Worcester Council Backs Puerto Rico Independence Effort

WORCESTER, MA — The Worcester City Council on Tuesday backed a federal effort to grant Puerto Rico political autonomy after more than 120 years as an unincorporated U.S. territory.

The federal Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2020 — sponsored by New York U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velázquez — would allow Puerto Ricans to determine if the island should remain a territory. As a territory, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, pay into Social Security and Medicare, but do not have voting representation in Congress, and do not get to vote in federal elections.

"Last month, Worcester residents participated in our national election in record numbers, but even though residents of Puerto Rico are called U.S. citizens they continue to be denied the opportunity to vote for the U.S. President or be fully represented in Congress," District 4 Councilor Sarai Rivera, who sponsored the resolution, said in a statement. "Tonight, the Worcester City Council, under Mayor Petty’s leadership, joined with other elected bodies and leaders across our country saying enough is enough, the Puerto Rican people deserve the right to self-determination. I thank and applaud my colleagues in joining me in passing this resolution."

In the Nov. 3 election, Puerto Ricans did vote to become the 51st U.S. state. The nonbinding referendum was supported by about 52 percent of the island's residents.

The City Council's resolution in support of the act also calls on U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern and U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren to vote in favor of it. Boston-area U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley has signed on as a co-sponsor.

About 21,000 Puerto Ricans call Worcester home, according to the Latino Education Institute at Worcester State University, including many who relocated here after devastating hurricanes in 2017.