Puerto Rican voters back statehood

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico’s governor announced that the United States territory overwhelmingly chose statehood yesterday in a non-binding referendum held amid a deep economic crisis that has sparked an exodus of islanders to the US mainland.

Nearly half a million votes were cast for statehood, about 7600 for free association/independence and nearly 6700 for the current territorial status, according to preliminary results.

Voter turnout was just 23 per cent, leading opponents to question the validity of a vote that several political parties had urged their supporters to boycott.

And the US Congress has the final say in any changes to Puerto Rico’s political status.

But that didn’t stop Governor Ricardo Rossello from vowing to push ahead with his administration’s quest to make the island the 51st US state and declaring that ‘‘Puerto Rico voted for statehood’'.

‘‘In any democracy, the expressed will of the majority that participates in the electoral processes always prevails,’' Rossello said.

‘‘It would be highly contradictory for Washington to demand democracy in other parts of the world, and not respond to the legitimate right to self-determination that was exercised today in the American territory of Puerto Rico.’'

It was the lowest level of participation in any election in Puerto Rico since 1967, according to Carlos Vargas Ramos, an associate with the Centre for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College in New York.

He also said that even among voters who supported statehood, turnout was lower this year compared with the last referendum in 2012.

’’Supporters of statehood did not seem enthusiastic about this plebiscite as they were five years ago,’' Ramos said.

Puerto Rico’s main opposition party rejected the pro-statehood result.

‘‘The scant participation ... sends a clear message,’' said Anibal Jose Torres, a party member. ‘‘The people rejected it by boycotting an inconsequential event.’'

The referendum coincides with the 100th anniversary of the US granting US citizenship to Puerto Ricans, though they are barred from voting in presidential elections and have only one congressional representative with limited voting powers.

Many believe the island’s territorial status has contributed to its 10-year economic recession. – AP

PHOTO: REUTERS Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosello celebrates in San Juan after the economically struggling US island territory voted overwhelmingly in favour of becoming the 51st state.