RESPONSE TO "ISLAND OF TRASH" STATEMENT

Since 1898, my homeland of Puerto Rico has been under the control of its colonizer, the United States. Throughout this period, the U.S. government and its citizens have consistently exploited our natural resources and devastated our ecosystems. From the 1940s to the early 2000s, the island of Vieques, integral to Puerto Rico’s natural landscape, was utilized by the U.S. armed forces for bomb testing and chemical weaponry, resulting in some areas becoming uninhabitable to this day (Takruri, 2019).

Puerto Rico has often been treated as the "black sheep" of the United States. Boricuas (known to Americans as Puerto Ricans – A term I will not be using) have served valiantly in every major U.S. military conflict yet continue to experience systemic marginalization (U.S. Department of Defense, 2024). Our nation has endured significant pain at the hands of the U.S.; during Hurricane Maria, former President Donald Trump infamously demeaned the people of Puerto Rico by tossing paper towels and other things at them when they needed assistance the most (BBC News, 2017). Recently, his rally (the white supremacist convention) featured a guest speaker, Tony Hinchcliffe, who started his awful and useless speech by saying, “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there is literally an island of garbage floating in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico” (Bohannon, 2024). This statement reflected an utter disregard for the island, which supports this country more than it receives in return.

The people of Puerto Rico have experience extensive abuse from the U.S. government, and the time for change is now. Vice President Kamala Harris recently made remarks that further politicized these critical issues, failing to address the actual needs of the island or the Boricua population. Her promises to assist entrepreneurs and business owners lacked concrete support for the people of Puerto Rico once again. She spoke like a true democrat not knowing what is really going on.

Why is it so taboo to discuss either statehood or the prospect of greater independence for the island? My people have suffered long enough, especially given the current power outages that are the work of a useless American company (LUMA). Both major political parties have inadequately supported the people of Puerto Rico. It is time for change, and that change begins with all of us.

This upcoming election just like the people in Puerto Rico, don’t vote left or right! Vote Third Party!