Columns & Op-Eds
View the latest columns and op-eds from Resident Commissioner Pierluisi.
To view the essay, click here: http://americasquarterly.org/content/puerto-rico-deserves-better-washington
To view the essay, click here: Pierluisi Essay in the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Journal (August 2015)
For Puerto Rico, Prosperity Requires Equality
Posted: 07/28/2015 11:30 am EDT
WASHINGTON — PUERTO RICO’S governor recently claimed that the island could not pay all its debts. In the media, comparisons to Greece abound.
Fighting for the state-like treatment of Puerto Rico
Sir,
In “Puerto Rico debt calculus grows more complex” (May 29) you state that the effort by the US territory to authorise its government-owned electric power company, Prepa, to adjust its debts under Chapter 9 of the US Bankruptcy Code has been “stymied by the courts”.
Fifty Years After Selma, Americans in the U.S. Territories Cannot Vote
In his speech last month commemorating the 50th anniversary of the civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, President Obama described the right to vote as the “foundation stone of our democracy.” For Americans living in the U.S. territories, these stirring words ring hollow.
By Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi
On July 25th, 62 years ago, the Constitution of Puerto Rico took effect. This document is worthy of study and respect. It contains language that confirms our devotion to democracy and our commitment to equality. It reflects the fact that we cherish both our Puerto Rican identity and our American citizenship.
It’s time again for Take Five, when HOH talks with a member of Congress about topics relatively unrelated to legislative work.
This week, Puerto Rico’s Democratic representative in Congress, Resident Commissioner Pedro R. Pierluisi, discusses his trip on Air Force One and working as a staffer.
PIERLUISI: Why Puerto Rico Deserves Statehood
By Pedro Pierluisi
Monday, November 18, 2013
Tuesday marks the 520th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in Puerto Rico. Since that time, the island’s political status has been colonial in nature.
The Nov. 7 editorial “Puerto Rico, awash in debt” recognized that the U.S. territory’s economic problems are “structural — traceable, ultimately, to its muddled political status.” But The Post then asserted that “there will be time enough to debate” that status later and that Puerto Rico should focus exclusively on fixing its finances.
Roll Call: Puerto Rico's Political Status Needs to Change With the Times
Puerto Rico’s governor recently wrote about the results of the U.S. territory’s November status referendum (“Moving forward together,” May 20), painting a picture that bears little resemblance to what actually transpired.
Ex-Puerto Rico Gov. Rafael Hernández Colon wrote a Guest Observer (“Puerto Rican Statehood Defeated Again,” Dec. 6) about the results of the U.S. territory’s recent status referendum, arguing that “the Puerto Rican electorate defeated statehood.” The truth is far different.