They say they have the support of 13% of the population and their roadmap includes the creation of a political party.
For more than 400 years Puerto Rico was part of Spain. Next to Cuba and the Philippines, this island was one of the last overseas provinces that the Crown retained in the Caribbean. Until 1899, when was delivered to the United States.
The four centuries of common past, the language that both nations currently share as well as the Hispanic heritage in its culture and tradition seem to continue to be present in part of its population, at least in the 13% that, according to the newly created political organization Forward Reunificationiststhey want to be Spanish again.
A future political party
Based on this statistic and the feeling of Hispanicity that some Puerto Ricans say they have, this association was created in 2017 and is currently in the process of becoming a political party whose objective is to turn our backs on USA and become the eighteenth Spanish autonomous community.
They are so serious about their goal that Anette Falconwhich is part of Adelante Reunificationistas, made a proposal to the UN Decolonization Committee requesting “a plebiscite recognized by the Congress of the United States, Spain and Puerto Rico”.
Before these facts, ‘Euronews‘has been in contact with this organization to find out what roadmap they have and what future they foresee at the political level. Its president, the Puerto Rican José Lara, He assists us from there, ensuring that “Puerto Rico never wanted to separate from Spain.”
Lara turns to history to explain the feelings of the members of her organization as well as the reasons that move them to return to Spaindriven by a tiredness of “submission” by the United States, since currently Puerto Rico is a free state associated to Washington with self-government.
“Puerto Rico was kidnapped by the United States, It has remained subdued for 126 years and has lost the autonomy it had with the Spanish Autonomous Charter of 1897. Has lost all progress that it had achieved as part of Spain, being an overseas province,” he explains to this medium.
He feeling of hispanicity that emerges from his words is the driving force of his political desire: “We want a future of progress in Spain and we believe that unification is convenient for both Spain and Puerto Rico.
The Association formally emerged in 2017, although its members explain that the reunification debate has existed since the same day that Puerto Rico was handed over to the United States. Among other reasons, because There was never a cultural approach to that nation, but they maintained “Spanish and Hispanic customs,” he says.
Complications when creating a political party
It is still a cultural association, but it pursues a clear political objective. However, they have found complications when founding a possible party, since according to the law of the United States, which is the one that prevails in Puerto Rico, “no member of an association can found a political party.”
Given this situation and faced with lack of current parliamentary representation, They are opting for alternatives until they manage to found the party, which is their goal. “We have created an educational platform” and among its objectives is “dismantle the black legend of the Spanish Empire” and recover the links and alliances with Spain.
José Lara also recognizes that they have an added difficulty: “The Government does not allow us to appear on television or in the press“, he says. Therefore, his roadmap not only involves finding a legal way to achieve his political goals, but also making his ideas visible and “raising awareness, present viable, alternative and feasible ideas for this to move forward,” he concludes.
In this process, Forward Reunificationists has the support from Spain of the Puerto Rico Action Cultural Association Spain. Its president is Luis Mulio who, from the ‘motherland’, promotes institutional and cultural relations between both countries.
“We want reunification because Puerto Rico lives in a colony situation where you do not have democratic rights. They cannot vote for him United States’s president and they only have one resident commissioner with voice but no vote, They also do not have sovereignty in practically any matter and lack powers in basic matters,” Mulio explains to ‘Euronews’.
The eighteenth autonomous community
It is inevitable to ask what status Puerto Rico could annex to Spain. The answer, for the president of Acción Puerto Rico España, is clear “as a autonomous communitywhich was already in 1897 until he lost all his rights after the American invasion,” he explains.
From their association they are taking steps at the international level to get closer to the objective: “In the United States we are negotiating a proposal addressed to senators“. He assures that in the coming weeks they will continue working on “the cultural and diplomatic route to convince the Government that the reunification of Puerto Rico would be beneficial for everyone.”
Who knows, maybe soono Spain has a new community autonomous beyond the seas.
