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Friday, May 29, 2015

Puerto Rico, The Colony, Part 1: The ‘Miracle’ of Indebtedness


















Feature

Worker's World


In the late 1940s, the United States baptized Puerto Rico the “Showcase of
the Caribbean.” It was to be a role model for countries in the Caribbean and
Latin America. This would supposedly be the outcome of the miracle of in-
dustrialization that the giant capitalist benefactor from the North carried out
in a poor, colonized, underdeveloped small island.

It was a false miracle.

Colonial economy

After destroying Puerto Rico’s agriculture, Washington encouraged foreign
investment — that is, U.S. investment — which initiated a model that first
set up light industries such as textiles, then imposed pharmaceutical and pe-
trochemical companies, and later biotechnology and electronic firms.

Beside causing enormous environmental destruction, this process contrib-
uted nothing at all to the real development of the island. It did generate in-
creased revenue for one sector of the working class — those in industries
based on foreign capital that are export-oriented. They don’t produce what
is needed on the island nor do the products of their labor benefit the econo-
my of Puerto Rico — only Wall Street....[CONTINUE READING]


1 comment:

  1. US confesses to be a criminal
    Those who really want to decolonize Puerto Rico should not reinvent the wheel. It is important that we use a decolonization method that the United States (US) government has the least control over, since it was the one who invaded Puerto Rico to make us its colony.
    We should therefore protest peacefully and permanently for Puerto Rico decolonization, based on the 1960 United Nations (UN) resolution 1514 (XV). The UN has thus far issued 34 resolutions asking the US government to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico. The US government’s position has been that Puerto Rico is a domestic matter that is out of the jurisdiction of international law. This is obviously a lie. This is why the UN holds an annual hearing about Puerto Rico decolonization.
    Resolution 1514 (XV) says that colonialism is a crime against humanity, because it is a threat to world peace. This international law gives everyone under colonialism the right to use any means necessary to decolonize one’s homeland. Therefore, President Obama’s own White House declaration that Puerto Rico is its colony, in essence is a confession that the United States government is a criminal. To make matters worse, it is an outlaw government run by a Nobel peace prize laureate. It should therefore be the US government behind bars, instead of our Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera.
    We have 4 peaceful marches and protests lined up for this year. Please join us!
    1. To the Town Square with Oscar our National Hero. Oscar has been in jail for 34 years for his struggle to decolonize his homeland. Beginning on January 29th, 2016, we will congregate every 29th of the month in each of Puerto Rico’s 78 town squares, and in the diaspora to protest for his release. When Oscar is finally released, we will wait at our town squares to welcome him back home!

    2. The 3rd Oscar – Mandela March in Puerto Rico 2016. On Tuesday, March 22, 2016, we will have this year’s march on the very day that we celebrate the abolition of slavery. We will march at 6 PM from the Capitol Building to the US Courthouse in Old San Juan.

    3. The 3rd Independence March in Puerto Rico 2016. We will have this year’s march as usual just before the Puerto Rico UN Hearing. The date will be set as soon as we know the UN’s date for it. We will march over the Dos Hermanos Bridge into the Condado tourist area.

    4. The 3rd Oscar – Mandela March in New York City. We will march again from Hunter College to the United Nations on the very day of its annual Puerto Rico decolonization hearing. This hearing is usually on the Monday after Fathers’ Day.
    These protests are absolutely necessary, because those who confess they are criminals don’t believe in JUSTICE FOR ALL! www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com

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