2008-08

Resolution Proposed by Puerto Rico Senator Pedro Rosello

Representative Joseph E. Miró (DE) NHCSL President

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