By The Star Staff
The former leader of the island’s Democratic Party, Charlie Rodríguez Colón, said Sunday that the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (NPP) has tripled its strength within the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico following a reorganization primary.
In that sense, the former Senate president said, the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) was the biggest loser in the election. Luis Dávila Pernas, who heads the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, became the new leader of the Democratic Party locally, defeating Villalba Mayor Luis Javier Hernández in a primary Saturday.
Rodríguez said Pablo José Hernández, who is the PDP’s precandidate for resident commissioner, wrote the epitaph of his party by announcing that winning the Democratic Party primary was the first step to victory in November. Rodríguez said the remark is an omen that has plunged the PDP into the calamity of an early defeat in the general elections.
“Without exception, all the leaders of the Popular Party, including the new strain that is trying to stop the collapse of the commonwealth, received a crushing defeat that characterizes the poor roots of their colonialist message in the electorate,” he stated.
Rodríguez thanked the highest-ranking Democratic leader in Puerto Rico, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia, San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo, for their support in mobilizing statehood forces.
“Both were crucial yesterday on the way to the NPP’s victory in the November elections,” he said.
“The people were the real winners in the process,” Rodríguez said. “They were able to make an optimal selection of the officials who will take to Washington the will expressed in the plebiscitary consultations in favor of statehood.”
Rodríguez said it was desperation and frustration that took over Eduardo Bhatia when he perceived a crushing defeat, which forced him to engage in a base attack of lies to denounce illegality in the process.
“What a shame he doesn’t even know our regulations well,” Rodríguez said. “It is a shame that his decline as a PDP leader is characterized from defeat to defeat.”
Rodríguez proclaimed that the island Democratic Party reorganization primary was an exercise of broad democratic participation, in which its members participated in an event without incident.
“That is our welcome message to first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris,” he said. “A strong and powerful Democratic Party, to support President Joe Biden’s re-election aspirations.”