Militants Protest against Obama’s Visit to Puerto Rico

According to the official figures, almost four million Puerto Ricans reside in the United States. With an eye on this group of voters, Barack Obama is already beginning the reelection campaign with a visit to Puerto Rico this Tuesday, the 14th, after a fifty-year lapse without official visits to the island from American leaders. This is the first time that a president from the United States is going to Puerto Rico since the Kennedy administration in 1961.

This visit will take place in the midst of several demonstrations by militants from anti-colonialist movements who feel indignation because of the colonial situation to which Puerto Rico has been subjugated since 1898, when the United States invaded the island. Yesterday, the 13th, local authorities arrested five youths who were protesting for independence and the liberation of political prisoners.

The trip is also part of a wider effort on Obama’s part to court the Hispanic population in general, who were decisive in the 2008 election for him. Even though they are useful for his reelection, that slice of constituency has not been considered with the campaign promises regarding immigration law reforms.

According to current estimates, the total population of the island has already been surpassed by the number of Puerto Ricans that reside in the United States. Those voters could play a decisive role in winning crucial states like Florida, a state in which more than 800,000 Puerto Ricans live, in the 2012 election.

Referendum will decide the new political status for the island.

In the five hours in which Obama will be on the island, one of the issues that will be addressed with the governor Luis Fortuño is the new configuration of Puerto Rico’s political system. This change was suggested by a taskforce created by Obama which pointed out the need for a plebiscite on the island’s political status that could be voted on at the end of 2012. In this referendum, the inhabitants will have to decide if Puerto Rico will be a part of the United States, become the 51st state or win its independence. Previously, Puerto Ricans opted for maintaining their status as a free associated state of the United States.

With information from BBC Brazil, Telesur and Prensa Latina