Today the United National Decolonization Committee is holding a special session on the political status of Puerto Rico. The session will have testimony from several political factions of Puerto Rico, including pro-independence groups, pro-associated republic groups and pro-statehood groups.
https://twitter.com/pedropierluisi/status/346629929665961984
Also speaking will be ambassadors from countries such as Iran, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador, who will all presumably provide testimony to attack the United States.
The event today represents the first time pro-statehood factions make a statement before the UN, with both Resident Commissioner and New Progressive Party President Pedro Pierluisi, and Boricua Ahora Es Leader Ricardo Rossello making an appearance, though separately.
https://twitter.com/ricardorossello/status/346634337883676672
Earlier, El Nuevo Dia reported that several legislators from the pro-status quo Popular Democratic Party had submitted testimony in favor of a constitutional assembly, to be read by Representative Luis Vega Ramos. Ramos and the other legislators favor the free association model, another name for an associate republic status.
The whole affair before the UN is expected to yield no results whatsoever, since the UN has no official power to compel the United States Congress to act on the issue, especially when the countries most fervently participating in the hearing have questionable human rights records themselves.
In addition, it has been longstanding policy of the US that the issue of Puerto Rico’s status is an internal affair, and therefore only an internal solution can be implemented, effectively rendering today’s hearing as a grandstanding exercise of no consequence.
