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Puerto Rico's Case before the United Nation's "Committee of 24" By Miriam Ramirez de Ferrer, M.D. According to press reports, it was not the petitioners who appeared before the U.N. "Committee of 24" who took the spotlight regarding Puerto Rico’s status, but a non-paper on Puerto Rico supposedly circulated by the US delegation. This non-paper has been recognized by the political analysts, intellectuals, and other interested parties, as a milestone in the discussion in the United Nations regarding Puerto Rico’s status. However, the now almost defunct "Committee of 24", which schedules the hearings and is scheduled to disappear shortly, did not make any decision on Puerto Rico. This is the usual result, since it began meeting over this issue many years ago under the influence of radical socialist activists from Puerto Rico. It is interesting that it was precisely those pro-independence leaders who went to the U.N. many years ago to denounce the United States for keeping Puerto Rico as a colony, this time around lobbied the Venezuela delegation to push for reaffirmation of the controversial "Resolution 748 (VIII)" which some say disclaim Puerto Rico is a colony. The following is a copy of the non-Paper distributed during the June 1997 hearings at the UN regarding Puerto Rico.
United States of America
NON-PAPER ON PUERTO RICO IN A SERIES OF ACTS FROM 1959 TO 1952, THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO AND THE UNITED STATES AGREED UPON A LOCALLY-WRITTEN CONSTITUTION FOR PUERTO RICO AND A LAW SPELLING OUT IMPORTANT MATTERS IN THE UNITED STATES RELATIONSHIP WITH PUERTO RICO. FREELY-HELD AND FREELY CONTESTED REFERENDA WERE HELD IN PUERTO RICO IN 1951 AND 1952, THE FIRST APPROVED THE COMMONWEALTH ARRANGEMENT AND THE SECOND APPROVED THE CONSTITUTION. THE CONSTITUTION ON THE COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO PROVIDED FOR A LOCALLY-ELECTED INSULAR GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD EXERCISE SELF-GOVERNING AUTHORITY SIMILAR TO THAT OF A STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. IN 1953, THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY RECOGNIZED THAT THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO HAD EFFECTIVELY EXERCISED THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION AND ACHIEVED A NEW CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS IN A MUTUALLY-AGREED ASSOCIATION WITH THE UNITED STATES WHICH MADE THEM AN AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY. RESOLUTION 748 (VIII) DETERMINED THAT THE DECLARATION REGARDING NON-SELF GOVERNING TERRITORIES COULD NO LONGER BE APPLIED TO PUERTO RICO AND THAT THE UNITED STATES SHOULD CEASE TRANSMITTING INFORMATION ON PUERTO RICO UNDER ARTICLE 73 (a) OF THE CHARTER, REMOVING PUERTO RICO FROM THE LIST OF NON-SELF GOVERNING TERRITORIES. THE RESOLUTION IN EFFECT ATTESTED TO THE UNITED STATES’ POLICY OF PAYING DUE REGARD TO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO IN THE CONDUCT OF THE RELATIONSHIP[P, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE PEOPLE COULD CHANGE IT. SINCE 1953, THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO HAVE BEEN TO THE POLLS 11 TIMES IN FREE ELECTIONS IN WHICH VOTER PARTICIPATION IS REGULARLY 80 PERCENT OR MORE. CANDIDATES OF PARTIES FAVORING THE COMMONWEALTH ARRANGEMENT OR INTEGRATION INTO THE UNITED STATES AS A STATE HAVE WON THE GOVERNORSHIP AND SETA OF THE RESIDENT COMMISSIONER TO THE UNITED STATES WHO SERVES IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, IN ALL OF THE ELECTIONS AND HAVE WON ALMOST ALL OF THE SEATS IN THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY IN ALL OF THEM. CANDIDATES OF THE PARTY FAVORING INDEPENDENCE HAVE WON BETWEEN THREE AND SIX PERCENT OF THE VOTE AND GENERALLY ONLY ONE SEAT ON EACH HOUSE OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. IN 1962, THE ELECTED GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH ASKED THE UNITED STATES TO ACT TO ENABLE THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO TO CHOOSE BETWEEN COMMONWEALTH, U.S. STATEHOOD, AND INDEPENDENCE OPTIONS. IN 1964, THE UNITED D STATES ESTABLISHED A COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF THE ISLANDS AND INVITED THE COMMONWEALTH TO JOINTLY CONSTITUTE THE COMMISSION’S MEMBERSHIP. IN 1966, THE JOINT COMMISSION AGREED THAT ALL THREE OPTIONS WERE VALID AND ANY CHOICE AMONG THEM SHOULD BE MADE BY THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO IN A PROCESS INITIATED BY THEM. THE COMMONWEALTH CONDUCTED A REFERENDUM ON THE OPTIONS IN 1967 IN WHICH THE COMMONWEALTH OPTION WON 60 PERCENT OF THE VOTE, U.S. STATEHOOD OBTAINED 39 PERCENT AND INDEPENDENCE RECEIVED LESS THAN ONE PERCENT. SUBSEQUENTLY, PUERTO RICANS ELECTED A GOVERNMENT WHICH, BY MAJORITY, FAVORED U.S. STATEHOOD. IN 1993, THE COMMONWEALTH CONDUCTED A SECOND REFERENDUM ON THE ISLANDS’ FUTURE POLITICAL STATUS. IN THIS VOTE, IN WHICH OVER TWO MILLION PEOPLE VOTED AND THE PARTIES ADVOCATING EACH OPTION WERE GIVEN SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING FOR PUBLIC 4EDUCATION, THE COMMONWEALTH OPTION WON 48.6 PERCENT OF THE VOTE, U.S. STATEHOOD OBTAINED 46.4 PERCENT AND INDEPENDENCE RECEIVED 4.4 PERCENT. CANDIDATES FAVORING U.S. STATEHOOD WON A MAJORITY OF THE VOTE FOR INSULAR OFFICES IN A FREE ELECTION IN 1996 THAT INCLUDED CANDIDATES FAVORING THE COMMONWEALTH ARRANGEMENT AND INDEPENDENCE. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF PUERTO RICO PETITIONED THE U.S. CONGRESS TO ENACT LEGISLATION PROVIDING FOR A UNITED STATES-SPONSORED PLEBISCITE IN 1998 IN A REQUEST SUPPORTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND THE RESIDENT COMMISSIONER. A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR SUCH A VOTE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY A VOTE OF 44 TO 1 BY THE COMMITTEE OF JURISDICTION OF THE U.S., CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AMONG THE BILL’S 60 PLUS SPONSORS ARE THE SPEAKER AND MINORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND PUERTO RICO’S RESIDENT COMMISSIONER. IT WOULD 1) PROVIDE FOR A VOTE AMONG OPTIONS OF CONTINUING THE COMMONWEALTH ARRANGEMENT, NATIONHOOD – INCLUDING FREE ASSOCIATION, AND U.S. STATEHOOD NEXT Y4EAER AND AT LEAST ONCE EVERY TEN YEARS, 2) PROVIDE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A MAJORITY DECISION BY THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO THROUGH FURTHER UNITED STATES ACTION AND FURTHER REFERENDA BY THE PEOPLE ON WHETHER TO ACCEPT THE UNITED STATES IMPLEMENTATION ACTION, AND 3) PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL UNITED STATES FUNDING FOR THE REFERENDA, INCLUDING VOTER EDUCATION. THE BILL IS EXPECTED TO BE VOTED ON BY THE FULL HOUSE SHORTLY. A SIMILAR BILL HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY 14 MEMBERS OF THE SENATE OF THE U.S. CONGRESS FROM BOTH PARTIES. THE BILLS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE INDEPENDENCE AS WELL AS THE U.S. STATEHOOD PARTIES. THE UNITED STATES 4EXECUTIVE BRANCH IS WORKING WITH ITS CONGRESS AS WELL AS PUERTO RICO’S ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THE LEGISLATION. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES STRONGLY SUPPORTS ESTABLISHING A PROCESS THAT PROVIDE PUERTO RICANS WITH OPTIONS IN RESPONSE TO PROPOSALS REFLECTING THEIR DIVERSE, EXPRESSED ASPIRATION AND THAT PROVIDES FOR IMPLEMENTING A MAJORITY CHOICE. HE IS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO GRANTING INDEPENDENCE OR U.S. STATEHOOD IF PUERTO RICANS CHOOSE EITHER STATUS CHANGE AND MAKING THE COMMONWEALTH ARRANGEMENT WORK BETTER FOR THEM IF THEY DO NOT. THE UNITED STATES EXECUTIVE BRANCH SUPPORTS CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSALS OF ALL OF PUERTO RICO’S STATUS-BASED POLITICAL PARTIES AND SERIOUS AND FAIR RESPONSES TO THOSE PROPOSALS. THE UNITED STATES HAS PLEDGED SINCE 1953 TO GRANT PUERTO RICO INDEPENDENCE IF THE ISLAND’S PEOPLE WANT IT. VAST MAJORITIES OF THE U.S. CITIZENS OF THE COMMONWEALTH HAVE SOUGHT A CONTINUED U.S. STATUS. THE U.N. "COMMITTEE OF 24", A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WILL HEAR PETITIONERS FROM PUERTO RICO ON JUNE 19 AND 20. MOST SUPPORT A STATUS NOT FAVORED BY THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PUERTO RICAN PEOPLE. A FEW OF THE PETITIONERS SEEK CHANGES TO UNITED STATES POLICIES ON MATTERS THAT ARE WITHIN UNITED STATES JURISDICTION UNDER THE COMMONWEALTH ARRANGEMENT WHICH HAVE NOT YET MET WITH UNITED STATES ACCEPTANCE. ( SOME WILL SEEK RELEASE FROM PRISON OF A SMALL NUMBER OF RESIDENTS OF U.S. STATES WHO WERE CONVICTED OF CRIMINAL ACTIONS AND SOUGHT TO IMPOSE THEIR DESIRE FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF PUERTO RICO ON THE PUERTO RICAN PEOPLE IN SPITE OF THE PEOPLE’S WILL. THESE CASES ARE BEING SERIOUSLY AND THOROUGHLY CONSIDERED BY THE UNITED STATES EXECUTIVE BRANCH.) THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO FREELY ADOPTED THE CURRENT GOVERNING ARRANGEMENT AND, IN SPITE OF MANY OPPORTUNITIES, HAVE NOT DECIDED TO REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER STATUS. THE UNITED STATES HAS RESPONDED AND CONTINUES TO RESPOND TO THEIR REQUESTS REGARDING CONSIDERATION OF OTHER STATUSES. A STATUS CHANGE SHOULD ONLY BE MADE IF A MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO SEEK IT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR WILL.
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