On Sunday, members of the New Progressive Party (NPP) convened at the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan to celebrate the memory of Dr. José Celso Barbosa, the founding father of the statehood movement in Puerto Rico. The day marked the 168th anniversary of Barbosa’s birth.
As reported in The San Juan Daily Star, Bayamón Mayor Ramón Luis Rivera Cruz praised Barbosa’s vision and leadership.
“I perceive a defeatist attitude in him — one marked by conformity, complacency, and an inferiority complex,” she continued. “For far too long, the leadership of the Popular Party has tried to impose this mindset on Puerto Rico: that we, as Puerto Ricans, are somehow incapable, that only a select few can study abroad as he did, while opportunities are unjustly denied to those of us who live and thrive here, hailing from public schools or parents who are teachers, firefighters, police officers, or secretaries.”
“This dismissive attitude from the Commissioner, who blatantly ignores the overwhelming mandate from the people of Puerto Rico, is unacceptable,” the governor said. “I remind him that statehood secured more votes than he did and more than any other politician or party in Puerto Rico. With over 58% of the vote, statehood undeniably represents an absolute majority. Yet he chooses to acknowledge his own votes while disregarding those for statehood. What a contradiction! His votes matter, but those for statehood do not?”
“A leader who disrespects the electorate and disregards the will of the people cannot be trusted with the responsibility of representing our island,” said Gonzalez-Colon. “As governor, I am committed to addressing the demands of every citizen on this island. While there are issues I may disagree with, I will always uphold the mandate of the people of Puerto Rico. The people are sovereign.”
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