The Bill to Free Puerto Rico
By Nelson Denis
Congressman Luis Gutierrez
has filed a historic bill on behalf of Puerto Rico. It creates a specific referendum, which enables Puerto Rico to choose between Independence and Commonwealth.
The "statehood" option is not included in this bill because the US congress will not give statehood to Puerto Rico...not with Donald Trump in the White House, the GOP in control of the entire legislature, and mass deportations on the Six O'Clock News. Here is the entire text of Rep. Gutierrez's bill...
The Gutierrez bill, also known as HR 900, allows Puerto Ricans living in the US to participate in the referéndum. This will increase the eligible electorate from 3.5 million, to roughly 9 million Puerto Ricans.
There is an understandable feeling that only Puerto Ricans living on the island should vote in this referendum. However, Puerto Ricans are a very large extended family. One million of us were forced to leave the island over the past twelve years, and nearly 800,000 of us settled in the Orlando, FL area.
We travel back and forth to the island, and visit our families constantly. Why shouldn't we be allowed to vote?
With respect to the "statehood" option, it has been painfully clear for decades, that there are
enormous obstacles
within the US government, economy, and social structure, against the statehood of Puerto Rico.
Rep. Gutierrez himself
discussed several of these obstacles in a recent editorial.
It is time to resolve the political status of Puerto Rico...before the US Financial Control Board, and the people behind it, suck all the life out of the island.
Nelson Antonio Denis
is a writer, film director, and former New York State Assemblyman. His award-winning films premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and screened throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. His editorials for the New York Daily News and El Diario (over 300 of them) won awards from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He is the writer of eight feature-length screenplays, writer/director of the feature film Vote For Me!, and author of the book War Against All Puerto Ricans. He can be reached at nelsondenis248@aol.com.
