Posted on 06/19/2008 7:39:39 AM PDT by Ebenezer
(English-language translation)
Understanding that Spain has "a moral debt" to Puerto Rico after ceding the island [to the United States] following the Spanish-American War, Popular Democratic Party (PPD) Senator Eudaldo Báez Galib asked the government of Spain to intervene to help solve the problem of the [island's political] status.
Báez sent a letter to Spain's Consul-General in Puerto Rico Carlos Vinuesa Salto asking him to go before the International Court of Justice to present Puerto Rico's case.
"The historical moment has come for Spain to tend to its affairs with Puerto Rico. Among these, the mere fact that Puerto Rico was ceded without consulting the Puerto Rican [people] at the time and under the prevailing idiosyncrasy then," the letter reads.
The PPD Senator argues on the three-page letter, a copy of which was sent to the Governor's Mansion, that the Puerto Rican status problem is partly Spain's responsibility. He added that the Treaty of Paris, through which the island passed to American hands, was violated.
"A great moral debt from Spain to Puerto Rico exists. Even after the island's transfer to the United States as spoils of the Spanish-American War, the cultural links and special affections never ceased, even if the political ones were broken," the letter indicates.
In justifying his request, [Báez] said that Puerto Rico does not have "international juridical personality" to go before the Court.
"Spain does possess such a personality. Furthermore, as a signatory to the Treaty and as a party with interest and right, it has the capacity to present Puerto Rico's case before this Court. In addition, it may demand when appropriate a delimitation of that authority acquired by the Congress of the United States that, by strict international law, is not eternal," the letter says.
It was not possible to obtain a reaction from the Spanish Consulate.
ping
Maybe we should just give Puerto Rico back to Spain. I am not sure why we need another tax-sucking welfare state like PR, and the socialist Spanish government could take care of it.
Give it back. Save the taxes.
(please correct me if I've gotten the facts wrong...)
It’s unclear to me what this guy is trying to achieve. Does he want PR to go back to Spain? That’s fine, but I doubt that many Puerto Ricans would agree.
>>I’m all for Puerto Rican Independence.But they’ve gotta understand that with Independence goes the loss of US citizenship and the right to live here.
Don’t think that Spain wants a welfare-dependant entity. Loss of US citizenship means no Yankee dollars and subject to Spanish taxes.
This is gratitude for freeing them from Spain’s dominance. Good, let them go and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
I don’t think “Mother Spain” wants Puerto Rico back anyway.
If PR wants to become a separate country, that's fine with me.
They do need to remember that they can no longer be American citizens if that happens.
IMO,the only two things that he can be driving at are Independence or to become part of Spain again.I'd have no problem with either course.Today Puerto Ricans have most of the benefits of US citizenship with few of the burdens.Money flows only one way between San Juan and Washington...unlike with the 50 states.
No, Spain doesn’t like Puerto Ricans any more than they like Spain. PR is actually a fairly functional capitalist society these days, and aside from the usual Dem corruption, is doing fairly well.
What's the problem? Either become a state or get the hell out. ANY territory should start getting reorganized as states at this point.
What is Puerto Rico’s case? We’ve offered them independence, we’ve offered them statehood - just what the heck do they want?
Is is possible to force them to be an independent country?
Does England have a "moral debt" to the USA? France to Louisiana?
-PJ
But it would mean they'd get Euros, which these days are worth a whole lot more than Yankee dollars.
Wait until they find out the percentage of Puerto Ricans on Welfare.
You have to see where Senator Báez is coming from. He is part of the sovereignty (read “independence”) wing of the Popular Democratic Party.
Even if they did claim independence our taxes would go there in the form of aid.
Its just the perks of our country being a global sugar daddy.
Heck, even American Samoa has more than 60K residents.
I have never heard of those territories having active statehood movements. Does anybody else know otherwise?
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