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Resolution proposed
by Puerto Rico
Senator Pedro
Roselló
WHEREAS, THE
NATIONAL HISPANIC
CAUCUS OF STATE
LEGISLATORS [NHCSL],
founded in 1989 and
headquartered in
Washington, District
of Columbia, United
States of America,
is a nonpartisan,
nonprofit
organization that
serves as a catalyst
for joint action on
issues of common
concern to all
segments of the U.S.
Hispanic community
and as a partner
with Hispanic state
or provincial
legislators and
their associations
representing
Central and South
America;
WHEREAS, the
objectives of the
NHCSL include
promoting the active
participation of
Hispanics in the
political and
electoral process
within their
communities;
WHEREAS, the NHCSL
represents over 300
elected Hispanic
state legislators
throughout the
United States,
Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Virgin Islands;
WHEREAS, Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin
Islands are non-state
U.S. jurisdictions
subject to the
"territorial clause"
[Article IV, Section
3, Paragraph 2] of
the U.S.
Constitution;
WHEREAS, although
Puerto Rico has been
the property of the
United States since
1898 and although
its residents have
been citizens of the
United States since
1917, total
sovereignty over
Puerto Rico has been
vested in the
Congress of the
United States for
109
years under the U.S.
Constitution's
"territorial clause."
WHEREAS, Puerto
Rico's residents
have endured more
years of total
Congressional
sovereignty under
the U.S.
Constitution's
"territorial clause"
than have the
residents of any
other jurisdiction
in the 231-year
history of the
United States of
America;
WHEREAS, Pedro
Rosse1ló is a
Senator in the
Legislative Assembly
of Puerto Rico and
is a member in good
standing of the
NHCSL;
WHEREAS, since
October 17, 2006,
the Inter-American
Commission on Human
Rights [IACHR] of
the Organization of
American States has
been weighing the
merits of a petition
[P-1105-06] wherein
“Pedro Rosse1ló and
The Unfinished
Business of American
Democracy Committee,
in their individual
capacities and on
behalf of
approximately four
million U.S.
citizens residing in
the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico” request
that the
IACHR determine that
the United States of
America - by denying
full democratic
participation in its
national affairs to
its Puerto Rico-domiciled
citizens - is
clearly violating
the civil and human
rights of those
citizens;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE
IT RESOLVED BY THE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OF THE NATIONAL
HISPANIC CAUCUS OF
STATE LEGISLATORS:
1) To exhort the
Inter-American
Commission on Human
Rights [IACHR] of
the Organization of
American States to
act expeditiously in
evaluating the
grievances cited in
the case [P-1105-06]
of Rosse1ló, et al.
v. United States of
America.
2) To support a
request for an IACHR
hearing that was
filed on May 22,
2007 by the
Petitioners in the
aforementioned case.
3) That this
Resolution be
forwarded to the
Executive Secretary
of the IACHR and
that copies of this
Resolution be made
available to all
members and staff of
the NHCSL, as well
as to the news
media.
This resolution
was adopted on April
26, 2008, at the
NHCSL Executive
Committee & BBA
Meeting in
Washington, D.C.
Representative
Joseph E. Miró (DE)
NHCSL President |
