Armed Forces and Defense

Translation by Hans Perl Matanzo

The advent of Puerto Rico's independence will come accompanied with the establisment of excellent international relationships which will be based on friendship and peaceful cooperation with nations throughout the world. Thus, there will be no need for the establishment of military institutions in the Republic of Puerto Rico. An independent Puerto Rico will embark on a transition directed at acheiving a complete and thourough demilitarization of the country. Costa Rica has served as an example, as it is a country which abolished its armed forces decades ago. That Central America nation has eloquently demonstrated how a fully democratic society can function well without the existence of military institutions.

To fullfil this objective, the U.S. Armed forces will be fully dismantled and removed from Puerto Rico. Fortunately, the end of the Cold War has diminished the justification that the presence of U.S. Armed forces in Puerto Rico was needed because of the island's geo-political importance in the context of a bi-polar world. As such, all recent legislation considered by the U.S. Congress in regards to the future status of Puerto Rico has contemplated the possibility of negotiating the eventual demilitarization of island-nation under independence. Once those negotiations are under way, our objective will be the gradual removal of all U.S. military bases in Puerto Rico. This will ensure an orderly return of all our national territory which is now occupied by U.S. Military installations. Those lands constitute an important natural resource that Puerto Ricans will utilize for agricultural or industrial purposes once that land is returned to Puerto Rico.

A question which is often asked is how Puerto Rico will ensure its national security once U.S. Military bases are removed from the island. It is necessary to clarify that during the XX Century not a single Caribbean nation has been invaded, with the exception of the multiple invasions perpatrated by the United States. Considering that there will exist a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Puerto Rico and the United States, we will consider it a fair assumption that the United States will not embark on an act of agression within the framework of Puerto Rico's new relationship with the United States that will be based on friendship and mutual respect.

In the improbable event that an independent Puerto Rico were to suffer from foreign agression, the defense of our national territory will correspond to the 3.9 million Puerto Ricans who live in our country. In that event, our Republic would also count with the assistence provided by the interamerican defense system. With the endorsement and support of the United States and other countries, once Puerto Rico acheives independence, our country will be admitted into the organization of American States (OEA). As part of Puerto Rico's membership in that international organization, our country will be protected by the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro which establishes that member countries of the OEA will assist any other member country which is the victim of an act of international agression.