FEATURE-Puerto Rico: what ties does it want with the U.S.?

[Leticia_g]

FEATURE-Puerto Rico: what ties does it want with the U.S.?

By John Marino

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, (Reuters) - Puerto Rico, a Caribbean island that is a U.S. territory but which also prides itself on its separate identity, is celebrating five decades as a commonwealth this year with questions on how or whether to tinker with its ties to the United States.

The 50th anniversary of commonwealth status -- which grants Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship but gives them limited federal voting rights -- fell July 25. The celebrations, held on the grounds of the Capitol building just outside the Spanish colonial grandeur of Old San Juan, threw a spotlight on divisions among Puerto Ricans.

In what is a perennial debate on the island of 4 million people, some support the current commonwealth status -- although they think it needs improving -- others want Puerto Rico to become a U.S. state, and a small minority think it should seek independence.

Puerto Rico shares much history with its Caribbean neighbors: pre-colonial Indian settlements, the arrival of colonialists from Europe, the later import of slaves and the development of trade and farming.

But history took a different turn for Puerto Rico, where in 1898, the United States claimed the island for itself at the end of the Spanish-American War. Half a century later, the island voted for commonwealth status with the United States, setting the stage for a place with a decidedly mixed identity.

Resident Commissioner Anibal Acevedo Vila, Puerto Rico's sole congressional representative, earlier this year described the commonwealth deal as "the most important democratic achievement that Puerto Rico obtained in the last century."

But supporters of statehood and independence both argue it falls short of giving Puerto Ricans self-determination.

When Acevedo Vila introduced a resolution in Congress last week congratulating the Puerto Rican people on the anniversary of commonwealth, it was a Puerto Rican, Rep. Jose Serrano, Democrat of New York, who opposed the measure.

"Colonialism is not cause for celebration," he said. "Instead of celebrating the anniversary, we should be letting the more than 4 million Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens, decide their own destiny."

As a commonwealth, Puerto Rico has its own legislature and court system. Its residents are U.S. citizens but cannot vote in presidential elections, although they vote in the primaries. They are represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by a delegate who does not vote, except in committees. They pay no federal income taxes but are eligible for limited government benefits.

A SYSTEM MADE TO EVOLVE?

Commonwealth supporters argue the system has to evolve. "Since its inception, it was visualized as a status that could grow with the times," said Fernando Torres Ramirez, secretary general of the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party.

Gov. Sila Maria Calderon, who took office in January 2001, called commonwealth "the force of Puerto Rico," in an address on the anniversary, but said she would take all possible measures to "perfect" the system. "We are not going to give up the search for greater justice, greater space, greater powers to exercise our democratic will," she said.

Commonwealth proponents say improvements would center on increased powers such as the ability to participate in regional political organizations and the ability to enter into trade pacts with foreign countries.

Calderon is calling for the establishment of the "Puerto Rico Unity and Consensus Committee," charged with agreeing on a mechanism to approach Washington with a proposal on the island's status.

But although she has urged participation from all three major political parties, the pro-statehood New Progressive Party is boycotting the effort.

PAST EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE STATEHOOD DEFEATED

Calderon's predecessor, former Gov. Pedro Rossello, who served from 1992-2000, vigorously pursued statehood, an option that would involve the United States effectively welcoming a Spanish-speaking Hispanic state into its fold.

But lobbying in Congress failed to win legislation guaranteeing federal backing of a local status plebiscite. Statehood was defeated at the polls during votes in Puerto Rico called by Rossello in 1992 and 1998.

Among Puerto Ricans, support for statehood peaked at 46.5 percent in the 1998 plebiscite. Support for independence in that vote was 2.6 percent, way down from half a century ago.

The independence movement has seen violent episodes. In 1954, four Puerto Ricans pulled out pistols in the gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives and fired off a volley of shots while yelling "Viva Puerto Rico Libre" (Long Live Free Puerto Rico).

There have not been any recent polls about status preferences outright, but in a May poll by the local Spanish-language newspaper El Nuevo Dia, 60 percent of respondents said they thought Puerto Rico was their "nation," compared with 20 percent who said the United States.

About 17 percent mentioned both Puerto Rico and the United States as their nations while 3 percent did not know.

The increased political autonomy afforded by commonwealth in 1952 came in the midst of "Operation Bootstrap," an industrial program that changed Puerto Rico from an agrarian-based economy to a modern manufacturing economy with robust sectors such as pharmaceuticals, which dramatically boosted Puerto Ricans' lot and lifted it out of poverty.

But over the years -- the economic benefits of commonwealth -- such as access to U.S. markets -- have been eroded by free trade pacts like NAFTA. Congress has eliminated other important benefits, such as federal tax programs targeting U.S. companies setting up shop in Puerto Rico.

The small independence movement was given something of a shot in the arm amid controversy over Navy training on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques that erupted after an errant bomb killed a civilian security guard in April 1999.

The incident fostered rare unity as statehood, commonwealth and independence supporters joined in a call for an end to training the Navy has conducted on Vieques for 60 years. President Bush says he will stop the training by May 2003.

Ruben Berrios, the Puerto Rican Independence Party president who camped out for nearly a year at the Navy bombing range to protest the war games, calls Puerto Rico "the last great colony on earth" and argues that the Vieques conflict exposed the colonial nature of commonwealth.

08/02/02 09:34 ET

[conciencia]

Me gusto la perspectiva de el gringo! Es bueno que los Estadistas vean la verdad!

Saludos!

[Leticia_g]

Gracias, por eso puse en el foro pues muchos no ven las cosas como son.

Recuerdos!

[Camano]

Your name reminds... Thank You!!!

[Rgutierr]

I have a comment:

The "Master" adopted us...and then it changed our name..from Colony to CommonWealth...and you know the rest.

[Ecuajey]

Originally posted by Rgutierr
The "Master" adopted us...and then it changed our name..from Colony to CommonWealth...

You could legally change the name of a 50 year old man from José to Juan, but that doesn't change the person. Get what I'm saying?