementing these princi-
pies by freeing its colony, Puerto
Rico.
But unfortunately it appears
that a bitter hoax is being played,
not only on the Puerto Rican peo-
ple, but on the people of the United
States who support the Puerto Ri-
can's demand for real self-determi-
nation.
Go ver ñor Tugvvell, in reporting
on his conversation with President
Truman, implied White House sup-
port for the Tvding Pinero bilí (S
1002), wliicli pretends to provide for
a plebiscite on the future status
of Puerto Rico. This 'plebiscito* is
i n tfact no more than the demand
that Puerto Rican people vote for
colonialism under one of three ña-
mes, and thus condemn themselves
to perpetual imperialist enslavement.
They are to choose between state-
hood, dominion status and 'indepen-
dence' with each of these forms of
relationship with the United States
defined in such a way as to make
all of them wholly inacceptable.
The Puerto Rico Pro-Independen-
ce Congress, representing the widest.
sections of the Puerto Rican people,
has filed with the United States
Senate its firm opposition to S.
1002. Its analysís of síatehood, do-
minions status and 'independen-e',
as defined in the bilí, is suinmarixed
below:
1. Statehood, for which there is
very small support in the Island, i3
defined in S. 1002 to include privi-
leges which are incompatible with
the Constitution of the United Sta-
tes, under which all States enjoy
equal rights. Congress has made it
clear that it would under no cir-
ciinstance favor grating statehood
to Puerto Rico, but the inclusión of
such economic priveleges makcs it
certain that, in the unlikely event
that Puerto Rican people did vote
for statehood, Congress would refu-
se to give them what they liad vo-
ted for.
2. 'Independence', as defined in
the bilí, is a mockerv of real inde-
pendence. It gives the United Sta-
tes permanent monopoly over Puer-
to Rico trade and economy. It com-
mits Puerto Rico to a perpetual mi-
litary alliance with the United Sta-
tes, under which its soldiers would
be obliged to fight in any future war
in which the United States might
be engaged, even if such war were,
from Puerto Rico's point of view,
unjust.
The bilí also negates independen-
ce by placing thé territory of Puer-
to Rico completely at the disposi-
tion of the United States govern-
ment, which may establish military
and naval bases and arrange the
passage of American troops without
limitation and without the necessity
of previous consultation with the
people of Puerto Rico. The Pro-In-
dependence Congress states that
these conditions would stablish
permanent military subjection, re-
pugnant to our self-respect, invio-
lation of our sovereignty, and pre-
judicial to the United States as a
democratic nation. Under such con-
ditions our people would be obliged
to vote against such a formula of
independence defined in the plebis-
cite bilí'.
:t. The formula of dominion sta-
tus, as proposed in S. 1002, establis
hes the 'legal absurdity of reques-
ting other nations to recognize the
sovereignty of Puerto Rico, without
Puerto Rico's having achieved such
soveregnty'. It also pro vides for
economic restrictions which would
maintain Puerto Rico in economic
servitude and military subjection.
There is ori\y one in which Presi-
dent Truman's promise that the
Puerto Rican people shall liave the
opportunity to settle by free choice
their future relations to the United
States can be fulfilled.
That is by giving them genuino
independence, with the economic
guarantees required by all small na-
tions if independence is to have
any real content. As a free sovere-
ign nation, Puerto Rico can then
negotiate trade and mutual assistan-
ee treaties, establishing friendly re-
lations with the United States in
the manner freely chosen by the
Puerto Rican people".
READERS
oí Fraternidad
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Fraternidad, Volume 2, Number 17, periodical, October 10, 1945; [Mexico]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth248699/m1/14/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hoston History Research Center at Houston Public Library.