La Estrategia Estatal por Puerto Rico

La estrategia del siglo XVIII que Puerto Rico quiere usar para ser admitido por Washington como el estado 51 de EE.UU.

Redacción

BBC Mundo

Derechos de autor de la imagenREUTERS

Image captionRosselló anunció que buscará que Washington admita a la isla como el estado número 51 de la Unión.

El nuevo gobernador del territorio estadounidense de Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, lleva apenas unas cuantas horas en su cargo.

Pero ya ha anunciado que buscará que Washington admita a la isla como el estado número 51 de la Unión.

Para lograrlo, asegura que el camino es seguir es el llamado Plan Tennessee: una estrategia de presión como la que empleó el estado del mismo nombre a finales del siglo XVIII para lograr que Estados Unidos le dejara entrar a la federación, aún cuando Washington no estaba muy convencido de ello.

El plan contempla nombrar a representantes que irán al Congreso federal a defender la aspiración de Puerto Rico de integrarse definitivamente a esa nación.

Y eventualmente pasa por llevar a cabo un referéndum en el que los puertorriqueños expresen de una vez por todas si quieren ser parte plena del gigante norteamericano.

• Como llega Puerto Rico al mayor incumplimiento de deuda de su historia.

Territorio asociado

Derechos de autor de la imagenGETTY IMAGES

Image captionEl gobierno puertorriqueño busca la unión con Washington

Puerto Rico lleva más de un siglo siendo un territorio estadounidense, sin independencia pero tampoco con las ventajas y el estatus que tienen los demás estados.

En su discurso de posesión en San Juan, el gobernador Rosselló dijo que el estatus "colonial" actual de Puerto Rico no es conveniente.

Algunos incluso culpan a ese estatus legal de la crisis económica que experimenta la isla, la peor en décadas.

Puerto Rico no tiene acceso a toda la ayuda federal de la que disponen los otros estados de EE.UU.

Por lo que muchos creen que la solución es la admisión plena a Estados Unidos.

Pero no hay claridad en que Washington esté dispuesto a recibir a la isla como el estado 51.

Hay consideraciones políticas. En el Partido Republicano algunos temen que admitir a Puerto Rico sería otorgarle una ventaja al Partido Demócrata.

Los puertorriqueños que viven en el territorio continental de Estados Unidos tienden a votar demócrata.

Y si la isla se convirtiese en estado, automáticamente tendría derecho a dos senadores federales, que podrían desequilibrar la reñida competencia que se da en la legislatura de Washington entre los dos partidos principales de Estados Unidos.

• Puerto Rico busca evitar el desastre fiscal

Derechos de autor de la imagenREUTERS

El plan Tennessee

El gobernador Rosselló prometió en su campaña que de llegar al poder, implementaría el Plan Tennessee al comienzo de su mandato.

El mandatario, cuyo Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP) defiende la opción de unirse a Washington como un estado con derechos plenos, asegura que esa alternativa es la que goza de simpatía mayoritaria en Puerto Rico

"Pero el Congreso federal es el que decide si un nuevo estado es admitido a la Unión", le dice a BBC Mundo Carlos Colón de Armas, catedrático de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, quien hizo parte de la "Comisión Estadista", un panel que asesoró durante la campaña al entonces candidato Rosselló en la elaboración del plan a favor de la estadidad.

Colón de Armas asegura a BBC Mundo que ya ha habido una expresión de la voluntad de Puerto Rico, en un referendo no vinculante llevado a cabo en 2012. En su primera pregunta, la consulta preguntaba si estaban de acuerdo con el estatus actual. La mayoría votó en contra.

Pero hay controversia sobre los resultados de la segunda pregunta de esa consulta, que preguntaba específicamente si los electores apoyaban la opción de volverse estado o prefería la independencia u otros escenarios.

Derechos de autor de la imagenGETTY IMAGES

Image captionLa mayoría de los puertorriqueños no votaron por la independencia.

Un elevado número de votos en blanco y otros factores han llevado a dudas sobre la solidez del resultado a favor de la estadidad.

El Congreso estadounidense no se manifestado en torno al referendo de 2012.

Por lo que, según le dice Colón de Armas a BBC Mundo, se espera que el nuevo gobierno de la isla anuncie en los próximos días un mecanismo por el cual se designen varios voceros de Puerto Rico que presionarían a las autoridades federales en Washington. Así hizo Tennessee en el siglo XVIII, cuando eligió a sus representantes al Congreso antes que esa región hubiera sido admitida como estado.

Colón de Armas asegura que la actual representante oficial de Puerto Rico ante el Congreso en Washington, quien tiene voz pero no voto en esa entidad, también presentará un proyecto de ley pidiendo el fin al estatus "colonial" de Puerto Rico.

Todo esto debería plasmarse eventualmente, alega el experto, en un "acta de admisión", mediante el cual el Congreso federal expresaría en detalle cuales son las condiciones exactas en las que Puerto Rico entraría a la Unión, y presentaría a los votantes de la isla la oportunidad de aceptarlas o rechazarlas en un referendo definitivo.

No hay consenso

No todos en Puerto Rico están de acuerdo en la validez o viabilidad de esta estrategia.

Durante la campaña por la gobernación, Ángel Rosa, otro legislador puertorriqueño, calificó de "embeleco" el plan Tennessee y en declaraciones a medios locales pronosticó que el Congreso estadounidense haría caso omiso a la presión por expresarse sobre el estatus de Puerto Rico y negó que existiese un apoyo mayoritario en la isla a la opción de volverse un estado.

"El resultado de la consulta de 2012 no es una clara victoria para la estadidad... Los números confunden", dice también a BBC Mundo el abogado y experto analista en política puertorriqueña Phillip Escoriaza.

Derechos de autor de la imagenGETTY IMAGES

Image captionLa isla experimenta una fuerte crisis económica.

El analista cree, sin embargo, que claramente hay una mayoría de personas que no están de acuerdo con el arreglo actual entre Washington y San Juan, y que hay un impulso creciente a favor de la opción de volverse estado.

Pero incluso si ese apoyo se concretara en Puerto Rico, asegura Escoriaza a BBC Mundo, el proceso de conseguir ser admitido en la Unión podría tomar muchos años, si se examinan otros antecedentes históricos de ingreso de territorios a Estados Unidos.

Temor

Carlos Colón de Armas aseguró a BBC Mundo que, en caso de no funcionar la estrategia "Tennessee" para convencer al Congreso en Washington, también se ha planteado la posibilidad de que Puerto Rico convoque por iniciativa propia a un nuevo referendo en donde la gente escogería entre las opciones de volverse estado y buscar la independencia total.

En referendos pasados, una porción muy pequeña de los votantes, inferior al 10%, se han inclinado por la independencia.

La mayoría se debaten entre mantener el estatus actual y pedir convertirse en el estado 51.

El experto no cree que las traumáticas sorpresas que se dieron en varios referendos y elecciones en 2016 sean una razón para temer a hacer un referendo en Puerto Rico, incluso si resultara en un voto por la separación total de Estados Unidos.

"A lo único que se le puede temer es al estatus actual, que es una violación de los derechos de los puertorriqueños", le dice Carlos Colón de Armas a a BBC Mundo.

European Union ignores its own Court of Justice on Western Sahara

First ship to challenge EU Court ruling on occupied Western Sahara On the evening of 5 January 2017, the vessel Key Bay entered the waters of Western Sahara. After waiting for green light outside of El Aaiun port the whole day of today, the vessel moved in to the port around 6PM this evening, European time.  The vessel is well known to Western Sahara Resource Watch. Key Bay, and its sister vessels have for many years transported fish oil from Western Sahara into Europe. It is the first known vessel to challenge the EU and its member states on how to relate to the imports of goods from Western Sahara, following a landmark decision by the Court of Justice of the EU on 21 December 2016.  The judgement ruled, pointing to the International Court of Justice and to UN resolutions,  that Western Sahara is not part of Morocco, and that the EU-Morocco trade deal cannot apply to Western Sahara.  The vessel earlier this week did a stop-over in the Southern Moroccan town of Tan Tan, possibly to pick up a fish oil cargo there on the way to El Aaiun, where it would load more of the same product. The last time Key Bay did a shipment from Western Sahara to Europe was in September 2016.  The importer of the product from the occupied territory is most likely Olvea, a French company which refuses to answer questions regarding the trade.  The vessel in question is chartered by Sea Tank Chartering and owned by Gezina AS, both companies from Norway. The involvement of the two companies caused headlines in Scandinavian media in the past. At that time, the vessel picked up the Moroccan certificates of origin in Tan Tan, and the cargo itself in El Aaiun.  WSRW earlier today, while the vessel was still anchored outside of El Aaiun port, WSRW sent a letter to the charterer of the vessel asking it to not enter the port itself. See that letter here.  A letter had already on 31 December been sent from the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara to Sea Tank, requesting them not to take part in the trade (in Norwegian). The vessel was already then heading southwards along the coast of Morocco.  In 2010, the transports of fish oil in the same vessels to Norway created a long award-winning documentary on Swedish broadcaster SVT. In the political debate that followed, the Norwegian government stated that such products cannot enter Norway under the EFTA-Morocco free trade pact, as Western Sahara is not Morocco.  Then, most of the export shifted from Scandinavia to France. But what happens when the Court stated the same as Norway - that Western Sahara is not part of the EU trade agreement either?  WSRW has not received confirmation about where the vessel now is heading, but statistically speaking, this vessel will now transport the oil to Fécamp in Normandy, France.

Puerto Rico's independence leader and longest held political prisoner in the U.S. from Latin America will be free

TELESUR

The United States government announced Tuesday the release of Oscar Lopez Rivera, who has been imprisoned in the U.S. for 36 years for his struggle to free Puerto Rico from U.S. colonial rule.

RELATED:

Oscar Lopez: Colonialism is Puerto Rico's Biggest Problem

Outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Lopez' sentence, which will expire on May 17, according to a list of commutations announced by the White House.

Celebrations started almost immediately, while Clarissa Lopez, daughter of Lopez, will hold a press conference Wednesday at 10 a.m. in reaction to his release at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Lopez was born in Puerto Rico in 1943 and upon returning to Chicago after serving in the Vietnam War, he joined the struggle for Puerto Rican rights and participated in acts of civil disobedience and other actions.

In 1976, he joined the clandestine fight for the independence of Puerto Rico as a member of the Armed Forces of National Liberation. In 1981, he was captured by the FBI and accused of "conspiracy" for his militancy in the FALN.

At the time of his capture, he proclaimed himself a prisoner of war, protected in the first protocol of the Geneva Convention of 1949. The protocol protects Lopez from prosecution for having been arrested in a conflict against colonial occupation.

The U.S. did not recognize Lopez' demand and sentenced him to 55 years in prison and after an alleged attempt to escape, the sentence was increased to 70 years in prison, 12 of which he spent in solitary confinement.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1999 offered him a pardon, along with 13 FALN members who accepted, but Lopez rejected it because it included completing 10 more years in jail. Leaders from around the world, as well as human rights organizations, have demanded Lopez' release for many years.

On June 18, 2012, the U.N. Decolonization Committee approved a resolution, promoted by Cuba, which called for the recognition of Puerto Rico's right to independence and self-determination and urged the release of all pro-independence prisoners in the United States.

REPARATIONS LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN U.S. CONGRESS

The reparations movement in the United States and around the world took a significant step forward last week when Congressman John Conyers, the longest serving member of the US Congress, introduced a revised version of HR40, his long-standing reparations bill, at the start of the 115th Congress.

The new bill, entitled, The Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act, will focus on reparations remedies.

“The revised bill reflects the advances in the legal and societal discussion of the transatlantic slave trade and reparations,” said Cong. Conyers. “The call for reparations represents a commitment to entering a constructive dialogue on the role of slavery and racism in shaping present-day conditions both in our community and in American society as a whole. Slavery is a blemish on this nation’s history, and until it is formally addressed, our country’s story will remain marked by this blight.”

The revised bill has received enthusiastic support from advocates for reparatory justice in the United States and across the globe. To date, some 20 members of the US Congress along with dozens of national associations and civil society organizations are supporting the bill and Cong. Conyers hopes to garner up to 100 co-sponsors in the weeks ahead.

Dr. Ron Daniels, convenor and chairman of the National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC) and President of the Institute of the Black World (IBW) applauded the new version of HR40.

“Once again, Congressman John Conyers is to be commended for his vision and courage for introducing this vital measure,” said Daniels. “Updating HR-40 to examine reparations remedies is a significant step forward in addressing the devastating inter-generational harms inflicted by centuries of enslavement and structural racism on African Americans. This assessment and action is especially important given the “state of emergency” in numerous Black communities across this country.”

Kamm Howard, chairman of the Legislative Committee of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (NCOBRA) and a member of NAARC, played a leading role in mobilizing public support for the new bill.

In adding his commendations to the revised bill, Howard said: “NCOBRA is very pleased with the forward, progressive action of Congressman Conyers with the introduction of the revised HR40. The new legislation, in accord with international norms and standards of reparatory justice, seeks to truly address the multi-generational injury, mass inequalities and discrimination that plague, and will continue to plague African descendants in America, if left unaddressed.. This can be model legislation for African Descendants globally.”

The revised version of HR40 comes in the wake of other important developments in the global movement for reparatory justice in recent months. National reparations commissions are currently in formation in Canada, Britain, Brazil, Colombia and also in Central America. And, in 2016 the Illinois State Assembly passed a unanimous resolution supporting the establishment of a reparations study commission in that state and called on President Obama to establish a similar commission at the Federal level before he leaves office.

The National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC) noted that in the past, the focus on the social effects of slavery, segregation and its continuing economic implications remained largely ignored by US mainstream analysis. Yet, these economic issues are the root cause of many critical issues in the African-American community today, such as education, healthcare and criminal justice policy, including policing practices.

Through the Eyes of Rebel Women: The Young Lords 1969 – 1976

New book by filmmaker, activist and author Iris Morales  

 See interview with the author here

NORTHERN MARIANAS RE-ACQUIRES SUBMERGED LANDS FROM U.S.

lonelyplanet.com

MARIANAS TRENCH MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT NORTHERN ISLANDS SUBMERGED LANDS TRANSFERRED TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

Saipan, MP – (T)he Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands received a patent to submerged lands extending three geographical miles seaward from the mean high tide of the islands of Farallon de Pajaros (Uracas), Maug and Asuncion within the Marinas Trench Marine National Monument. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell signed the patent on November 30, 2016, to convey the submerged lands from the United States to CNMI. Governor Ralph DLG. Torres also signed the patent in Capital Hill, Saipan, officially accepting the conveyance of the submerged lands to the CNMI Government.

“Today is a great day for the people of the Northern Mariana Islands. Years of close collaboration between the CNMI, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA have resulted in the return of an integral part of our cultural heritage. This transfer strengthens our shared dedication to sustain our unique natural resources for years to come and for our children and grandchildren to benefit. I want to thank the great people at the US Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries for their hard work, and I look forward to continuing this strong relationship together as we move forward on managing our submerged lands, ” said Governor Torres.

The conveyance of submerged lands to CNMI provides the local government authority over the seabed, subsoil, water column and surface water resources in the three-mile coastal zone, including mineral rights, subject to the recently signed memorandum of agreement and terms of the patent.

In September 2016, CNMI, the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Interior formally established a memorandum of agreement, defining the terms and conditions for the coordination of management of the Northern Islands Submerged Lands. The MOA also lays out roles and responsibilities of the CNMI Government, NOAA Fisheries and USFWS for the preservation and protection of the natural resources of the Monument.

“The submerged lands that ring the islands of Farallon de Pajaros (Uracas), Maug, and Asuncion protect a flourishing, healthy, and diverse ecosystem, said USFWS Director Dan Ashe. “The Service is committed to continuing to work with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and NOAA Fisheries to manage the biological resources of the Monument.”

Farallon de Pajaros (Uracas), Maug, and Asuncion are among the most biologically diverse in the Western Pacific, with relatively pristine coral reef ecosystems that have been proclaimed objects of scientific interest and reserved for their protection as the Islands Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, established by Presidential Proclamation No. 8335 on Jan. 6, 2009. That proclamation assigned management responsibility for the Monument to the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce.

“This land transfer is a tangible example of collaboration among federal agencies and territorial governments to protect precious natural resources of scientific interest for future generations,” said Eileen Sobeck, Assistant NOAA Administrator for NOAA Fisheries.

The Territorial Submerged Lands Act (Public Law 93-435), which became law in 1974, two years before CNMI became a U.S. Commonwealth, did not include CNMI. Until Congress amended that statute (Public Law 113-34 (Sept. 17, 2013), CNMI was the only populated U.S. territory that did not have title to the submerged lands in that portion of the United States territorial sea. The law also provided the President of the United States the authority to withhold the transfer of some or all of these submerged lands for reasons of national interest, including defense preparedness and environmental protection.

African Heritage Remembered at Colombia’s Black and White Carnival

PASTO, Colombia – Typical rhythms from Colombia’s Pacific region can be heard on Thursday in the streets of the southwestern city of Pasto to celebrate the Day of the Blacks, a tribute to the portion of the population descended from African slaves during the traditional Carnival celebration in this zone bordering on Ecuador.

“This day is celebrated (to commemorate) the free day our ancestors who arrived from Africa as slaves received to hold their festivals and rituals and at the same time to calm the anxieties the blacks felt at being bound and imprisoned,” the director of the Los Alegres de Telembi folkloric group, Liloy Ortiz, told EFE.

At the Black and White Carnival “what we want is to show people the cultural legacy our ancestors left us that we still experience in African music, dance, poetry and theater,” said Ortiz, who has been part of the musical group for the past 10 years.

To the rhythms of the marimba, an instrument with African origins, residents and tourists in Pasto, the capital of Nariño province, smudge their bodies black to begin a game of exchanging identities where mixed-race people take on the appearance of blacks.

“This event is the chance to leave to the side those racial differences and social prejudices that exist in the country among the black and white races, and to see that we’re all humans and brothers,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz added that the music at the Carnival is also designed to denounce the problems that currently exist in the Pacific region.

“The Pacific (region) is a zone with great biodiversity. However, we’re ignored by the state and there’s very generalized corruption that results in the region not prospering economically, and so it’s one of the poorest in Colombia,” the musician added.

Meanwhile, Lisenia Gallo, the executive director of the Cueros y Chonta Musical Foundation, a musical group participating in the Carnival, said that “through rhythms such as the ‘currulao,’ the ‘bunde’ and the ‘juga,’ among others” the performers sing about corruption “but also about peace, love and life.”

The Black and White Carnival, in 2010 designated as part of the World Heritage by Unesco, will conclude on Jan. 6, the Day of the Whites, with a parade of floats the main aim of which is to present the myths and legends of the region through the talent of Nariño’s artisans.

PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL GALA FOR INCOMING PRESIDENT TRUMP

Trump-Pence Asian Pacific American committees to host ‘APA Presidential Inaugural Gala’

BY AANEWS

Newswire.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump-Pence Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee (APAAC) and the National Committee of Asian American Republicans (Asian.GOP) on Wednesday announced that they will be hosting an Asian Pacific American Presidential Inaugural Gala in honor of President-Elect Donald J. Trump as well as for the Asian Pacific Americans who have been nominated to serve in the new Trump Administration.

The inaugural celebration will take place a few blocks from the White House at the historic and beautiful Mayflower Hotel, located at 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC. The hotel is home to many presidential inaugurations since 1925. The Gala will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2017, from 6 to 11 PM in the Grand Ballroom and Chinese Room of this elegant hotel.

The program will include:

• Celebration with prominent dignitaries and Presidential appointees (Donald J. Trump, Mike Pence, Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Reince Priebus, Elaine Lan Chao, Nikki Haley, and many others are invited

• Networking opportunities with key Asian American and Pacific Islander community leaders

• Networking interactions with business elites in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community

• Performances from Asian Pacific American communities proudly sharing their rich cultures

“This will be an excellent event that features our national Asian Pacific American leaders who have worked so hard to elect and represent Mr. Trump,” said Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of Guam and APAAC co-chair. “Our Inaugural Gala will provide a wonderful opportunity to engage with public and private sector leaders to work closer together with our growing Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities.”

“We are excited that Donald J. Trump has won the Presidency,” said Ralph DLG Torres, Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and APAAC co-chair. “The Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are celebrating his victory with this Inaugural Gala. We look forward to a prosperous future working with the Trump Administration in Making America Great Again.”

“Asian Pacific Americans share many of the same values as the Republican Party. We are confident that Asian Pacific American Republicans will play a significant vital role in the new Trump Administration. Together, we look forward to making an America filled with jobs, hope, opportunity, security, and freedom,” said Mr. Cliff Zhonggang Li, Executive Director of the National Committee of Asian American Republicans.

To purchase tickets to the APA Presidential Inaugural Gala, inquire about corporate sponsorship opportunities, volunteer, or to make a charitable donation, please visit http://apainaugural.asian.gop. Tickets and corporate sponsorship tables are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee (APAAC) is co-chaired by the Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of Guam and the Honorable Ralph DLG Torres, Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). It is a group that will continue to promote policies and programs dedicated to the specific needs of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country. It is the official Trump campaign advisory council representing Asian Pacific Americans. The National Committee of Asian American Republicans (Asian.GOP) is a nationwide organization of Asian American Republicans headquartered in Washington, DC dedicated to raising the awareness in Asian American communities about the importance of participating in the political process, which has a great impact on everyone’s life, for future generations, and for the destiny of this great nation.

Air Force veteran, 72, alleges Agent Orange use on Andersen Air Force Base (on Guam)

PACIFIC DAILY NEWS

Kyla P Mora 

kmora@guampdn.com

(Photo: PDN file foto)

Air Force veteran Gerard Laitres, 72, was stationed at Andersen Air Force Base from September 1963 to March 1965. During that time, he worked as a liquid fuels system maintenance specialist, cleaning and monitoring above-ground pipelines for chipped paint and damage.

He was always surprised, he said, that there was never any brush around the pipeline that needed chopping or clearing.

“We worked around the Tumon Tank Farm, and around the immediate storage areas along the flight line. There were 10 pump houses,” Laitres said. “We had no problem getting into anything we had to get to. I always wondered what happened, how they cleared that out. Now I know it.”

Laitres believes the Air Force used Agent Orange as a defoliant on Guam, particularly along the path of the pipeline he worked to maintain.

“They did that, on the pipeline, and that’s a lot of mileage of defoliation,” Laitres said. “And so, are they going to admit it?”

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.

SINT EUSTATIUS DELIVERS FORMAL 'CEASE AND DESIST' TO DUTCH ATTEMPT TO ANNEX TERRITORY AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE

Statia petitions against embedding public entity in Dutch Constitution

DAILY HERALD

ST. EUSTATIUS- In carrying out the Island Council’s motion of November 30, 2016, the Executive Council on Wednesday presented the Dutch Government with a formal petition against the process of embedding the public entities of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba in the Dutch Constitution.

In the petition, which was signed by Acting Island Governor of Statia Julian Woodley and Island Secretary Koert Kerkhoff and sent to the Kingdom Council of Ministers and Prime Minister Mark Rutte, it was stated that the Dutch Government has “unilaterally” started the process of embedding the public entity of Statia in the Dutch Constitution.

“Such action, as was the establishment of Statia as a public entity on October 10, 2010, is in violation of Dutch law, which by virtue of its inclusion of and relation with the international legal order protects the people of Statia’s right to freely express their right to self-determination and choose their political status,” it is stated in the petition.

The petitioners urgently call on the Dutch and Kingdom Governments to “immediately” cease the “unilateral” process of embedding the public entity Statia in the Dutch Constitution and commence consultations with the local Government aimed at the public entity achieving full internal self-governance by means of free association with the Netherlands, “in accordance with the expressed wishes of the people of Statia and the international legal order, also aware of reports of irregularities surrounding the December 2014 constitutional referendum in Statia, and strongly urges the release of the UN [United Nations Ed.] report on the 2014 referendum results to the Government of Statia.

According to the Executive Council, the majority of the world community represented in the UN in 1954 was not convinced that the former Dutch colonies Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles had achieved a full-measure of self-government with the enactment of the Kingdom Charter in 1954 and the Netherlands was unjustly relieved of its obligation to report on its overseas territories by means of a UN resolution.

“Resolution 945 does not affirm that the former Netherlands Antilles had received a full measure of self-government under Article 73 (b). It merely removed the requirement of the Netherlands to regularly submit information regarding its colonies to the UN under Article 73 (e). It preserved the UN authority to decide whether a non-self-governing territory, – such as the Netherlands Antilles then and Statia now – has attained a full measure of self-government.

“It is clear that the committee looking into this matter was of the view that decolonisation of the Netherlands Antilles remained incomplete and the UN remained authorised to review the situation under Article 73,” the petition reads.

“Resolution 945 clearly establishes the competence of the [UN – Ed.] General Assembly in the matter of deciding if a non-self-governing territory, which includes Statia, has attained full measure of self-government. Constitutional and other developments, as well as statements by public and academic authorities within and without the Dutch Kingdom since 1954, have convincingly established that the Kingdom Charter did not result in a full measure of self-government for the current Dutch overseas territories and needs to be structurally revamped if such objective is to be achieved.”

The Executive Council claims that the “peoples” of the overseas territories Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Statia and St. Maarten have all expressed their “inalienable right to self-determination” during referenda held in 2004, 2005, 2010, 2014 and 2015, “thus prior to and after the new constitutional order within the Kingdom of the Netherlands which took effect on 10-10-10.”

Signatories claim that the new constitutional order has led to (more) discontent among the peoples of the Dutch overseas territories, as confirmed in the evaluation report of the Spies Committee, and further exposed the democratic deficit within the Kingdom.

“The results of the UN-observed referenda on Bonaire in 2004, 2010 and 2015, and on Statia in 2005 and 2014, clearly indicated that the populations of the islands did not freely choose their current constitutional relationship with the Kingdom in accordance with the UN Charter and General Assembly resolutions,” the petition reads.

In light of the UN-observed referendum of December 17, 2014, in Statia there were reports of irregularities, despite the overwhelming choice for the status of “Autonomy within the Dutch Kingdom,” it is stated in the petition, which claims that the current status of the Dutch overseas territories is not in compliance with the UN Charter and resolutions and international constitutional law and conventions.

The official position of the Dutch Government on the Spies report is a further violation of the right to self-determination of the people of Statia, the Executive Council said.

Considering all these facts, the Executive Council has been tasked with preparing a “detailed and concrete” plan of action for achieving full autonomy in free association with the Netherlands, in accordance with the relevant Island Council decrees and with the support of civil-society organisations Brighter Path Foundation, Pro Statia and Nos Ke Boneiru Bek.

Copies of the petition were sent to the Dutch Parliament’s First and Second Chambers; the Executive and Island Councils of Saba and Bonaire; the Councils of Ministers and Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten; the Council of State in The Hague; the governments and Parliaments of Caribbean Community Caricom member states; Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); Association of Caribbean States (ACS); Latin American Parliament Parlatino; UN Special Committee on Decolonisation; UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Alliance of Small Island States; andThe Netherlands Institute for Human Rights (College voor de Rechten van de Mens).

The Forgotten Women of Puerto Rico’s Nationalist Struggle (1930s-1950s)

Centro Staff

From the Ponce Massacre to the Nationalist uprisings of the 1950s, the story of Puerto Rico’s nationalism is often placed within the context of its most iconic moments, or president of its party, Don Pedro Albizu Campos. But women also played a significant role in Puerto Rico’s nationalist movement from the early to mid-20th century. Yet the names of only a few, most famously Lolita Lebrón, are evoked.

In 1950, for example, after the attack on the Blair House (temporary residence of President Truman at the time), 41 women were arrested, included the wives of each of the gunmen. And in Mayagüez, the names of at least 70 women can be found on a plaque which commemorates those who participated in the Nationalist struggle. Many more sacrificed their lives, were imprisoned and tortured, exiled.

Historians have largely ignored the stories of these women, much like the press that came before them. So in her latest book, Dr. Olga Jiménez de Wagenheim’s Nationalist Heroines: Puerto Rican Women History Forgot, 1930s-1950s attempts to recover the individual stories of these women, compiling sixteen in total and dividing them into four parts.

After providing a brief synopsis of the island’s history and history of the Nationalist Party, the opening section is dedicated to Dominga de la Cruz Becerril, a black working-class woman from Mayagüez and member of the Nationalist Party. She famously rescued the Puerto Rican flag during the 1937 Ponce Massacre, picking up the flag before it could hit the ground, after the person carrying it was wounded.

In the next section, “Nationalist Women Imprisoned in Puerto Rico, 1950, 1954," the book discusses the lives of the following seven women: Blanca Canales, Leonides Díaz, Carmen María Pérez, Ruth Mary Reynolds, Isabel Rosado Morales, Doris Torresola Roura, and Olga Isabel Viscal Garriga.

Blanca Canales is famous for leading El Grito de Jayuya which took place on October 30, 1950. She went to prison for 17 years before being released. Her childhood home in Jayuya was later converted into the Casa Museo Blanca Canales.

Carmen María Pérez, Ruth Mary Reynolds, and Olga Isabel Viscal Garriga were arrested together in 1950 and held at the infamous La Princesa jail. Ruth Mary Reynolds is the only non-Puerto Rican included in the book, although she is recognized for her dedication to the Nationalist cause and as one of the founders of the American League for Puerto Rico's Independence.

The third section switches perspective to the Nationalist movement within the United States. Included here are the stories of Lolita Lebrón, Rosa Cortés Collazo, and Carmen Dolores Otero de Torresola (also known as Lolita). The latter two women were also the wives of Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, the two gunmen who attacked the Blair House in an attempt to assassinate President Truman.

In the last section, entitled “Brief Account of Other Women Arrested in Puerto Rico,” the author discusses five women (Juana Mills Rosa, Juanita Ojeda Maldonado, Ramona Padilla de Negrón, Angelina Torresola de Platet, and Monserrate Valle de López) who were well known members of the Nationalist Party and had been under surveillance for years before being arrested.

Jiménez has previously written about Puerto Rican history, including Puerto Rico: An Interpretive History From Pre-Columbian Times to 1900, Puerto Rico's Revolt for Independence: El Grito De Lares, and The Puerto Ricans: A Documentary History, which was co-edited with her husband. Jiménez is also co-founder the New Jersey Hispanic Research and Information Center (NJHRIC) of the Newark Public Library.

Puerto Rico economic crisis "directly linked” to Puerto Rico’s commonwealth status - Governor Ricardo Rossello

New Puerto Rico Government Has No Funds to Pay February Payroll

SAN JUAN – Newly-installed Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said on Monday during his inaugural address that the island’s government does not have the funds to pay public employees in February.

Rossello, who was sworn into office a few minutes past midnight on Jan. 2 so that he could sign several executive orders early in the morning, said in his speech that the situation is so serious that the government simply does not have any liquidity.

“We’re inheriting a deficit of more than $6 billion and a situation so precarious that there is no way to pay the payroll for the month of February,” emphasized Rossello, the 37-year-old son of former Gov. Pedro Rossello, who headed the U.S. commonwealth from 1993-2000.

The new governor said that confronting the situation of the island’s $69 billion public debt is his top priority, and in direct connection with that he emphasized that he will do everything possible so that Puerto Rico ceases to be a U.S. commonwealth and becomes the 51st state.

He devoted a significant portion of his speech to lambasting the government of outgoing Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla for its economic management, which the new governor called terrible, the alleged poor use of public funds to pay operating expenses and the hiding of financial information.

Rossello warned that the transition between the two administrations had not been transparent and that alleged irregularities on the part of the outgoing government will be investigated.

“Today we begin the reconstruction of our homeland,” Rossello emphasized after saying that the generation he represents “will change the course of the history of Puerto Rico.”

Among the most immediate measures to deal with the critical situation facing the island, Rossello announced that early Monday morning he had signed a series of executive orders designed to immediately change the island’s course, including a decree for all government agencies to reduce their annual expenses and all outside contracts for services by 10 percent.

Another executive order decrees a state of emergency within the government that will enable Rossello to facilitate procedures to initiate strategic projects immediately.

Furthermore, he said that he will move with all possible speed to make bilingualism – Spanish and English – a reality among the island’s students, something that currently is restricted to private schools, although he did not specify how he would do that.

In the political realm, he emphasized that “the crisis is directly linked” to Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. commonwealth, which for more than five decades has given a certain level of self-governance to the island but has left in Washington’s hands critical areas such as border security, defense and international relations.

Rossello also announced that on Monday he will travel to Washington to begin working on achieving greater integration with the United States for the island.

Asamblea del Pueblo Raizal invita a reunión este 7 de enero

El Isleño.com

Con un espíritu de unión, hermandad y buena voluntad, que intenta incluir y construir un espacio transparente para todos, la Asamblea del Pueblo Raizal ha adoptado nuevas disposiciones referentes a sus comunicados, con lo que espera mejorar significativamente su relación con todos los estamentos de la comunidad. (información bilingüe) 

Esta decisión se toma luego de evidenciar las continuas dificultades que se han tenido para comunicar de forma efectiva las reuniones, decisiones y convocatorias, lo que se ha traducido en una serie de malentendidos que afectaron directamente al poder decisorio y la legitimidad de la Asamblea.

Para una plenaria efectiva es necesaria la presencia de la mayor cantidad de personas pertenecientes a nuestro Pueblo Raizal. Por lo anterior:

1. A partir de la fecha, la Asamblea del Pueblo Raizal se pronunciará de forma única a través de comunicados escritos dirigidos al Pueblo Raizal, comunidad general, medios de comunicación y medios alternativos. Todos estos serán emitidos por la red social Facebook, órgano de comunicación oficial designado por la Asamblea. De igual modo, se realizará una labor de difusión informal que incluirá comunicación puerta a puerta, reuniones en los barrios, volantes, cartas dirigidas a las iglesias y sus miembros, entre otros.

2. Se convoca a todo el Pueblo Raizal a una reunión el próximo sábado 7 de enero, en la Casa de la Cultura Tamarind Tree, a las 2:00 p.m. En esta importante reunión se trataran los siguientes temas:

• Organización del congreso del Pueblo Raizal.
• Discusión de herramientas participativas para el Pueblo Raizal.
• Discusión de problemáticas varias.

Recuerda seguirnos por el nuevo canal de comunicación:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dihraizalasembly/

Contamos con su participación.
Asamblea del Pueblo Raizal.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES OPEN IN PUERTO RICO

Sale of Medical Marijuana Begins in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN – The three dispensaries licensed to sell medical marijuana in Puerto Rico opened their doors on Friday to the 1,953 patients authorized to use cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

Outgoing Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla marked the occasion with a visit to one of the dispensaries.

Garcia Padilla, who hands over to successor Ricardo Rossello next Monday, signed the executive order legalizing medical marijuana in early 2015 and has worked to foster the development of a medicinal pot industry on the island, which has been mired in recession for a decade.

The 23 firms that have obtained permits to grow, process, transport and sell marijuana in Puerto Rico employ hundreds of people.

“It is a historic day for Puerto Rico and NextGen Pharma is proud to be part of this moment. Today sees the fulfillment of a promise in favor of the right of thousands of patients in Puerto Rico to a better quality of life,” NextGen Pharma managing partner Carmen Serrano said at the opening of the company’s dispensary in San Juan.

Puerto Rico joins 25 U.S. states and nine Latin American nations in legalizing medicinal marijuana.

AMERICAN SAMOA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATE ON TRUMP TRANSITION TEAM

Pence Taps Aumua to Join Transition Executive Body

Press Release

Washington, D.C. –Saturday, Vice President-elect Mike Pence appointed Congresswoman Aumua Amata to the Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee.

“Amata is a great friend and colleague and I am delighted she will be joining our team,” said Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn, a senior Member of Congress from Tennessee, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee. "This decision advances a commitment President-elect Trump made last spring to not forget the territories once elected.”

VP-elect Pence and Congresswoman Amata
in the U.S. Capitol last month

Radewagen can be expected to be looked to as a key advisor on issues concerning the U.S. territories and Asian Pacific American (APA) communities.

As the highest ranking elected Republican federal official of APA heritage and as a Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention last summer, Amata is ideally suited to serve this powerful role within this prominent group of decision-makers.

Having served on President George W. Bush’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and as the current Vice Chairman of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Native Alaskan Affairs, the Congresswoman is very familiar with leadership in both the Caribbean and Pacific territories and stateside APA communities.

The Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee is a body composed of national business, government and political leaders who are guiding the work of teams that have been dispatched to the White House and various government departments and agencies to coordinate with current Administration officials the smooth handover of the reins of government on January 20th. In addition to Rep. Blackburn, the Committee includes a number of other members of Congress, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and First Daughter Ivanka Trump.

"Governor Pence and I discussed this possibility when we met recently, and I'm pleased and honored to be selected by him to join the team,” said Amata. “Following my conversation with the VP- elect, I spoke with my good friend Marsha Blackburn who saw the value for the territories and APA communities to have a voice on the Committee.”

Last month, Radewagen was re-elected for a second term to her House seat, having received the most votes for a candidate of any territory-wide office in the history of American Samoa. Her selection to the Committee may be the first time a Pacific Islander has been part of the inner circle of a presidential transition.

Guam Independence Task Force intensifies decolonization education

Independent Guåhan launches weekly podcast on decolonization

GUAM DAILY POST

A new podcast series put on by the Independence for Guam Task Force (Independent Guåhan) began earlier this month with the goal of educating listeners from the Guam community and beyond on issues relating to decolonization.

Titled “Fanachu!,” which translates to “stand tall” in Chamorro, the weekly podcasts will feature casual conversations and interviews with a variety of individuals who are either decolonization experts, have a hand in Guam’s three task forces, or who simply contribute to the movement in their profession.

“Fanachu!” is produced by the Independent Guåhan Media Committee, headed by Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua, and is spearheaded by Manny Cruz and Independent Guåhan partners Becca Garrison, Jesse Chargualaf, and Ed Leon Guerrero. The series host is Manny Cruz, a former reporter who had a short stint on radio and is pursuing a Master’s degree in English. Even as a volunteer host, he provides the audio equipment and guides the flow of the show, posing insightful questions on decolonization to featured guests.

Starting discussions

The inaugural episode was recorded at Java Junction in Hagåtña as part of their “Coffee Shop Convo” sessions, featuring Independent Guåhan members Dr. Bevaqcua and Victoria Leon Guerrero, and Free Association Task Force Chair Adrian Cruz.

At a glance, this first conversation covered topics including anti-American outlooks in pushing for independence, similarities between Guam and an independence push in Scotland, and the role of the United Nations in the process of decolonization. 

Their second podcast focused on the connection of Guam’s struggle to that of the highly contested Dakota Access Pipeline and explored ways to see Guam’s decolonization as a normal part of history.

Their third podcast featured Jason Datuin of DFRNT, to talk about how, according to Cruz, colonization’s affects can be found in virtually very aspect of our daily lives, including food.

Their fourth podcast in the ongoing series, scheduled to be released this week, features Moneka Flores and Melvin Won Pat-Borja, members of Independent Guåhan topics. They discuss the role of media companies in sometimes distorting decolonization efforts and, as they argue, creating an unbalanced picture of the status options, namely independence.

Progressive ideas

A grassroots operation, the task force decided to engage the public through podcasts as their medium of education due to their constraints on funding. But Cruz says that through the democratization of media, having his own microphones, a laptop, and an internet connection, he had all he needed to be able to publish engaging content with ease and at minimal expense.

"Podcasting just seemed like a great way to include the world in the conversations taking place locally," Cruz said. "There’s always a lot of great, progressive ideas floating around at our different meetings. But not everyone can be there all the time, so it just made sense to capture it in a way that's convenient for practically anyone."

The young graduate student and journalist took it upon himself to use the minimal equipment he had to contribute to the task force and to the decolonization conversation by producing the show. Cruz conducts the interviews, edits the recordings, and promotes the shows through social media.

“My interest in activism on Guam goes back a long way,” Cruz said. “This is my way of contributing with a skill that I have.”

Fighting colonization

The larger goal of Independent Guåhan, and Cruz's personal goal, is to contribute toward educating a community on a topic that is both far-reaching and frightening to some. 

“There’s a huge barrier in us trying to communicate to the public, to people who don’t think about decolonization on a day-to-day basis,” Cruz said. “Most people are like ‘why should I care’ or ‘I like what I have.’ Breaking through the status quo is what is challenging for all of the task forces; getting over the idea that decolonization isn’t crazy, and it’s not scary. This is a common obstacle between the status options, so we try to figure out ways, like podcasting, to get through to people.”

Cruz said the common goal between the three task forces representing the three status options of Free Association, Statehood, and Independence, is to move the island toward a decolonized Guam, with more power over its own resources, people, and political destiny.

“At the end of the day the common obstacle is colonization, and what we’re fighting for is sovereignty,” Cruz said. “Thanks to the educative efforts of some people, there’s a shift in consciousness and way of thinking about decolonization."