Today the Natural Resources Committee will have a hearing on Puerto Rico. Its important to remind you that Puerto Rico is a colony, therefore any discussion on statehood should be done by first recognizing how a century of US imperialism continues to influence votes on Status

There are forces using Puerto Rico as a political football to reach the end zone of blue Congressional dominance. Others are using Puerto Rico’s predicament as a tool to maintain the status quo. MANY are just protecting their tax exempt loopholes that only colonialism can provide

With these forces laid out, there’s 1 group I would like you to please bear in mind. Puerto Ricans, abroad and on the archipelago, all have one thing in common: their socioeconomic realities regardless of their current residence, are a result of generational US colonial policies.

What kind of policies?
-Forced Sterilization of Women
-Gag Law & Persecution of independence movement
-The Jones Act significantly raises cost of living in PR
-PROMESA forces austerity measures
-Vieques military bombing thats poisoning the community
Etc

Acknowledging how Puerto Rico has been victim to US imperialism instead of jumping head first into how these big interests can benefit from our situation, is the only way to approach true self-determination. Why? We are not D.C.

Puerto Rico was invaded by the US in 1898 & has been under American imperial rule ever since. The “territorial clause” was nothing but a euphemism for Colony. We dont vote for President. We’re at the mercy of Congress. Hence PROMESA: an unelected board that controls our finances

Most notably of all is how the US Govt spent decades violently persecuting Puerto Ricans who opposed the USA while our educational system was built to mirror theirs, with revisionist history of how the US rescued PR from Spain & how independence would send us into poverty & chaos

Under US rule Puerto Ricans were consequently drafted into the US military and even sent to other US occupied nations such as Hawaii for manual labor. As generations passed and the consequences of US rule began to unfold, our communities were spread out & displaced

The gradual generational divide brought into Puerto Rico by US policies along with an American centered education, targeted assimilating the Boricua identity as equal to that of the US while keeping Boricuas in a limbo, or what we refer to as “second class citizenship”.

There are currently more Puerto Ricans living in the continental USA than on the islands. That’s ~6 million Boricuas who as a result of US government policies that perpetuated the gentrification of our land and raised our cost of living, were forced to move out.

With this context, its clear Puerto Rico exists on different socioeconomic realities bc of its complex colonial history under the US govt. Therefore placing PR statehood on par with the conversation of DC is also a mistake, it erases of our individual struggle against imperialism

On Puerto Rico’s history on votes of status. It is important to note 2 things:

1. The party pushing for statehood (PNP) collaborated with US govt to implement many policies aforementioned, thus contributing to the generational divide that morphed PRs into identifying as USians

2. votes on status in PR are met with hesitation for a variety of reasons:
- language defining status are misleading
- PNP is evidently corrupt & theres no confidence in a transparent process
- are always non-binding
-most 3d party boricuas dont participate for these reasons

Some say: “statehood is decolonization.” but you dont dismantle colonialism through annexation of invaded nations. Statehood is still imperialism because its a continuation of the violent subjugation that has stripped these same countries from their inherent right to independence

“Statehood provides aid, representation, equality etc”

Representation is not liberation. The forces that are already ingrained into Puerto Rico by US interests will fortify & continue to serve the established bipartisan status quo. Our elected officials will get sucked into that

“Is it still colonialism if the colony votes for annexation?” may seem a fair Q to ask but not when it pertains Puerto Rico, unless you willingly ignore a century of American propaganda that has generationally deconstructed our identities to in turn fight against true sovereignty

I hope this thread brings you perspective on why it’s important to place discussions on PR status within context before further throwing an entire country & it’s people down a path without recognizing generations have been misled into believing their fate is not in their hands.