By The Star Staff
Nina Valedón Santiago, the president of Council #15711 of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and district director in Puerto Rico, announced Sunday that the organization unanimously approved a resolution of her authorship on Saturday to define LULAC’s new public policy on the issue of Puerto Rico’s status, which includes other options besides statehood.
“Instead of advocating statehood as the only option, LULAC rectifies its position and now asks the U.S. government for what is fair and democratic: a process of self-determination where all parties and all status options are present on equal terms,” said Valedón, the only delegate from Puerto Rico present at the convention held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
LULAC is, as defined on its website, the oldest and largest Latino civic rights organization in the United States.
The theme of this year’s convention, “Knowledge is Power,” focused on the power of knowledge and the importance of unity in seeking and achieving social and economic justice for Hispanic communities in the United States.
Specifically, the unanimously approved resolution states that Puerto Rico “is an archipelago of more than 3 million U.S. and Latino citizens, with a significant diaspora in the continental United States.” It also notes that Puerto Ricans “are committed to promoting a process of self-determination, where LULAC calls on the Government of the United States to promote a process of democratic self-determination in which Puerto Ricans of all parties and ideologies can participate and in which the electorate can consider all options.”
It adds that LULAC strongly believes in self-determination of the type of government that people should create for themselves and their families and considering that all the people and parties of Puerto Rico should have the opportunity to determine what kind of government they want, and all parties and the people should have the opportunity to express their opinion and vote for their election.
The document finally states that “at the LULAC General Assembly in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on August 5, 2023, it was voted to support said Resolution and ensure that all parties and people in Puerto Rico have the opportunity to express their opinion through their vote, and all options for the political relationship with the United States.”
“LULAC has a long history of service to our communities and as a Puerto Rican, for me it is important that we have an active and militant participation in this organization, and that democracy is promoted in every way,” Valedón Santiago said. “In a status event, excluding a large part of the population that believes in autonomy or another option of political relationship is a mistake in any league. That is why it is a triumph for democracy that LULAC promotes that the United States includes the participation of all sectors, including statehood.”