In
Puerto Rico, we have a saying –
dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres – which means, show me the company you keep, and we will know who you are.
For decades in
Washington DC, Puerto Rican leaders who champion the idea of annexing the island as a state of the union (statehood) have argued that their full rights as U.S. citizens are being denied.
Dusk settles over the White House, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
But these same leaders are actively undermining transparent elections, deceiving the people by promising that statehood will come as a result of the recent plebiscites, denying racism and working to erode a host of rights that affect voting, women and LGBTQ+ persons in Puerto Rico.