Governor Acevedo Vila’s popularity has continued its steady decline. With more than 84% of Puerto Ricans recently stating that they are not happy with the direction the island has been heading for the last few years, it seems that that governor’s political future is in serious doubt. More and more people are seemingly abandoning the Acevedo-Vila bandwagon. Recently, a group of ex-Popular Democratic Party leaders as well as former administration officials announced the formation of “Populares con Fortuño” and have made public their intention to vote for the statehood party candidate.

One reason for the break in ranks with the PDP stems from the party’s continued effort of seeking increased political separation between Puerto Rico and the United States. Ironically, it has no problem with economic assistance. “Populares con Fortuño” represent a sector of the PDP that has become very nervous with the rhetoric coming from the top as to Puerto Rico’s political status. It is important to note that the PDP is essentially composed of three sectors. The first, and perhaps the largest sector is made up of individuals who tend to enjoy Puerto Rico’s current status with the U.S. but if push came to shove, would favor Puerto Rican statehood over any possibility of separation from the United States. Secondly, there are those who would really prefer independence, but acknowledge the inability of the Puerto Rican Independence Party to ever win a general election and therefore cling to the PDP. Finally, there are those who have consumed the cool aid spewed by the party of a permanent union with U.S. citizenship and entitlements, with no taxes or responsibilities. “Populares con Fortuño” have stated that they feel, “threatened and betrayed” by what they consider separatists language in the party’s platform.

As the candidates debate, and the governor prepares to face a multi-count indictment in federal court, Puerto Rico once again finds itself at a crossroad. If it continues in its present course the island is likely to continue to face a never-ending economic crisis with a governor trying to stay out of federal prison and the all-important status issue being given another four years to languish unattended.

On the other hand, if the electorate decides to hand Luis Fortuño the reigns of power, then we must do everything possible to ensure he fulfills his promise to ensure that the Puerto Rico political status quandry is finally resolved. That is the challenge we face. It is one that Let Puerto Rico Decide/Citizens Educational Foundation look forward to engage.

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico (CNN) — Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama took their campaigns to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico on Saturday in an effort to woo voters before the June 1 primary.

There are 55 Democratic delegates up for grabs, though voters cannot take part in the general election in November.

Obama campaigned early Saturday at the University of Puerto Rico in Bayamon, where he praised the nation’s veterans before Memorial Day.

“It’s fitting to be here today, not just because Memorial Day is around the corner but because Puerto Ricans are such an important part of the United States military. On this island and in Puerto Rican neighborhoods across America, you can go into almost any home and find a veteran living there or a photograph of a loved one in uniform hanging on the wall,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »

Saying that He seeks Puerto Rican soverignty so that Puerto Rico is governed by Puerto Ricans, Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila stated earlier today that he wants to remain his party’s candidate for Governor despite being indicted earlier this month by federal officials.

It also almost seems, by listening to today’s rhetoric, that the Popular Democratic Party has really become the Puerto Rican Independence party.

The following is what the Associated Press is reporting on the matter:

“Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila has surrendered on federal corruption charges. The governor was going to be fingerprinted and have a mugshot taken as he is booked on 19 criminal counts, FBI spokesman Harry Rodriguez said. Authorities also will take a statement from the governor.

Acevedo spoke briefly with a local FBI official before entering the federal courthouse but did not address reporters.

Hundreds of supporters swarmed the governor’s black sport utility vehicle as it approached the building. Many were waving the flags of Puerto Rico and Acevedo’s party as salsa music blasted at the campaign-style rally Friday morning.

A federal indictment unsealed Thursday accuses Acevedo and a dozen associates in alleged schemes to raise and conceal thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions. If convicted, the governor faces up to 20 years in prison.

Acevedo has denied any wrongdoing and accused U.S. investigators in a televised speech of distracting him from trying to revive the island’s recession-bound economy.”

The read the Federal Indictment click here

Democratic presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton has announced how a Clinton administration would deal with Puerto Rico’s political status. In a recent press release the Clinton campaign stated that “since the United States took Puerto Rico from Spain in 1898, Puerto Rico’s leaders all have wanted a form of government that provides for Puerto Rico’s national laws to be democratically determined and implemented, although they have disagreed on the options. The issue is one of basic democracy and self-determination. All people are entitled to a representative form of government at all levels. Hillary also strongly believes that Puerto Rico should have the status that a majority of its people want from among all of the options. As President, from Day One, she will make it a personal priority to work with all factions — advocates of the present status of the Commonwealth, statehood, independence, and national sovereignty in free association with the United States — and with leaders of Congress — and without any preference among the options — to enable the question of Puerto Rico’s status to finally be resolved.”

Recently, Presidential candidate Barack Obama also released his position on the Puerto Rico status issue. Much like the Obama position, the Clinton campaign has made the age-old mistake of including the problem as a potential solution to the Puerto Rico status dilemma, namely the so-called “Commonwealth” option.

As of yet, the McCain campaign has not stated where it stands with regards to Puerto Rico’s political status. One can hope that at least one candidate seeks to trully resolve the Puerto Rico status impasse…time will tell.

This year’s primary season may give Puerto Rico a glimpse of the political influence it could look forward to if it ever decided to resolve its political status by becoming a state of the Union. With the race between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton so close, the island territory of Puerto Rico with its 64 – more than similarly sized South Carolina (54), Oklahoma (45), or Connecticut (60) – may end up deciding who could be the next President of the United States. According to well-known political analyst Michael Barone, “Puerto Rico is likely to have more leverage in Democratic National Convention votes than any single state, no matter how large.” This is because the delegation is likely to deliver all its votes for the leading candidate. Moreover, the June 7th primary is the last in the country and the candidate who wins the territorial delegates may decide the winner. Read the rest of this entry »

Once again, the United States comes face-to-face with another general election. During the next eleven months, the American people will once again determine who will lead this country for the succeeding four, possibly eight years. Concurrently, Puerto Ricans will also be deciding who will be elected Governor, as well as, the Resident Commissioner to the U.S. House of Representatives. However, while in years past the issue of Puerto Rico’s political status with the United States received some attention from the presidential candidates, this time around the candidates have been mute regarding this important – yet ignored – national issue. In fact, none of the leading presidential candidates include any mention of Puerto Rico’s political status on their respective websites. Read the rest of this entry »

While many in Puerto Rico continue to debate the value of their U.S. citizenship and the government of Puerto Rico is now issuing certificates of Puerto Rican citizenship with dubious legal standing, an increasing number of Israelis are seeking and obtaining U.S. citizenship. A recent Wall Street Journal article explained how many Israelis are taking advantage of an obscure immigration law that enables grandparent to pass on their citizenship to their grandchildren.

Traditionally, citizenship could only be transmitted to a child by its parents, however, in a 1994 provision known as section 322 has provided another path to U.S. citizenship. As it works, being born in the U.S. or having U.S. citizenship doesn’t automatically qualify parents to pass on citizenship to their children. For this to happen, a parent must have lived in the U.S. for five years after the age of 14 to be able to transmit citizenship to a child. Section 322 allows grandparents who have fulfilled this requirement to pass on their citizenship to their grandchildren whose parents didn’t live in the U.S. long enough. Read the rest of this entry »

Puerto Rico’s former governor and current candidate for that post, Pedro Rossello has announced a shift in strategy in obtaining Puerto Rican statehood as a means of ending the islands centuries-old colonial dilemma. The former Governor now says that it will be necessary to take a page from the lessons of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s “I believe,” Rossello has stated, “that history is clear in the need to demand your rights rather than merely assuming a passive posture.”

According to Rossello, Puerto Rico’s quest to end its territorial status also mirrors the suffrage movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which ultimately recognized the right of women to participate in the nation’s political process through the act of voting. Furthermore, the governor now believes that the the topic of Puerto Rico present colonial status has to be more effectively brought before international forums, as well as, within the halls of Congress. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that Puerto Rico continues to endure an economic slump that the elected officials seem incapable of solving. For example, the consumer-price index, which includes food and fuel prices was up 15%. Water and sewer rates have more than double over the past two years while the electric bills have jumped over 40%.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is forecasted to decline by 1.4%. In comparison the U.S. economy grew 2.9%. Puerto Rico’s economy, the Journal explains, is essentially built around two sectors: the government and manufacturing which together account for 39% of the island’s jobs and 52% of its GDP. Read the rest of this entry »