Slow arrival of hurricane aid revives statehood debate in Puerto Rico
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
Puerto Ricans have long felt like second-class U.S. citizens.
The island lacks voting representation in Congress or any power in presidential elections. Nearly everything costs more, including healthcare. And now, amid the devastation of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico has another reminder of its status as a non-state: the slow arrival of federal assistance.
President Trump’s explanation for the difficulty of providing aid only reinforced its sense of isolation. “This is an island, surrounded by water,” he said. “Big water. Ocean water.”
With Trump scheduled to visit here Tuesday, the response to the disaster has revived a long-standing debate over the territory’s relationship to the rest of the United States and what could be done to address the inequalities.
“It is certainly the responsibility of all U.S. citizens to ask themselves if we believe in democracy, if we believe in rights and equality which are the pillars of our society, how can we still have a colonial territory with more than 3 million citizens that don’t have access to the same rights and the same political power?” Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello told reporters Monday.
more
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-puerto-rico-statehood-20171002-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter
= new reply since forum marked as read
