La cuestión no es de
legalismos o tecnicismos, ni siquiera de partidismos: es un asunto de vergüenza.
El país se encuentra bajo el asedio
de poderes malsanos del exterior. Se nos
explota como colonia y somos ‘gobernados’ por un organismo federal cuya misión
es cobrarle a los puertorriqueños una
deuda ilegal. Se nos hace creer que
vamos a las guerras del imperio a defender la libertad y la democracia… que dependemos
de sus dádivas para sobrevivir. Votamos
por un gobernante y elegimos los senadores y representantes de las cámaras
legislativas, pero el control y las decisiones respecto a los asuntos
esenciales del país reside en el congreso, las cortes federales y en diversos comités
de los Estados Unidos.

En el ámbito chiquito de gobierno, pero
grande por su inmediatez y por tratarse de hermanos puertorriqueños; vemos el
triunfo de la sinrazón, del canibalismo, el padrinazgo, la corrupción, el
nepotismo y la repartición de despojos entre los vencedores. Se ha legalizado la desvergüenza, el
materialismo y la inmoralidad. Los ‘gobernantes’
no le sirven al país…se sirven de él y al así hacerlo, imitan al maltratante
extranjero.

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Puerto Rico: Dignity Shall Prevail!
The issue is not of
legalisms or technicalities, not even partisanship: it is a matter of dignity.
The country is under siege by detrimental powers
from abroad. We are exploited as a colony and we are 'governed' by a federal economic
board whose mission is to make Puerto Ricans pay for an illegal debt. We are
made to believe that we go to the wars of the empire to defend freedom and
democracy ... that we depend on their assistances to survive. We voted for a governor, senators and
representatives of the legislative chambers, but the control and the decisions
regarding the essential matters of our country resides in the congress, the
federal courts and diverse committees of the United States.
In
our Puerto Rican law faculties; legality, liberties and justice are taught,
when the opposite is what we live in our land. We subsist in a constant contradictory
tension, but we do not see the connection that it has with violence, the
incidence of suicides, the consumption of alcohol and drugs, unemployment and
emigration. In its most positive sense,
we appropriate the success of our athletes, artists, contestants and everything
that remotely sound like Puerto Rican pride. We have turned festivals, partying
and ‘chinchorreo’* into national activities without being aware that they
operate as escape valves. And what would
happen to us without them?
In the smaller field of local government, we
see the triumph of injustice, of cannibalism, patronage, corruption, nepotism
and the distribution of spoils among the victors. Shamelessness, materialism
and immorality have been legalized. The 'rulers' do not serve the country ...
they use it and in doing so, they imitate the foreign abuser.
Puerto Ricans understand this and remain silent because we know
that in protests, there can be
reprisals, but but this anomalous state of things is not going to hold for much longer.
As a people, we have extraordinary
reserve of decency. Solutions will emerge from Puerto Ricans. It will be
uphill, but dignity, justice and prosperity will prevail. We will see it!