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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Contact: | Tim Schultz |
| December 13, 1998 | ||
| 202/833-0100 | ||
| 800/787-8216 |
U.S.ENGLISH CHAIRMAN URGES CONGRESS TO RESPECT THE WILL OF PUERTO RICANS AND "END RISKY SCHEME TO MAKE PUERTO RICO A STATE"
U.S.ENGLISH Chairman/CEO Mauro E. today urged Congress to respect the results of Sundays plebiscite in Puerto Rico, in which voters resoundingly rejected statehood by a 51-46% margin. "For the second time in five years, the voters of Puerto Rico have made it clear in no uncertain terms that they do not want to become the 51st state," Mujica explained. "It would be outrageous for Congress to now try and push statehood on people who don't want it."
Mujica returned from Washington after spending two weeks in Puerto Rico urging voters to "consider the cost" of statehood. Pro-statehood forces had falsely argued that Puerto Rico could enter the Union as a "Spanish-Only" state, and that the islands language and culture would be unaffected by statehood. Moreover, statehood proponents gave such a negative description to the current commonwealth status in writing the ballot definitions that a majority of voters rejected statehood by voting for "none of the above." Despite the resounding defeat, pro-statehood Governor Pedro Roselló called the results a "victory for statehood," and vowed to continue to use taxpayer money in a multi-million dollar effort to push statehood on Congress.
"My question for Gov. Roselló is What part of "no" dont you understand?," Mujica continued. "For Congress to interpret these results as a victory for statehood would be a slap in the face of the Puerto Rican people. Its time to end this risky scheme to swallow up what essentially is a Latin American nation."
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