By The Star Staff
Rep. José Aponte Hernández criticized U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday for remarks the South Carolina Republican made about Puerto Rico statehood, stressing that the issue has nothing to do with the Democratic and Republican parties, and “transcends partisan lines; it is about human rights, constitutional and civil liberties.”
On Saturday, Graham said at a political event for the presidential campaign of Donald Trump that it is necessary in 2024 for the former president to return to the White House because if not, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico will become Democratic states.
“Comments made yesterday by Senator Graham … on statehood for Puerto Rico were misguided, misplaced and made for no valid reason,” said the veteran New Progressive Party lawmaker and former speaker of the island House of Representatives. “Statehood for Puerto Rico is a much more important issue, which cannot be seen from the point of view of national party affiliations. As with the eradication of racial segregation, this goes further. This is a human rights issue, [involving] the rights of 3.2 million American citizens.”
“Puerto Rico will soon be a state of the union. Most U.S. citizens who live on the island support it,” Aponte added. “Even public opinion polls in the states show a majority favor admission, over 60 percent on average, and that figure continues to grow. Those are irrefutable facts. Puerto Rico will not only become a state, but also a prosperous one for those of us who live here and the rest of the nation. Senator Graham is wrong in his comments.”
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