Puerto Rico: Not So Rico
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Ed Morales takes the 110th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Puerto Rico as an opportunity to talk about its status. "The United States invaded the island on July 25, 1898, and claimed it as booty after the Spanish-American War. Long since obsolete as a strategic outpost in the Cold War, the Caribbean island is America's best-kept secret: an unfree state within the land of the free." The island has never seriously been considered for statehood, often for racist reasons. A portion of Puerto Rico's Vieques Island was routinely used as a bombing range by the U.S. Navy. The island of nearly four million inhabitants "is an 'unincorporated territory,' which means that the island is subject to the authority of the U.S. Congress, which can overturn any action by the island's legislature." Puerto Ricans are not able to vote in U.S. presidential elections, nor do they having voting representatives in Congress. While there is often a misperception that Puerto Ricans receive certain rights without paying taxes (which is mainly false), Morales has this take: "Puerto Rico's commonwealth status was a dry run for the free trade practices of the last 15 years, where profit -- and the potential for local investment -- is extracted from a weaker economy by rampaging multinational corporations. Today, Puerto Rico is suffering from a failing economy with high unemployment rates, a fall-off in tourism due to the gas crisis, overdependence on government entitlements like food stamps and a failing public education system."
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Comments
Inaccurate Picture of Puerto Rico
While many of the details in this brief article are true, it misses the fact that prior to the United States occupying us we were among the poorest islands in the Caribbean and today we have the highest GDP of any of our neighbors. People did not have access to decent medical care, houses were not built to withstand the hurricanes which constantly threaten the island and our roads were practically nonexistent. While we might not have a vote in Congress, to paint Puerto Ricans as an oppressed people is utter nonsense and completely ignores the huge gains we have made due to our relationship with the United States.
Puerto Rico gain with USA
Entonces sería correcto decir que es conveniente ser esclavos de un amo rico el cual trata a sus esclavos generosamente pero siempre les recuerda quien es el amo y que en realidad no gozan de ninguna libertad.
Al tiempo de la invasión americana, Puerto Rico era una de las economías mas desarrolladas en el Caribe. El puerto de San Juan llego a convertirse en uno de los más transitados entre España/Europa y las Américas. Es por esta razón que se conoce a Borinquén como el puerto rico. Es asi que Borinquen viene a llamarse como se le conoce hoy; Puerto Rico.
Luego de la invasión las corporaciones azucareras americanas destituyeron a los agricultores puertorriqueños controlando todo el mechado agrícola entre Puerto Rico Y EE UU. Lo cual aun continúan haciendo. Los americanos devaluaron la moneda puertorriqueña, existente al momento de la invasión, en un 60%. La destrucción económica que padeció Puerto Rico fue tan agresiva que solo tomo de 10 a 15 años para llevar a Puerto Rico a décadas de depresión económica. Para finales de los años 20 la situación fue tan opresiva que llevo al pueblo puertorriqueño a reconsiderar su relación "beneficiosa" con los EE.UU. causando el resurgimiento nacional e independentista dirigido por Don. Pedro Alvizu Campos y reprimido violentamente por EE.UU.
Después de destruir la economía puertorriqueña los americanos se vieron obligados a implantar una avanzada económica conocida como el proyecto "manos a la obra" (opration boots straps) lo cual cambio la encomia puertorriqueña de una base agrícola a una industrial basada en centros de trabajo de explotación o "american swet shops" y la expulsión de más de 500,00 puertorriqueños fuera de Puerto Rico hacia los EE.UU. Esta expulsión fue sutilmente disfrazada de "inmigración voluntaria" bajo el programa de braceros; trabajadores puertorriqueños que fueron sobre-explotados en EE.UU bajo un sistema racista el cual perpetuaba salarios de mínima subsistencia. Es por esto y por la continua explotación económica que continúa padeciendo Puerto Rico que hoy en día existe probablemente más puertorriqueños viviendo fuera de Puerto.
Durante este periodo (décadas del 60 y 70) cientos de corporaciones americanas explotaron a Puerto Rico bajo el programa de exención contributiva del sistema de rentas internas federal conocido como la sección 936. Estas corporaciones pagaron pocos o ningún impuestos al pueblo de Puerto Rico por todos los miles de BILLONES de dólares que generaron en ganancias en Puerto Rico. La realidad es que si estas corporaciones hubieran pagado al menos la mitad de los impuestos que les hubiera correspondido pagar si se hubieran establecido en cualquiera de los 50 estados ameicanos ESTADOS UNIDOS AUN LE DEBERIA MILES DE MILLONES DE DOLARES AL PUEBLO DE PUERTO RICO.
CONCLUSION: En términos democráticos Puerto Rico no ha sido diferente a lo que fueron las 13 colonias originales que fundaron a los EE.UU. Valga mencionar que de esto ya han pasado más de 230 años. En términos económicos Puerto Rico ha sido bárbaramente explotado tal y como lo fueron los esclavos negros bajo el sistema racista americano. Entonces; es correcto decir que es conveniente ser esclavos de un amo rico?
I love Puerto Rico
Went on holiday to Puerto Rico and I love it:)
Never been at Puerto Rico
I never been in Puerto Rico, which is the best time of year to go there?
Hey!
Do let us know more about Puerto Rico.
Where are the Huge Gains??
I beg to differ with you about Puertoricans being an oppressed people. What huge gains are you talking about? Yes you are still oppressed when everything on the Island cost more than it does stateside. You are still oppressed when you retire you receive less social security payments than stateside. By now Puerto Rico should be competing with other states on the mainland. But you are not. What huge gains? You still have people still living in "shack"like homes. The mainland american companies took over and still run the economy in PR , and young Puertoricans are making an exodus to the mainland to find jobs, go to school and the return to visit families and leaving again. You have no real political voice , so what huge gains are you talking about. Take a trip around the island and take a goooooood look at the "huge gains" you talk about. I did not see any this past June when I went to visit family.