https://themilitant.com/2019/08/17/new-puerto-rico-governor-defends-us-colonial-rule/
New Puerto Rico governor defends US colonial rule
??By Seth Galinsky
Vol. 83/No. 31
August 26, 2019
Ending ??? for the moment ??? the immediate political crisis in Puerto Rico,
Wanda V??zquez took the oath of office Aug. 7 as governor of the U.S.
colony following weeks of protests?? that forced the resignation of
Ricardo Rossell??.
But the underlying causes of the protests remain: the distrust toward
all the capitalist parties there; the contempt towards working people by
the capitalist politicians; the anti-worker measures imposed by the U.S.
government and the local colonial regime; and the lack of sufficient
government aid for rebuilding two years after Hurricane Maria devastated
the island.
Hundreds of thousands had taken to the streets after online ???chats??? by
Gov. Ricardo Rossell?? and his closest aides were made public July 13.
Rossell?? and his aides revealed total contempt for working people, even
joking about the corpses of hurricane victims.
For wide layers of the island???s population, Rossell?????s chats were the
straw that broke the camel???s back in the face of a government that for
an entire year insisted that only 64 people had died from the hurricane.
Rossell?? finally admitted that the death toll was closer to 3,000.
His arrogant disregard for working people comes on top of more than a
decadelong bipartisan offensive against the wages and living conditions
of working people in the U.S. colony.
More than 30,000 government workers have been laid off since 2006.
Hundreds of schools closed. Sales taxes rose to 11.5%, higher than any
of the 50 states. Pensions have been slashed. Decaying infrastructure
even before Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico in 2017. Hundreds of
thousands abandoned the island to move to the U.S., and even more in the
aftermath of the storm.
Tania Hern??ndez was one of those who left. ???I couldn???t afford to move
out from my mom???s house,??? she told the Militant from California. ???So I
scraped up enough for a plane ticket and here I am.??? She is working two
jobs, to get by.
Feud over Rossell?? successor
Rossell?? announced his resignation effective Aug. 2 at 5 p.m. The
colonial constitution says the next in line was the secretary of state.
But he was also caught up in the chat scandal and had resigned. On Aug.
1 Rossell?? named Pedro Pierluisi as secretary of state.
Pierluisi has been one of the lawyers aiding the Fiscal Oversight and
Management Board, which was appointed by President Barack Obama, and has
the power to compel the government to speed up its anti-worker measures.
Though a member of Rossell?????s party, Pierluisi is viewed by some workers
as a less corrupt lesser evil.
The Senate put off voting on Pierluisi???s appointment to Aug. 5. That
didn???t stop Pierluisi and Rossell??. They declared that Pierluisi was
secretary of state and then had him sworn in as governor just after 5
p.m., Aug. 2.
The island???s Supreme Court disagreed and ruled that the appointment was
unconstitutional Aug. 7. V??zquez, next in line as secretary of justice,
was sworn in, becoming the island???s third governor in three days.
The fiscal board, meanwhile, is continuing to press for deeper measures
aimed at making working people pay for the economic crisis and to
maximize payment on the government???s $74 billion debt.
The board has reached an agreement on a ???haircut??? that would guarantee
some bondholders 64 cents on the dollar. Still not bad for those
investors who bought the bonds at as low as 15 cents on the dollar.
As the protests were winding down the board released its annual report,
which states that ???Puerto Rico must urgently adopt a series of bold
actions to improve its fiscal and economic trajectory.??? Everyone knows
what that means: more pension cuts, more school closings, more layoffs.
Related Articles
???Militant??? reporters head to Puerto Rico
Alyson Kennedy, the Socialist Workers Party candidate for U.S. president
in 2016; Seth Galinsky, the SWP candidate for New York City public
advocate; and Linda Joyce from Atlanta are heading to Puerto Rico Aug.
15 for five days to bring???
In This Issue
Front Page Articles ???Stop the raids! Amnesty for immigrants in the US!
???Protesters in Kashmir say, ???India get out of our country???
???SWP presents working-class candidates, road forward
???Blackjewel miners win solidarity in fight for jobs and stolen wages
??????Workers need to organize unions to fight to change our conditions???
???End censorship of the ???Militant,??? Walmart workers tell Florida prisons
Feature Articles ???Fight to end US embargo of Cuba discussed at Nepal forum
Also In This Issue ???Hong Kong protests demand Beijing grant political rights
???US Steel ???doesn???t care about health of Mon Valley people???
???Layoffs, workers??? debts refute gov???t claims of ???good times???
???Ebola outbreak worsened by wars wracking Congo
???New Puerto Rico governor defends US colonial rule
??????Militant??? reporters head to Puerto Rico
Books of the Month ???Women???s emancipation requires ending domestic servitude
25, 50 and 75 years ago
?? Copyright 2019 The Militant?? -?? 306 W. 37th Street, 13th floor -?? New
York, NY 10018?? -?? themilitant@xxxxxxx
Cookies
This site uses cookies to improve your experience. Learn more.Okay, thank
--
---
George Carlin
??? Tell people there's an invisible man in the sky who created the universe,
and the vast majority will believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they
have to touch it to be sure. ???
??? George Carlin