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Washington, D.C., March 2 -- Congressman José
E. Serrano (D-NY) today praised Puerto Rican baseball star Orlando
Manuel Cepeda on his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Cepeda is the second Puerto Rican elected
to the Hall of Fame, behind baseball legend Roberto Clemente,
admitted in 1973.
Cepeda, 61, born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, played
17 major league seasons. He remains the only player unanimously
selected as both the Rookie of the Year in 1958 and the National
League Most Valuable Player with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967.
"I am thrilled that Orlando Cepeda is
in the Hall of Fame, because he deserves it!" Serrano said.
Rossello,
Hernandez Colon, Ferre Urge Nobel Prize in Literature for Enrique
Laguerre
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Six weeks ago, the
Reliquary, a little-known literary magazine, began a letter-writing
campaign to introduce a Puerto Rican writer [Enrique Laguerre]
to organizers of the Nobel Prize in Sweden.
Late last month, the island's House and Senate
issued a resolution signed by Gov. Pedro Rossello urging his
nomination.
Laguerre's 31 historical novels explore the
cultural and economic struggles of a Spanish-speaking island
that this year marked a century since U.S. troops wrested it
from Spain - setting in motion a still-unresolved identity crisis.
The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture sent
its official nomination to the academy last month, along with
copies of every major work by Laguerre. Friends donated out-of-print
editions to the cause.
"I, personally, am joining with many
other Puerto Ricans who are in favor of this nomination,"
Rossello said. "This is a just petition and it reflects
the depth and validity of (Laguerre's) work." Chris Hawley
AP
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Nation's
Governors Call on Congress to Pass Puerto Rico Self-Determination
Legislation:
"[I]n harmony with its long-standing
acknowledgement of the importance of self-determination by the
people of Puerto Rico as to the status of Puerto Rico, the National
Governors' Association (and the Southern Governors' Association)
urges the 106th Congress to enact legislation that will, no later
than the year 2000, provide a mechanism for political self-determination
by the American citizens who reside in Puerto Rico."
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U.S.' STATE, JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS
SAY PUERTO RICO REMAINS A TERRITORY
WASHINGTON - In the strongest Clinton administration message
on commonwealth status yet, both the State and Justice departments
have maintained that nothing has changed politically in the U.S.-island
relationship since 1952 and that "Puerto Rico remains a
territory" subject to the full powers of Congress.
"The status of Puerto Rico since the creation of the
commonwealth system is that Puerto Rico's status remains the
same," attorneys for both agencies said in a brief filed
in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
The brief continued: "Although Congress, through the
1950 act, authorized the process for democratically instituting
a local constitutional government in Puerto Rico, Congress retained
the authority to legislate with regard to Puerto Rico."
The attorneys maintained that the courts also have indicated
that, "Puerto Rico's status in relation to the United States
remains the same following the establishment of the commonwealth
system."
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GUTIERREZ
URGING INDEPENDENCE FOR PUERTO RICO LIVES PARADOX
An Open Letter to Congressman Gutierrez:
Sometimes you seem to be such a paradox.
While you obviously take pride in your job
as an American lawmaker, you seek independence for the people
of Puerto Rico, and would thus deny the nearly four million American
citizens living here the same rights and responsibilities that,
as citizens, you and your family enjoy.
If you truly feel that independence is the
best option for Puerto Rico and that being Puerto Rican and American
are mutually exclusive, then you really should put your money
where your mouth is and come live in Puerto Rico and fight for
your ideals.
It seems somewhat hypocritical for someone
who is living the American dream to the extent you are to deny
that same dream to the millions of Puerto Ricans who do call
this lovely island home. Please stop undermining our struggle
for equality. You are not our elected representative. -Roberto
Guzman, THE SAN JUAN STAR
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Will Puerto Rico ever
be more than a U.S. commonwealth?
About 50 Hispanic students...sought answers to that question
during a political debate Tuesday night in U. Florida's Levin
College of Law.
Kenneth McClintock of the New Progressive Party said statehood
is the only option because the nation's founding fathers acquired
territories with the intention of eventually making them states.
As a state, Puerto Rico would have access to the funds necessary
for promoting trade and creating jobs. Then, the United States
would not view it as a "welfare state," said McClintock.
Since the signing of the Treaty of Paris brought
the war to its end, Puerto Rico has remained a U.S. territory
and its inhabitants have lived under the Constitution of the
United States of America. During that time, Puerto Rico and its
people have come to embrace the United States Constitution and,
in particular, the individual liberties protected by the Bill
of Rights. As a result, Puerto Rico has broken, culturally, from
its Latin roots over the last one hundred years. JAIME PIERAS,
JR., United States District Judge, Zappa v. Cruz
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Washington -- The White House indicated Saturday
that the "none of the above" winning vote in the Dec.
13 island plebiscite has little or no meaning for the ultimate
outcome of Puerto Rico's political future.
The White House and Gov. Rossello were in
sync Saturday on the confusion wrought by the Dec. 13 plebiscite
results.
Rossello...said that Congress must "step
in and recognize its responsibility" because "local
politics distorts the discussion and decision on status. We have
to make sure that Congress responds" with clear status choices
for island voters, the governor said. -Robert Friedman, SAN JUAN
STAR
ANOTHER
VIEW
The vote on the status of Puerto Rico was
a message that people there are unhappy with Gov. Pedro Rossello's
actions.
That's why 50.2 percent of the recent vote
went to ``none of the above''. People wanted to let the governor
know that they were unhappy with his actions, not that they were
against his party.
It boils down to a question of the people
feeling left out of important decisions and not being heard by
the governor.
Additionally, the pro-commonwealth party did
not like the definition given in the ballot under commonwealth
and campaigned to have their people vote for ``none of the above.''
Those supporting commonwealth sought inclusion of an ``enhanced
commonwealth'' on the ballot with all the privileges of a state,
while remaining separate and unique and without the burden of
federal income tax on the ballot.
Call it what you will, Puerto Rico is a territory
of the United States and has no voting representation in Congress.
The pro-statehood agenda wants equal representation, full participation
in the democratic process and guaranteed American citizenship
with all its responsibilities.
After all is said and done, it is unclear
whether the Republican controlled Congress would have moved forward
on the issue if statehood had carried the day. I think not.
For now, ``none of the above'' means business
as usual. -Lillyana Montanez, ORLANDO SENTINEL
[I]nstead of asking why Congress still has
no plan to end Puerto Rico's current state of political limbo,
many pundits reacting to a recent status vote held under local
law in Puerto Rico seem puzzled because statehood supporters
in the territory have not abandoned their cause after failing
to win a majority.
(I)nstead of being puzzled because elected
statehood leaders in Puerto Rico are asking Congress to act on
the basis of the recent plebiscite, let's remember that America
became the greatest nation in the history of the world by empowering
people with the tools for informed self-determination. Sooner
or later Congress will have to do the same for Puerto Rico, and
the sooner the better for Puerto Rico and the nation as a whole.
-Dick Thornburgh
Congressional Sponsored Plebiscite
Necessary
The 1998 plebiscite confirms the need for
Congress to ascertain the will of the people of Puerto Rico among
options Congress is willing to consider. This can be accomplished
only if Congress sponsors a referendum under Federal law and
informs the voters of the terms for continuing the current status
or changing to a new status.
The Land that Would be a State: Divided over
Statehood, Puerto Rico's Economy Shows It's Practically Joined
Up
SAN JUAN: VACATIONER'S PARADISE
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The Statehood Movement
