Puerto Rico in independence bid

[spartan]

Puerto Rico in independence bid
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44732000/jpg/_44732865_vila_ap226b.jpg
Mr Acevedo Vila said Puerto Rico should be able to choose its own status

Puerto Rico Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila has called on the UN to back his people's right to self-determination.
Speaking to a UN committee, Mr Acevedo Vila accused the Bush administration of denying the US territory its democratic right to choose its own course.

Puerto Rico has been a US territory since the late 19th Century, but gained greater autonomy in 1952.

The UN panel voted to support a motion calling on the US to grant Puerto Rico the right to determine its own status.

Mr Acevedo Vila's appeal to the UN reflected a change in tone for the governor's party, analysts said.

The governing Popular Democratic Party has previously supported the Caribbean island's commonwealth status.

The opposition New Progressive Party favours full integration into the US as the 51st state. The Puerto Rico Independence Party wants to achieve full independence.

In March, Mr Acevedo Vila pleaded not guilty to corruption charges brought by the FBI linked to allegations of raising and then hiding thousands of dollars in illegal election campaign contributions.

'Right to grow'
Mr Acevedo Vila told the UN Special Political and Decolonisation Committee that the US had failed to live up to the promises it made in the 1950s when it gave the island greater self-governing powers in return for remaining a commonwealth.

He said he was there to defend the territory's "right to grow" under the terms of the 1953 agreement and to build on the sovereignty it was promised.

The people of Puerto Rico would then be able to choose whether they wanted to become a US state or achieve independence, he said.

He accused the US government under President George W Bush of being "clumsy and partisan" in its treatment of the issue.

The resolution approved by the committee was put forward by Cuba and Venezuela.

It also called for the US to release all Puerto Rican prisoners serving sentences for cases relating to the territory's independence movement.

Mr Acevedo Vila has previously strongly opposed moves by the US Congress in Washington that he maintains would force Puerto Rico to lose its autonomy and become a US state.

Residents of Puerto Rico cannot vote in US presidential elections. However, they can vote in presidential preference primaries and do elect a non-voting delegate to the US Congress.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7445615.stm

[KrazyRabidSheep]

He accused the US government under President George W Bush of being "clumsy and partisan" in its treatment of the issue.

What else is new?


Speaking to a UN committee, Mr Acevedo Vila accused the Bush administration of denying the US territory its democratic right to choose its own course.
I don't see the U.S. giving up any of it's holdings for the foreseeable future.

The public needs to be better educated about the situation before any such action carries through.

[gla22]

If Puerto Rico became socialist, that would be an epic blow to the U.S. It would be like Cuba all over again.

[Joe Hill's Ghost]

The governor of Puerto Rico is scum. He is openly backing an SEIU attempt to raid the Puerto Rican teacher's union. The teacher's recently picketed the SEIU convention in San Juan. The gov was so kind to send out riot police to defend the scab union and attack the teachers. Self determination aka another game for dividing the working class.

[BobKKKindle$]

Self determination aka another game for dividing the working class.

Socialists support the right to self determination for nations so as to overcome divisions within the working class, as the recognition of this right and support for movements struggling against national oppression breaks the ideological links between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat of nations which exercise national oppression, and so allows for the development of class consciousness. A failure to adopt this position will maintain the prevalence of nationalist ideology amongst the oppressor-nation workers, which obstructs international class solidarity and gives the appearance of shared interests between hostile classes.

Is there a revolutionary socialist party in Puerto Rico? If so, what is its position on this issue?

[black magick hustla]

Lenin was wrong with the question of self-determination. National self-determination is a fundamentally bourgeois concept.

[BobKKKindle$]

Lenin was wrong with the question of self-determination.Lenin's theory has been vindicated by contemporary experience; during the initial invasion of Iraq the American proletariat exhibited a strong desire to support the occupying forces and accepted the arguments which had been put forward to justify the war (struggle against terrorism etc.) but the effective struggle of the insurgency against the occupation and the increasing death toll has undermined support and most proletarians are now firmly opposed to the war, such that the nationalist sentiment has diminished and there has been an observable growth in popular discontent directed against the government. This shows how the victory (or at least the prolonged struggle) of national liberation movements has effects on the class consciousness of workers who inhabit oppressor nations, and affirms the obligation of socialists to support such movements.

[Devrim]

This shows how the victory (or at least the prolonged struggle) of national liberation movements has effects on the class consciousness of workers who inhabit oppressor nations, and affirms the obligation of socialists to support such movements.

Or alternately it shows the effect that war has on the class consciousness of workers.

Devrim

[Joe Hill's Ghost]

Socialists support the right to self determination for nations so as to overcome divisions within the working class, as the recognition of this right and support for movements struggling against national oppression breaks the ideological links between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat of nations which exercise national oppression, and so allows for the development of class consciousness. A failure to adopt this position will maintain the prevalence of nationalist ideology amongst the oppressor-nation workers, which obstructs international class solidarity and gives the appearance of shared interests between hostile classes.

Is there a revolutionary socialist party in Puerto Rico? If so, what is its position on this issue?

Huh? So when the ownership class and the working class of country A unite to expel the control of country B how does that necessarily help us? All it does is give folk a false fraternity with the bosses. Further, when a small country like Puerto Rico "throws off the yoke of oppression" it does so to no real effect. As an independent country Puerto Rico would be a US colony, except the US wouldn't have to pay for anything. American capital would just dominate it from the trade hall.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

"National liberation" means nothing unless it is completed by socialist revolution. In that case, it weakens imperialism (thus bringing the possibilities of revolution closer in the imperialist countries) and strengthens the working class internationally.

Puerto Rico as a neo-colony wouldn't be much better than Puerto Rico as a colony (as it is today). But Puerto Rico as a socialist state would mean quite a lot.

[BIG BROTHER]

Could this call for independence be a reflexion that, the national bourgeoisie of Puerto Rico want to increase their power?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

There's always been a small section of the national bourgeoisie in Puerto Rico who would like to increase their power through independence (though only if granted by the imperialists, as in the current epoch the bourgeoisie doesn't want to unleash the toilers as they could go "too far"). The comprador bourgeoisie which serves as administrators/overseers for the imperialists are more prominent though...

[BIG BROTHER]

There's always been a small section of the national bourgeoisie in Puerto Rico who would like to increase their power through independence (though only if granted by the imperialists, as in the current epoch the bourgeoisie doesn't want to unleash the toilers as they could go "too far"). The comprador bourgeoisie which serves as administrators/overseers for the imperialists are more prominent though...

I see. The independence party serves the interests of the national bourgeoisie, and the New progressive party the comprador's interests.

[Raúl Duke]

In March, Mr Acevedo Vila pleaded not guilty to corruption charges brought by the FBI linked to allegations of raising and then hiding thousands of dollars in illegal election campaign contributions.While I'm not currently in Puerto Rico right now (but will be there on July) I think the only reason why he's talking all this "self-determination" stuff is not for the interest of Puerto Rico, whether it is or not in it's interest to be more autonomous/independent, but more to save his ass from these federal charges. His party usually is against such stuff since it is determined to keep the commonwealth (the status quo).


Is there a revolutionary socialist party in Puerto Rico? If so, what is its position on this issue?There's the MST (Moviemiento Socialista de Trabajadores) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movimiento_Socialista_de_los_Trabajadores) and FS (Frente Socialista). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Front)

There's also EPB (Los Macheteros) which is like an urban guerilla group. Not sure if they are defunct yet (although they received strong blows during 2006) but they weren't active much for some time.

They support independence I think, as a socialist state (at least the first 2 groups).


I see. The independence party (PIP) serves the interests of the national bourgeoisie, and the PNP the comprador's interests.Also the PPD are the top party for the comprador's interests. Actually, I think the PNP seems more towards petit bourgeoisie interests but I won't be able to tell.


Could this call for independence be a reflexion that, the national bourgeoisie of Puerto Rico want to increase their power?Could be but I bet that most of the Puerto Rican bourgeoisie are satisfied with the status quo (or statehood) and prefer it, as CDL mentioned.

Another thing is that is that this call is not coming from the Independence party... It's just one politician trying to save his ass. I hope he and his ilk all go to jail and rot.

I doubt it will happen (and if it does it won't be because his party and the comprador capitalists want it).

One thing is that, from my experience and basically from all the people I know, the general view is a cynical one of the government. The PNP and PPD parties are filled with corrupt politicians who like to suck off from government funds, especially federal funds considering that PR makes 50% less (or so) than the poorest state in the U.S. and is among the list of the poorest territories in terms of poverty. The situation in Puerto Rico is like a Catch-22 between independence and staying with the U.S. to some extant. The U.S. don't seem to like making PR into a state yet the general Puerto Rican people aren't keen for independence either because of many factors such as a weak weak economy, dependency on U.S. federal money for social public services, and the possibility of further precarious government mishandling.

I remember during the "fiscal crisis" in 2006 when the government claimed they were going bankrupt and needed more money by instituting a sales tax (Puerto Rico didn't have one, yet all our shipment has to come from the U.S. and they already taxed our goods before it got on sale. So this sales tax would just doubly screw us.) the 2 major parties, PPD and PNP, went on debating among themselves how high the percentage the tax should be while ignoring the people, who at that time began largest protests (since the majority of the people employed in the island are government workers and the government partially shut down they were all temporarily laid off) ever seen in the island, who wanted to tax the rich and corporations instead (especially the corporations since some/most get tax benefits on the island). The only groups that supported this was some unions, the MST/FS, and the independence party. I think once it was over and the government put the tax anyway, many people lost hope on the government and knew for sure that the main parties are just corrupt assholes who want to fuck us over (at least I did for sure.).