It’s now or never for Puerto Rico

As I sit down to write these words, the people of the oldest colony in the world have taken to the streets in a national strike to demand the resignation of the corrupt governor, Ricardo Roselló. And even though I have no way of knowing what will happen, I have no doubts that Puerto Ricans will not back down, will not surrender, will not rest until Roselló resigns.

In what is seen as a failed trick to remain in power, Roselló resigned as president of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party but not as governor. He also announced he will not run for re-election next year.  

The unprecedented demonstrations began after almost 900 pages of leaked crass, homophobic, sexist text messages between the governor and 11 of his closest collaborators, all men, were published on July 13. That these people even laughed at the victims of Hurricane Maria made clear the cesspools their souls are.

But the protests are not just about the disgusting chat messages.

“It is a matter of life and death and, I believe, as many do, that is the beginning of something huge and groundbreaking, unlike anything we have ever seen!” said Dulce Reyes Bonilla, a writer based in New York. 

“There’s been so much despair and with this, you get a sense of how this has been the last drop and the broad consensus that skirts partisan politics,” Reyes Bonilla added. “This might be about the call for Roselló to resign, but it is the start of something more and it’s unprecedented.  After all, they have been through, especially in the past few years and since the hurricanes, Puerto Ricans are not playing.”

No, they are not. After 118 years of U.S. domination, with only despair and humiliation to show for it, it is now or never for the oldest colony in the world.

(From Al Día News)