Word: romero
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...first of three speeches sponsored by the Harvard Foundation and La Organizacion (La O), the Puerto Rican students group, Carlos Romero-Barcelo said residents should opt for statehood--not independence or the continuation of common wealth status--in a ballot referendum next year...
...commonwealth is the barrier, the wall," Romero-Barcelo said. "As the Berlin Wall prevented East Germany from achieving democracy, the commonwealth is the invisible wall preventing equality...
Puerto Rico's current commonwealth status offers the islands tax benefits but does not give them full political representation. Romero-Barcelo said because welfare services are not provided by the federal government at the same level as for U.S. states, the tax shelters now enjoyed by corporations and wealthy residents actually hurt the island as a whole...
Supporters of the perpetuation of the commonwealth have also argued that Puerto Rico does not have enough economic independence to survive as a state. But Romero-Barcelo said the island is already a welfare commonwealth...
...Romero-Barcelo also rejected the independence movement, which would establish Puerto Rico as a separate republic, because "economically, we would be in a very bad situation." He said he is "happy and content" with his U.S. citizenship...