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Article source:
http://www.dominicantoday.com/app/article.aspx?id=19804
PANAMA. - President Martin Torrijos said yesterday
that Latin America has the obligation to encourage a
dialogue to obtain the independence of Puerto Rico,
considering that in the 21st century “no form of
colonialism can be justified”.
“For Latin Americans, to help in the definitive
correction of this anomaly must be a continental
priority”, he declared.
Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean
approved yesterday to establish a mechanism that works
permanently for the independence of Puerto Rico.
The Permanent Work Committee “aims at coordinating
and to ensure that determinations made by this Congress
(Latin American and Caribbean by the Independence of
Puerto Rico) are respected'', emphasizes the “Proclama
de Panama (the Panama Proclamation)''.
The document was approved unanimously within the
framework of the congress, supported by the Socialist
International and the Permanent Conference of Political
Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Torrijos, that also is Secretary General of the
Democratic Revolutionary Party, inaugurated in a hotel
of the Panamanian capital the Latin American and
Caribbean Congress for the Independence of Puerto Rico,
supported by the Socialist International and the
Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin
America and the Caribbean.
The president of Partido Independentista
Puertorriqueño (PIP), Rubén Berríos, requested from
Latin America to become interlocutor before Washington
in order to impel a decolonization program.
A poll held in 1998 in the island indicated that 1%
were in favor of Free State Associate, 2.5% guaranteed
independence, 46.5% endorsed annexationism and 50.3% did
not favor any of the previous because it was not in
agreement with the definition of associated free state.
Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States
since1898, and its inhabitants have American citizenship
since 1917.
It has a population of 3.9 million inhabitants in the
island and four million in continental territory of the
United States. |
