Chairman Raul Grijalva

House Committee on Natural Resources

1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

December 6, 2019

Via Hand Delivery

Re: Puerto Rico Needs a Path Forward Towards National Sovereignty

Dear Chairman Grijalva,

The undersigned are a collective of grass-roots, non-profit, advocacy, and

community-led organizations in Puerto Rico and the diaspora that continue to push for the
demands raised throughout this summer’s massive protests: Puerto Ricans need more
democracy, economic and political freedom, and full-fledged autonomy to build a prosperous
future for Puerto Ricans residing in the island. Our organizations come from a long and shared
history of resilience, resistance, protest, entrepreneurship, and creativity. After more than 120
years of U.S. colonialism, we demand:

I. PROMESA must be revoked and the FOMB must go

The direct consequences of the federal legislation passed in 2016 known as PROMESA
have been the opposite of what Puerto Ricans were promised it would do: it has not reactivated
the Puerto Rican economy to allow it to access the capital markets, it has impoverished even
more its population, and, along with the devastation of Hurricane Maria, it has been directly
responsible for driving a historic mass exodus of Puerto Ricans to the U.S. thanks to the
imposition of crippling austerity measures. Additionally, the statute's problematic wording has
led to litigation. A case in this term's U.S. Supreme Court docket casts a shadow on the
legitimacy of the nomination of FOMB members, and possibly even, per the DOJ's arguments,
may put in jeopardy the vast majority of public offices in Puerto Rico, thus increasing instability.

The shown conflicts of interest of some of the FOMB’s members underscore the lack of
transparency, adequacy and viability of the Board. Given that the Board has drastically failed in
its lack of transparency and accountability alone, the FOMB’s purported utility is irrelevant at

Boricuas Unidos en la Diáspora is a network of Puerto Rican professionals ready to activate other boricuas in the Diaspora to
directly fund community-led organizations in Puerto Rico. Since 2017, its members have worked together towards: building
bridges between Puerto Rican community leaders and federal lawmakers, educating for structural change and long-term
economic development, and educating and activating the Diaspora through an anticolonial and social justice lens.

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best, and harmful at worst. FOMB members are a case study on how not to run an independent
body. The FOMB has not only failed in designing policies to reinvigorate Puerto Rico’s presence
in the capital markets, it has also failed in promoting its fiscal responsibility. In fact, it has done
the opposite as its acts have worsened Puerto Rico’s Great Depression, which in turn has
negatively affected the government revenues.

What the protests of the Summer of 2019 showed the world is that Puerto Ricans -not
necessarily politicians- need a strengthened local democracy that is responsive to their needs
and more direct autonomy over their future.

II. The debt must be fully audited

The legality, transparency and legitimacy of Puerto Rico’s debt is still in doubt, and will
continue to be until a comprehensive debt audit is conducted. Three years after PROMESA was
enacted, neither the Government of Puerto Rico nor the FOMB have pursued such a task. Even
worse, the FOMB is promoting debt restructuring agreements without examining the legality and
legitimacy of those debts. These agreements have been questioned by economists and experts,
which have warned that the Government will not be able to comply with their debt repayment
plans without compromising essential public services and pensions. Additionally, several reports
have concluded that these restructuring agreements will inevitably lead Puerto Rico to once
again default on its payments.

This situation is unacceptable and effectively means that the people suffering the drastic
austerity measures do not have a clear understanding of why they are facing joblessness,
precarious housing conditions, deficient basic services, lack of healthcare and crumbling
infrastructure. The absence of any political will to conduct a forensic audit of the debt is
emblematic of the lack of information and transparency that has led to financial ruin, destroyed
Puerto Rico’s economy and, with it, hundreds of thousands of lives. This criminal negligence
has taken place with the complicity of Wall Street banks and investors, as well as the lack of any
rigorous and scrutinous oversight by this Committee to hold bad actors responsible.

III. Puerto Ricans demand less Congressional oversight and more direct democracy

As the Summer of 2019 events clearly showed, what Puerto Ricans demand is direct
decision-making power, by and for Puerto Ricans. After the resignation of former disgraced
Governor Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Ricans have continued their direct democracy through
self-organized People’s Assemblies across the Puerto Rican archipelago and the diaspora.
Puerto Ricans are building movements, economies and alternative institutions that are designed
to promote enhanced self-reliance and self-sufficiency to rebuild and sustain their nation and to
stop the continued destruction of the island from climate disaster, economic crisis, disaster
capitalism, privatization of public services, massive displacement and gentrification and a total
usurpation of democratic spaces and processes.

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IV. Puerto Rico Must Move Towards More Local Democracy and Sovereignty

Statehood has been losing support among Puerto Ricans. ​Only 502,801 voted for
statehood in the 2017 referendum which an overwhelming majority of Puerto Rican voters
boycotted. A comparison of the 2017 results to the ​529,663 votes that sovereignty and
independence received in the 2012 election-day referendum, which had a far higher
participation rate, demonstrates that statehood is not that strong an option for Puerto Ricans​.
Affirming otherwise, or that most Puerto Ricans want it, as well-paid pro-statehood lobbyists
often do, is a lie that distorts the facts on the ground in Puerto Rico.

For all the reasons above, and because Puerto Rico has a distinct and vibrant Latin
American and Caribbean identity, culture and language, it is time that the United States sheds
its colonial legacy, especially given the U.S.’s own colonial history. Congress should not
continue to enact last-minute legislation whenever urgent public policy is needed for Puerto
Rico. This model has not worked in the past, is not working under PROMESA, and even under
an amended or repealed PROMESA, Puerto Rico will continue to be hostage to the whims of
Congress to solve its immediate problems. This “policy” of never-ending legislative patches
must end. As such, the below signatories support and welcome any steps this Committee can
take to finally solve Puerto Rico’s colonial problem towards ​an organized transition for a
sovereign and independent future for Puerto Rico​, in close friendship with the United States.

Respectfully,

Organizations
Boricuas Unidos en la Diáspora (BUDPR)
VAMOS Puerto Rico
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
National Lawyers Guild
Youth Climate Strike Puerto Rico
Our Revolution Puerto Rico
Movimiento Diálogo Soberanista (MDS)
Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS)
Alianza pro Libre Asociación Soberana (ALAS)
Diáspora en Resistencia
Chicago Boricua Resistance
Philly Boricua
SoCal For Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Leadership Council (PRLC)
Convergencia Nacional Boricua
Puerto Rico Te Quiero (Periódico Digital)
Ponce Athenaeum

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Somos Dign@s
Voces del Barrio
George Mason University Colony of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Boricuas de Corazón Foundation, Inc.
Respect and Justice for Puerto Rico
Corazon Unidos Siempre Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc.

Individuals - State/Country of Residency

Luis Ponce Ruiz - CO
Javier Hernández - NJ
Francisco J. Casablanca - NY
Ramón Malavé - Puerto Rico
Nilda Sagardía - Puerto Rico
Ángel R. Cabán González - Puerto Rico
Alejandro Camacho - Puerto Rico
Sergio Santos - Puerto Rico
Michelle Hidalgo - NJ
Sheila G. Matos - Puerto Rico
Dr. Iván R. Buxeda Díaz - Puerto Rico
Camille Camacho Acosta - Puerto Rico
Ángel Comas - Puerto Rico
Esteban Camacho - Puerto Rico
Lisa Santoni Cromar - FL
Prof. Nydia Cabrera - FL
Omar Manfredy - Puerto Rico
Mariana Nogales-Molinelli - Puerto Rico
Luis Toro Goyco Puerto Rico
Jean Paul López-Cepero Virella - Puerto Rico
Raymond Capó - Puerto Rico
Aaron-Gamaliel Ramos - Puerto Rico
Mónica Romero - WA
Prof. Jose I. Alameda Lozada - Puerto Rico
Carmelo Ruiz - Puerto Rico
Carissa Cabán-Alemán, MD - FL
Gladys Escalona - Puerto Rico
Justo Méndez Arámburu - Puerto Rico
Tery Angelí Vélez - Puerto Rico
Gabriel A. Rodríguez Fernández - Puerto Rico
Evelyn Barral - Puerto Rico
Ángel Luis Ortiz - PA
Daphne Dominguez - Puerto Rico

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Carlos Alfredo Guerrero Sori - CT
Sandra Rodríguez Santiago - Puerto Rico
María Rodríguez-Paz - Puerto Rico
Lourdes Arroyo - TX
Mariolga Reyes Cruz - Puerto Rico
Mia Maldonado - CA
Isabel McCullough Valentín - Puerto Rico
Luis Fernando Coss - Puerto Rico
Rubén Estremera Jiménez - Puerto Rico
Carmen D. Marcial Hernández - Puerto Rico
Rubén Estremera Marcial - Puerto Rico
Rodolfo Estremera Marcial - Puerto Rico
Roberto Estremera Marcial - Puerto Rico
Rubén Hernández - NY
Liliana Cotto-Morales - Puerto Rico
Prof. José Paralitici - Puerto Rico
Arnaldo Alfaro - Puerto Rico
María de Lourdes Guzmán - Puerto Rico
José R. Cepeda - Puerto Rico
Prof. Gustavo García López - Puerto Rico
Juan Francisco Correa Luna - Puerto Rico
Prof. Beatriz Llenín Figueroa - Puerto Rico
Ana Montañez - PA
Prof. Nelson Cardona Martínez - Puerto Rico
Prof. Sandra L. Soto Santiago - Puerto Rico
Luis E. Nieves Rosa - Puerto Rico
Natasha Lycia Ora Bannan - NY
Austin González - VA
Julio López Varona - Puerto Rico
Diana Isabel Sotomayor - Belgium
Prof. Marla Pérez Lugo - Puerto Rico
Ramón Vega - CT
Carlos García Miranda - Puerto Rico
Carina Puello - Puerto Rico
Sandra López - CO
Krystina Scott - VA
Bárbara Jiménez - VA
Freddy Rosa Torres - Puerto Rico
Héctor Morales-Rosado - Puerto Rico
Abel Mendoza - Puerto Rico
José A. Feliciano Cestero - CO

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José G. Santiago Vélez - Puerto Rico
Juan Ponce Ruiz - Puerto Rico
Javier Torres-Herrera - TX
Luis Ponce Febres - Puerto Rico
Arq. Irvine Torres Pagán - Peru
Nehemías García - Puerto Rico
Leonel Ortiz - Puerto Rico
Prof. Mario R. Cancel-Sepúlveda - Puerto Rico
Miguel A. López - Puerto Rico
Daniel Vázquez Díaz - VA
Verónika Banuchi - Puerto Rico
Dr. Carmelo Delgado Cintrón - Puerto Rico
Roberto Carrasquillo - Puerto Rico
Raúl A. González Torrents - Puerto Rico
Gloria Mulero Tirado - Puerto Rico
María Ruiz - Puerto Rico
Rafael M. Espasas García - Puerto Rico
Inés Serra - MD
Desirée Alejandro - Puerto Rico
Cecibelle Delgado - Puerto Rico
Raiza R. Quintero Méndez - Australia
María J. Torres-López - FL
Rolando M. Meléndez - Puerto Rico
Carlos Vivaldi - Puerto Rico
José Espinal - VA
Frania C. Santos - DC
José Agosto - Puerto Rico
Jesús Danilo Chinea Rivera - Puerto Rico
Verónica Vélez - CT
Maritza Valentín - Puerto Rico
Afrika Clivilles - Puerto Rico
Alvin Rodríguez - TX
Carlos García - Puerto Rico
Arq. Javier Hernández - Puerto Rico
Prof. José Javier Hernández Ayala - CA
Hannsen León - FL
Noelia Arzán - WA
Linda Pérez - FL
Vanessa Gómez Ocasio - WA
Alicia Ng - NY
Sharon Vélez Valle - Puerto Rico

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Francisco Amundaray - Puerto Rico
Maruxa Cárdenas Surillo - FL
Jenaro Abraham - MI
Javier Piñeiro - IL
Prof. Freddie Gutiérrez - Puerto Rico
Miguel A. Rossy - Puerto Rico
Betsy Bonet - Puerto Rico
Alfonso Cruz - Puerto Rico
Jocelyn Bonadio-de Freitas - NY
Ángel Gutiérrez - Puerto Rico
Prof. Jacqueline N Font - NE
Roberto Avilés - WA
Jorge Díaz - MA
Orlando Martínez-Morales - FL
Roberto Velázquez - Puerto Rico
Raquel Olmo -NY
Raúl Rodríguez - Puerto Rico
Edna Sanchez - FL
Marcial E. Ocasio Meléndez - Puerto Rico
Shalomir Gierbolini - Puerto Rico
Sandra Cruz García - Puerto Rico
Milagros González - Puerto Rico
María del Pilar Ponce Ruiz - Puerto Rico
Krizia López Arce - FL
Digna Sanchez - NY
Félix Ponce - Puerto Rico
Nicole Torres Bruno - NY
Ana Ríos - Puerto Rico
Tawny Tidwell - NY
Amelia Blair-Smith - MN
Abraham Portalatín - FL
LeRoy Ahiraam Rodríguez Acevedo - Australia
Blanca Estévez - AR
Ernestina Casanova - Puerto Rico
Prof. John Paul González - NY
Héctor López - CT
Norberto Barreto - Peru
Jon Olsen - ME
Ricardo Pérez - CA
Janneth Pisfil - VA
Carmen Asencio - Puerto Rico

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Prof. Antonio Nadal - NY
Marina Alemán - Puerto Rico
Joaquín Pérez - VA
Nelcy Rocha - VA
Susej Roffe - DC
Sean Estelle - IL
Loumarie Figueroa Ortiz - VA
Cameron Werning - MA
Britton Helou - VA
Charles Bevacqua - NJ
Hunter Young - VA
Ashley N. Jiménez Sánchez - Puerto Rico
Carlos Raymundo -VA
Andrew Gambino - VA
Sheila Lorenzo - VA
Justis McEachin - VA
Desiree Johnson - VA