WHEREAS, Puerto Rico continues to be a territory of the United States 110 years after being ceded by Spain at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War.

WHEREAS, Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917.

WHEREAS, the U.S. approved for Puerto Rico a Commonwealth providing US Citizens in the Island with an internal organized government system since 1952.

WHEREAS, several actions to resolved the status situation of Puerto Rico has been initiated in Congress without any result at all, including the ones in 1989, 1993, 1998 and most recently, HR 900.

WHEREAS, the U.S. citizens who reside in Puerto Rico are still denied several of the most fundamental of civil rights; such as the right to vote for the President of the United States and for the corresponding members of Congress.

WHEREAS, the denial of the right to vote for those men and women who make decisions that affect the daily lives of the U.S. citizens who reside in Puerto Rico strikes at the very essence of our nation’s democracy.

WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court continues to validate the legal doctrine that allows Congress to determine which rights and benefits are afforded to the U.S. citizens who reside in Puerto Rico; therefore establishing a class of citizens who are “separate and unequal” as opposed to those who live within the 50 states.

WHEREAS, this untenable situation is made even worse by the lackadaisical attitude of the United States Congress in addressing the need for true self-determination of the U.S. citizens who reside in Puerto Rico.

WHEREAS, a petition has been filed before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on behalf of all the U.S. citizens who reside in Puerto Rico against the U.S. Government for violating “The American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man” and the “inter-American Democratic Charter” in denying their right to vote for the President and Vice-President of the United States, as well as for their corresponding voting members of Congress.

WHEREAS, the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico has adopted House Resolution 5777, as amended, in full support of this petition filed before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

WHEREAS, a request has been made on behalf of all the U.S. citizens who reside in Puerto Rico before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights with regards to the petition filed in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights against the U.S. Government for denying their right to vote for the President and Vice-President of the United States, as well as for their corresponding voting members of Congress.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the League of United Latin American Citizens will continue to fully and actively support these and any other efforts by their fellow U.S. citizens who reside in Puerto Rico regarding their legitimate right as U.S. citizens to be able to vote for the President and Vice-President of the United States, as well as for their corresponding voting members of Congress.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution constitute a clear and specific mandate for LULAC, so that, beside a fully support for all appropriate actions been undertook, to fully and actively support and initiate any other efforts on its own, including presenting a legal claim in the Federal Judicial System on behalf of their fellow U.S. citizens who reside in Puerto Rico.

Approved this 11th day of July 2008.
Rosa Rosales
LULAC National President