By: FRANCISCO J. DOMENECH
DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES PUERTO RICO LEGISLATURE AND DELEGATE TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE
Many of the myths in terms of the process for Puerto Rico to become the 51st state of the union is the attempt to inject fear as a counter to social progress due to the complexity of the process. Nonetheless, this process is a lot simpler than it seems.
Article IV, Section 3, of the Federal Constitution grants Congress the power to admit new states to the union. The Constitution does not define, nor specify, the conditions in which statehood is ceded to a territory. Thus, Congress has the liberty to determine the conditions for admission.
Historically, the process to follow for the granting of statehood is as follows: a majority of the population of the territory votes in favor of annexation; the territory petitions Congress to become a state; the territory constitutes its government in Republican form; then, the Federal House and Senate approve a joint resolution designating the territorial area as a state.
Finally, the President signs the joint resolution approving admission. To petition for statehood, a simple majority is needed, and not an absolute or super majority. In addition, Puerto Rico already has a republican system of government and a local constitution completely compatible with the federal constitution.
Those who oppose Puerto Rico statehood have argued that the amount of time that has passed since we were ceded through the Paris Treaty makes statehood impossible. Nonetheless, history has shown that a mere passing of time should not be an obstacle for statehood. There are a number of states that have delayed considerably in achieving statehood since having been designated territories, including during the expansionist process, like, for example, Alaska(92 years) and Oklahoma (104 years).
Therefore, the passing of time as a colony will not be an obstacle for the granting of statehood. Never in the history of the United States has a territory been denied its petition to become a state.
Puerto Rico becoming a state is simply a question of will.
EL PROCESO HACIA LA ESTADIDAD
Muchos de los mitos en cuanto al proceso para que Puerto Rico se convierta en un estado de los Estados Unidos tratan de impulsar el miedo a la complejidad del proceso como respuesta al porvenir. Sin embargo, ese proceso es más sencillo de lo que se pinta.
El Artículo IV, Sección 3, de la Constitución federal da al Congreso el poder de admitir nuevos estados a la Unión. La Constitución no define, ni especifica, las condiciones para otorgarle la estadidad a un territorio. Por tal razón, el Congreso tiene la libertad de determinar las condiciones para la admisión.
Históricamente, el proceso a seguir para la otorgación de la estadidad es el siguiente: la mayoría de la población del territorio vota a favor de la anexión; el territorio peticiona al Congreso convertirse en estado; el territorio constituye su gobierno según la forma republicana; luego, la Cámara y el Senado federal aprueban una resolución conjunta designando el área territorial como estado.
Y finalmente, el Presidente firma la resolución conjunta aprobando la admisión. Para peticionar la estadidad, sólo se requiere una mayoría de la población y no una mayoría absoluta o supermayoría. Además, ya Puerto Rico cuenta con un sistema republicano de gobierno y una constitución completamente compatible con la federal.
Algunos detractores de la estadidad para Puerto Rico han señalado que el lapso de tiempo que ha transcurrido desde que fuimos cedidos mediante el Tratado de París imposibilita la estadidad. Sin embargo, la historia nos dice que el mero transcurso del tiempo no debe ser obstáculo para la estadidad. Hay un sinnúmero de estados que se demoraron considerablemente en lograr la estadidad desde que los designaron territorios, incluso en pleno proceso expansionista, como, por ejemplo, Alaska (92 años) y Oklahoma (104 años).
Por tanto, el transcurso del tiempo como colonia no será obstáculo para la consecución de la estadidad. Nunca en la historia de los Estados Unidos se le ha denegado a un territorio su petición de convertirse en un estado.
El que Puerto Rico se convierta en estado es una cuestión de voluntad.
1 comment:
Statehood in Puerto Rico is a dying issue....the highest voting for Statehood was 48.5% and Congress will never accept less than half of the American Citizens in Puerto Rico as the 51st State of the Union.
The requirements are quite clear and an outright majotity of over 66% is required for any status change unless Congress decides otherwise to an Associate Republic or Independence...
The Micronesian Plan is an example of the Modern Puerto Rico's answer to Statehood....Dependency from the Unites States Treasyury is reduced 5% each year until 20 years in which the Nation of Puerto Rico can be achieved...
English is practically non spoken on this Island sicne the last two Governors of the Island, Sila Calderon and Anibal Acevedo Vila have outlawed the language like the Germans did in Casablanca with safe passage to Portugal.....
Look around your Island...there's no presence of the United States Flag displayed proudly, even by loyal Statehooders....
The mere thought of questioning the loyalty of a group of Persons for consideration as a State of the Union is sheer obnoxious....
We are a Territory of the United States and the majority of the residents will never give up their language, culture, customs and identity...
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