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November 6,
2006
Contact: Tatiana Guerra, 202-434-8070
Norelie Garcia, 202-969-8777
Puerto Rico’s Status
Options to be Debated at National Hispanic
Caucus of State Legislators Summit
San Juan, Puerto Rico – National Hispanic
Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) President
Felix W. Ortiz (NY) today announced the speakers
for a plenary session on Puerto Rico’s Future:
The options after 108 years under the U.S. flag
during the NHCSL Fourth National Summit November
16th-19th in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Summit
will bring together State, local, and national
Hispanic government, business, and community
leaders to address serious major issues
confronting Hispanics throughout the country.
Assemblyman Ortiz noted that alternative bills
to provide for Puerto Ricans to choose their
preference for the islands’ future status are
currently before the Congress and are expected
to be acted on next year. The Puerto Rico’s
Future panel will explore the recommendations of
the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s
Status and the congressional bills that respond
to the recommendations -- the Puerto Rico
Democracy Acts sponsored by Puerto Rico Resident
Commissioner Luis Fortuño, Representative Jose
Serrano (D-NY), and 108 other Members of the U.S.
House of Representatives and by Senators Mel
Martinez (R-FL), Ken Salazar (D-CO) and 13 other
Senators and the Puerto Rico Self-Determination
Acts sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) and
three other senators and Rep. John Duncan (R-TN)
and 42 other House Members.
Commenting on the report and bills will be:
Puerto Rico House of Representatives Minority
Leader Hector Ferrer Rios, who favors a
“Development of the Commonwealth” proposal for
Puerto Rico; Senate President Kenneth McClintock,
a leader for statehood; Independence Party
Adjunct Secretary for North American Relations
Carlos Frontera; and former Puerto Rico House
Secretary Nestor Duprey, who advocates free
association between the United States and Puerto
Rico. The discussion will be moderated by
Jeffrey L. Farrow, Co-Chair of the President’s
Interagency Group on Puerto Rico under President
Clinton.
Farrow said that, “Puerto Rico has been under
the U.S. flag for 108 years and Puerto Ricans
have been U.S. citizens for 89 years, yet the
islands’ still do not have a democratic form of
government at the national level. The lack of a
direction for Puerto Rico’s future also raises
questions of the appropriate approach to the
territory’s serious economic problems. All of
Puerto Rico’s leaders stand for a nationally
democratic and permanent status but they are
divided among different proposals. The
President’s Task Force report and the
congressional bills try to clarify the options
and propose measures to enable Puerto Ricans to
choose. With 3.9 million people living in Puerto
Rico, almost all Hispanic, this is one of the
most important issues of democracy facing the
U.S. and, especially, Hispanic Americans.”
The Puerto Rico’s Future discussion will be held
Friday, November 17th -- two days after a U.S.
Senate committee hearing on the President’s Task
Force report – and will include a question and
answer period. It will be held at 1:30pm in
Caribe Hilton Conference Rooms 3, 4, 5, 6.
Advance registration is required to attend the
event. Individuals can register at www.nhcsl.org
or by calling 202-434-8070.
# # #
The NHCSL is the premier national association of
Hispanic state legislators working to design and
implement policies and procedures that will
improve the quality of life for Hispanics
throughout the country. NHCSL was founded in
1989 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 with
the mission to be the most effective voice for
the more than 300 Hispanic legislators. For more
information visit www.nhcsl.org.
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