!! United Nations Special Committee On Decolonization

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1 CMUNC%2011%!! United Nations Special Committee On Decolonization Puerto Rico s Status % % % %

2 Topic 1: Puerto Rico s Political Status: An Unending Struggle Puerto Rico, La Isla del Encanto, is a beautiful territory of the United States located at the northeast of the Caribbean Sea, just about 1,000 miles away from the coast of the state of Florida. Puerto Rico is composed of 78 municipalities, two of which are adjacent islands, Culebra and Vieques, which along with other islands, such as Mona, Monito and Caja de Muertos make it a unique archipelago. It measures about 100 miles long by 35 miles wide, giving it a premier geographical location right at the center of the Antilles 1. This has allowed Puerto Rico to be a crossroads of Latin and Anglo cultures, where an influx of diverse backgrounds---taíno, Spanish, African and American--- has shaped its society, governing bodies, and beliefs throughout its history. There are 3.9 million American citizens that reside on the island, of which about a third live in the greater San Juan area. Puertoricans enjoy warm weather year round to the extent that many believe it is always summer and look for every opportune moment to jump into the clear waters the islands offer. Since its foundation, the people of the islands have been exposed to Spanish, African, Taíno and U.S. influences, which have shaped their political discussions and history 2. Nevertheless, it has been the present relationship with the United States that has had the most salient effect on the political scale. Hence, different political ideologies have come to exist and frame the political arena in the islands, which is the core and most important issue that influences people s lives. Some believe that Puerto Rico should stay as it is, as a territory of the U.S. (confusingly named a commonwealth, such as the states of Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and its sister territory of the Northern Marianas Islands), others advocate for its 1The GreaterAntilles are Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. 2Scarano, Francisco A. Puerto Rico. Cinco siglos de historia `. Santafé de Bogotá: McGraw-Hill Interamericana, S.A, 2009

3 independence from the U.S., while a yet to be proved majority support the full integration with the U.S. through statehood. The island was officially discovered by the Spanish-financed voyager Christopher Columbus in However, it is believed that since the 8 th century the Indian, Taíno, tribes had already been established on the island, laying a foundation of traditions and cultural aspects that Puerto Ricans enjoy nowadays. When the Spanish colonized Puerto Rico, these Arawak Indians were forced into slavery, as well as many blacks that were brought from Africa. The Spanish constantly abused them in order to obtain as much gold as they could. Nonetheless, this scenario changed after the Spanish-American War in 1898 in which Puerto Rico ended up as a colony of the United States, establishing its present and long-standing relationship with the U.S. This crucial turning point forever transformed Puerto Rico s political and socio-economic history. For example, in 1900, the U.S. Congress approved the Foraker Act, which provided Puerto Rico with a civil government administered by presidentially-appointed governors, the last of which was a native Puerto Rican. It also provided for a popularly-elected nonvoting delegate in the United States House of Representatives. This newly-established form of government would resemble the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the U.S. government. Afterwards, in 1917 the U.S. government enacted into law the Jones Act, which granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Rican residents, and created an elected Senate. In 1947, the political scenario kept transforming, as the U.S. government afforded Puerto Ricans with the right to elect their own governor. Right after in 1950, both the local and federal government made a joint effort to start a process that would begin the path to the local drafting and Congressionally-enacted local constitution, which is still today s foundational legal document at the heart of Puerto Rico s politics 3. Even though the islands first elected Gov. Luis Munoz Marin stated in Congress that the authorization to draft a local constitution in no way altered the islands relationship with the nation, 3U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources. Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress 112th Cong., 1st sess., March 16, H. Rep. RL32933.

4 after 1952 he espoused the theory that Puerto Rico thereafter enjoyed a new political status which he called Commonwealth. Although Puerto Rico would be locally self-governed with its own constitution and flag, it would continue to be governed by a Congress in which it had no voting representation, founded in the Territorial Clause of the U.S. Constitution 4, Art. IV, Sec. 3, cl. 2, which states that Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the Territory belonging to the United States. As a consequence, this special and unique political relationship with the U.S. has been the subject of recurring debate in Puerto Rico for many years. During the decades following these major events that defined Puerto Rico s political status, three major differing political ideologies have prevailed at the center of Puerto Rico s political life: Independence from the U.S. 5, Puerto Rico s current relationship with the nation (which the majority of voters consider a territory or colony), and Statehood. The cause for statehood is sponsored and promoted by the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico. Since its foundation in 1967 by former Governor Luis A. Ferre, the NPP has increased the support for statehood at the local level, as well as on a national scale. His advocacy for statehood dramatically altered politics in Puerto Rico, as soon as it formally appeared on Puerto Rico s political spectrum through the NPP. The political beliefs of the people, the voting tendencies in elections and referendums, and the governance/political agenda of the island were revolutionized by this political party, and ultimately transformed the political development of the island. In the elections of 1968, the Puerto Rican people elected Luis A. Ferre as the first statehood supporter who became Governor of Puerto Rico, ending 28 years of uninterrupted rule of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), which promoted non-statehood. This demonstrated how the people s political beliefs were changing as statehood gained support from those who originally sympathized with other ideologies. Nonetheless, statehooders have never won a referendum in the island and the PDP is still a serious contender. 4U.S. Const., Art. IV, Sec. 3, cl. 2. 5This ideology represents only 2% of the population and is not an actual contender in elections.

5 Moreover, statehood organizations were progressively being created all over the island, as well as in the mainland U.S. An example of this is the Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association, which was founded by the current Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, and Secretary of State, Kenneth McClintock, when both were studying on the mainland U.S. in the late 1970 s. Other organizations that have evolved in recent years to support the cause for statehood that became increasingly popular are the U.S. Council for Puerto Rico Statehood, Mission 51, and Center for Puerto Rico Equality and Advancement. Although supporters for the status quo have decreased, the island is still practically divided equally between these two ideologies (statehood vs. status quo), with a 2% that supports total independence (Puerto Rico becoming its own country). This also opened the doors for a shift in the voting tendencies of elections and referendums. The percentage of the vote for statehood has increased over the years. Although Congress has never approved a federally-sanctioned plebiscite where the people of Puerto Rico could have the opportunity to express their political views on the status of the territory, the Puerto Rican government considered the initiative by doing three referendums in which the vote for statehood increased each time. At the end of the 1960 s in the first referendum, statehood obtained 274,300 votes, as whereas in the 1990 s the vote for statehood reached a high of 788,300 votes. Even though it did not surpass the amount of votes supporting the status quo, it did narrow the differential margin between them from a 21.6% in 1967 to a 2.3% in Consequently, this pattern became evident in the last elections when Governor Fortuño, whose platform s ultimate goal is to achieve statehood within the next years of his governance, won by the most prolific landslide margin that any gubernatorial candidate had ever reached, 224,894 votes. Governor Fortuño promised during his campaign that a vote for him would be a vote for holding a Congressionally-mandated referendum in which Puerto Ricans could choose their future. He obtained over one million votes, an accomplishment no other parties' candidates have ever realized in Puerto Rico s elections history. Thus, he attained a winning margin of 11.58% against the

6 commonwealth incumbent, Anibal Acevedo Vila 6. Nevertheless, it is yet to be seen if statehooders are a majority in the island, because, as mentioned, they have never won a referendum. As explained earlier, it took the NPP only one year after its founding to be in power and govern Puerto Rico. The advocates for statehood have been in power 2 more years than the originally predominant PDP, the supporters of the status quo. Moreover, the statehood movement has reached a point where today two thirds of the House, two thirds of the Senate, the Congressman representing Puerto Rico and over 60% of the municipalities are held by statehooders. Hence, the political agenda of the government has changed significantly from the one in earlier decades. Over the years, the Puerto Rican government has augmented their efforts to allocate more funds from the federal government, in regards to issues such as health care, transportation, and education. At the same time, Puerto Rico has sent more military men than ever into the U.S. armed forces against the war on terror. Lastly, the political agenda of Puerto Rico has notably focused on seeking support from Congress for the implementation of a congressionally-approved plebiscite where the people of Puerto Rico will be able to determine their political uncertainty and decide their future. A bill to that effect was approved by the US House on April 28, Nonetheless, the bill, HR2499, died in the Senate, as midterm elections passed in November and the issue has yet to be heard. In this piece of legislation Congress would have granted what it has never given to Puerto Ricans in 112 years: the sanction to vote regarding their preference on the island s political status. The author of the bill, Pedro Pierluisi, is a statehood leader and Congressman for Puerto Rico. After 1967, there have been over 35 federal reports and pieces of legislation that have touched upon the question of the status of Puerto Rico 7, 6Comision Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico (State Electoral Commission), "Elecciones Generales 2008, (accessed April 21, 2010). 7U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources. Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress 112th Cong., 1st sess., March 16, H. Rep. RL32933.

7 certainly characteristic of the impact the movement of statehood has had on the political agenda of the island. Although the cause for statehood has progressed over the years and has shaped the political life in Puerto Rico, it is still yet to reach its final goal of converting Puerto Rico into a state. The statehood ideology is at its peak at this moment, but there is a cultural factor that creates a division around this political cleavage, preventing it from succeeding. The argument of those who generate this ideological division is that there are strong differences between the cultures of Puerto Rico and of the United States, making it impossible for Puerto Ricans to consider themselves Americans or even assimilate into American culture. Specifically, they argue that the U.S. could not accept a state with Spanish as its official language. These opponents say that statehood would result in the loss of national Puerto Rican identity. However, these arguments are countered by statehooders who say that the U.S. is a place where the cultures of the world come together. For instance, since its declaration of independence in 1776, the United States of America has always been a diverse and multicultural nation that encompasses races and ethnicities from all around the world. Some predict that by 2050 the white race will no longer be a majority. The U.S. is rich in its ethnic variety from coast to coast, forming a nation where anything is possible for anyone, regardless of their personal background. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, and over 8 million live, work, and raise their families on the mainland. In terms of the language concern, English has already been made the official language of Puerto Rico. Additionally, federal activities in Puerto Rico such as legal proceedings are carried out in English. The education and usage of English in Puerto Rico are growing and starting to return to past levels of fluency, since Puerto Ricans are staunch supporters of their children learning English as the language of progress. Similarly, the situation is somewhat analogous to that in Hawaii, where Hawaiian is an official language, but it is still a state. Thus, statehooders argue that it would be irrational to say that Hawaiians stopped being Hawaiians because they joined the union.

8 Another factor that has effectively managed to hinder the efforts leading to the statehood of Puerto Rico is the structural factor of the tax argument. Supporters of the Popular Democratic Party deliberately argue that Puerto Rico should not enter the union as a state due to the fact that the people would have to pay federal taxes, leading to an increase in the poverty line. Nevertheless, statehooders denote that this is wrong, because the amount of money the federal government would tax the Puertorican resident would never compare to the amount of money that same citizen could have earned if he had received a paycheck in the mainland. The American family s income per capita in the mainland is three times as much as that of a resident of Puerto Rico, making the permanent union a better deal. Some say that if Puerto Rico becomes a state most families would be better off at the end of the day than they actually are now. Also, the Secretary of State of Puerto Rico, Hon. Kenneth McClintock, mentioned that last April 15 th, when tax payers filled out tax forms, 48% of American families did not have to pay federal income taxes, and 10% of the populace with higher incomes were the ones who paid 3% of the total payroll of federal contributions. The federal government established that a family with four members and annual income of less than $50, 000 would not have to pay federal income taxes ] 8. Additionally, adversaries of statehood claim that if Puerto Rico becomes a state it would damage the relative voting strength of congressmen, create an imbalance between party officials, and cause the loss of one seat in the House of Congress to six states. Critics say that this issue should not be a subject of concern due to the fact that it is an inalienable right of every U.S. citizen to have full representation by those who govern them. This raises the question of whether politicians should or should not deny an inherent right, because they might believe that the acceptance of a new state into the union would diminish their power or produce a disparity between partisan alliances. U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico have only one non-voting member in Congress and no representation in the Senate. If Puerto Rico were to come as a state it would have six representatives in the House and two in the 8See Reference # 6. Kenneth McClintock is the Secretary of State of Puerto Rico.

9 Senate. When Alaska and Hawaii where admitted in 1959 and 1960 the House was temporarily increased to Nonetheless, it is said that the number would be decreased again to 435 members because the next decennial Census would provide for such arrangement. For instance, the 2010 Census depicted that nine states 10 will lose a seat relative to the current allocation of House seats. Since Puerto Rico would be assigned six representatives when entering as a state, Congress could consider increasing the amount to 450 members in the House. This way the people of PR and of those states who will lose representation could be treated fairly, living up to the standards of the U.S. Constitution of 1 representative for every 30,000 constituents. Puerto Rico s U.S. citizens have been under the U.S. flag for 112 years. Since being granted such citizenship, many have worn the uniform in every conflict the United States has endured. Congressman Pierluisi has stated: we currently send a greater percentage of our sons and daughters into the U.S. military than all but one state, yet they cannot vote for their commander in chief. Congress determines PR s legal rights and has the power to decide its ultimate political status, but there is no fair representation, statehooders argue. It is poignant that residents of Puerto Rico have waged war and shed their blood in defense of American democratic values for over nine decades, but in that time have never been given the opportunity to express their stand about their political association with the United States in the context of a democratic process approved by Congress. However, commonwealth and independence supporters have an agenda, to prevent this from happening. Status quo supporters say that Puerto Rico cannot lose its Olympic committee and opportunity to participate in Miss Universe. On the other hand, independence followers, although a small percentage, say that Puerto Rico is a nation with its own identity and Caribbean culture. This has been an ongoing issue for 112 years. Is it time to end the unending struggle? 9U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources. Puerto Rico Statehood: Effects on House Apportionment Congress 112th Cong., 1st sess., March 11, H. Rep. R California, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania

10 Information: Any concerns you might have please contact me, as this topic is my specialty and I highly recommend taking a stance in this issues. Countries should take a position of statehood, commonwealth or independence. Thus, then there should be an exciting and enriching debate putting forth the pros and cons of each one. Why one status and not the other, according to your country? 4. Although SPECPOL would not normally concern itself with such a topic as Puerto Rico, the U.S. has agreed to allow the committee to discuss it and take a position. Your resolutions and position papers may recommend courses of action, but cannot infringe on national sovereignty by forcing the United States to act in a certain way. The U.S. will take SPECPOL's recommmendations into consideration, and subsequently decide what course of action is appropriate. Topic 2: Displacement of Palestinian Refugees Statement of Issue As a result of Israel s 1948 War of Independence, between 500,000 and 750,000 Palestinian refugees fled what is now Israel between the years Today, this group of refugees has expanded to include more than 4 million, and has become the victim of one of the world s largest and most enduring refugee crises. UNRWA, or the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, is responsible for providing relief support to individuals defined as persons "whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 and 1967 conflicts.