Belligerent twerking to defend democracy (Op-ed)

Perreo Combativo (Todas PR)

Next week democracy will be disrupted in Puerto Rico and it seems like most people have not really realized its implications, despite the fact that the President of the island’s Senate Thomas Rivera Schatz has already warned about it. Rivera Schatz said that on Tuesday, November 12 or Wednesday, November 13, the Senate will vote on three bills that will affect all Puerto Ricans: the new Civil Code, the new Municipal Code (Autonomous Municipalities Law) and the new Electoral Code.

Over 2,000 pages with new laws and regulations are at stake without proper analysis and holding no public hearings to discuss their impact on the Island’s population. Changes have been done behind closed doors, neglecting the people the right to understand the implications that each of the amendments will have on all of us.  Politicians that are pushing for this agenda follow in the footsteps of totalitarian governments in Venezuela and Cuba, where minorities are often ignored. These anti-American antics are quite surprising given the fact that the ruling political party wants the Island to become the 51^st state.

The proposed new Civil Code is a 581-page document, the new Municipal Code has over 1,193 pages comprised of seven books and the new Electoral Code has over 391 pages. Responsibly, which one of the legislators is going to read all those pages in one day before the closing of the session in order to understand the amendments?

Let's go to the facts.

Electoral Code: When Rivera Schatz talked about electoral reform, he said that it would be subject to a “broad and rigorous analysis”, on different phases, and open to all sectors to express their recommendations and objections. The result of all that would be a new modern electoral law would emerge. But downloading it presenting directly for a vote, without discussion raises many questions. What is the fear and why the rush to change the entire electoral order if they say that the New Progressive Party has the majority of the voters?

Among the endless changes, he proposes that anyone with a US driver's license can come to vote. Could it be that they have studied and know that many voters of the New Progressive Party have moved to the mainland?

Another of the proposed changes would also give the NPP the perpetuity control of the State Election Commission, thus, neutralizing the Popular Democratic Party, erasing the Puerto Rican Independence Party and eliminating any separatist, independence or minority organizations or the possibility of new parties such as the Citizens Victory Movement. Why is there a need to crush minorities?

Civil Code.  The Legislature wants to reactivate the proposals made by conservatives and religious fundamentalists. International star Ricky Martin wisely alerted what they propose with is a setback in the fight for equality led by the LGBTTQ community over the past decade. Among other things, this bulky document introduces significant changes such as the prohibition of marriages of minors under 18 years and restrictions on surrogacy.

Municipal Code. The Legislators intend to repeal 17 laws that eliminate minorities and prevent them from having representation in municipal assemblies, even if people vote for them. This also closes possibilities for new parties at the municipal level. Not a single public hearing was made to evaluate this measure.

In the Summer 2019 people took the streets in massive protests against former Governor Ricardo Rossello and his close aids after a chat where they mocked even the deaths after hurricane Maria was revealed. For two weeks people protested day and night prompting Rosselló’s resignation and while all this was happening, lawmakers were behind closed doors planning these new laws.

The youth, the feminists, the poor, the Afro-boricuas, the children, the elderly and retired, the people with disabilities, the public employees, the LGBTT communities, and all people of the island must be aware of this assault on democracy.

Looking at how little is known about all the proposed changes, I couldn’t help but wonder, if this represents stealing of the future of the people of Puerto Rico. For me, pretending to take democracy by storm, is exactly that. Which, again, makes me wonder: How much did Governor Wanda Vázquez know about all this or is everything already agreed and will sign those bills into laws? I do not trust this administration. If Vázquez approves it, the people have no choice but to go back to the streets. I imagine that there comes a #Winter2019. The “perreo combativo” (belligerent twerking) returns.