Obama With The Same Lie About Puerto Rico Colonialism

The Puerto Rico Independence Party President Rub'n Berrios Martinezspoke on April 14, 2015 on 'Fuego Cruzado' radio program in Puerto Rico about what happened in the recent Summit of the Americas in Panama.

He stated that 33 members of the Organization of American States agreed that the United States (US) government should retract from its position that Venezuela poses a threat to the United Statessecurity. They also proposed thatPuerto Rico should have a seat in the organization.The United States and Canadawere the only 2 countries to oppose these 2 proposals. Therefore, no resolution was reached this year.So much for democratic principlesbeing observed at international organizations.

Rub'n and President Obama had a very brief interchange of words. The exchange, in my opinion, reveals once more the unchanging historical determination of the United States (US) government to maintain Puerto Rico as its colony forever.

Rub'n's account of the exchange went like this. Rub'n tells the President that it is time that the US resolves Puerto Rico's colonial relationship. The President responds by saying,'Puerto Ricans have to talk.' Ruben answers back, 'United States has to talk too.'

President Obama'sresponse to Puerto Rico's 116 year of US colonialism is no different than all other American presidents of the past. They have all used the same lie that Puerto Rico is a colony because Puerto Rico can't decide what she wants. This is unquestionable evidence that the US government wants to keep us a colony forever.

Puerto Rico is a colony because the US government unilaterally decided that. It invaded Puerto Rico to own her.

In 1960, the United Nations (UN) ruled that colonialism is a crime against humanity. Since then, the UN has asked the US 33 times to adhere to its international law prohibiting colonialism, and to immediatelydecolonize Puerto Rico. The United States has ignored the UN's requests thus far.

It is important to note that these UN resolutionsdoes not mention the need for Puerto Ricans to decide anything. What it does state specifically is that the US government should give Puerto Rico her sovereignty. That is exactly what the US government does not want to do.

In orderfor the US government tocontinue to pretend that it believes in freedom, justice, democracy and the rule of law, it prefers to talk about Puerto Ricans having to decide what they wantthrough plebiscites after plebiscites. So, whydidn't the US government ask Puerto Ricans whether they wantedto be colonized? The fact of the matter is that even if 100% of Puerto Ricans decided to remain a US colony that would mean nothing. Colonialism would still be a crime, and as such, it would still be intolerable to the international community.

I would have wished that Ruben's response to Obama have been:Mr. President, we don't have to decide anything. The US government is the one violating the law. And it is up to you, Mr. President, to make sure that the US immediately and unilaterally decolonizes Puerto Rico!

This is why United Partners for Puerto Rico Decolonization advocates for permanent marches 3 times a year until Puerto Rico is decolonized. We are convinced that the US will have to be forced to do what it has historically not wanted to do.

We support the Saturday, May 30^th 2015 march in New York City. We ask that you attend our 2^nd Oscar - Mandela March in New York City on Monday, June 22, 2015. This is the very day that the United Nations hold its annual hearing to discuss Puerto Rico decolonization.

Help us make the tsunami of people that will be necessary to make Puerto Rico decolonization happen. You are very important to get it done, because those who maintain colonies, don't believe in justice for all!