New York – The candidate for governor under the banner of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Juan Dalmau, defended the electoral “Alliance” of that community with the Citizen Victory Movement (MVC) as the most effective way to “cleanse” the government of historical bipartisanship and evils such as “corruption.”
In an interview with El Diario de Nueva York, Dalmau, who recently announced his third aspiration for governor, expressed confidence that joining the MVC will be a real option in the face of the November 5 elections in Puerto Rico, despite of the attempts of several opposition leaders such as those of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) to challenge the legality of the association through the courts.
“For me what is important is the history and character. The people of Puerto Rico, in the last 55 years, 33 years of PNP (New Progressive Party) governments, have been promised statehood, and that has not happened; and in 24 years of Popular Party (PPD) governments they have been promised different positions regarding what has to do with the Commonwealth (ELA), and that has not happened either. What I am presenting with what I call a clean-up of the Government is that we are going to do things as they have to be done. We are going to do things to clean the house, to have a clean government. And hand in hand, what has to be a decolonization process…I believe that the country, in terms of Puerto Rico, has learned that if you are a statesman or a state-libertarian, you do not have to vote for those parties in order to have a government. decent,” declared the leader.
Advancement of minority party candidates in 2020 elections
Dalmau relied on the results of the last 2020 general elections in Puerto Rico in which as a candidate for governor for the PIP he registered a significant increase in the people’s favor.
With a general participation of 55% of the electorate, between Dalmau and the then MVC candidate for governor Alexandra Lúgaro, the voting percentage was approximately 28.
“In the last elections, I obtained 14% of the votes. The candidate Alexandra Lúgaro of the Citizen Victory Movement obtained 14%; between them, 28% of the votes, which was a fundamental transformation in what has been electoral behavior in Puerto Rico. The governor of Puerto Rico obtained 32% of the votes. Between Victoria Ciudadana and the PIP, 28%, so the idea that we can change the governance of Puerto Rico is within reach and that is why we have made this alliance,” she said.
In that same consultation, several MVC candidates were elected for the first time to the Legislature of Puerto Rico. While the Dignity Project, also recently created, obtained positions in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
In addition, independent senator José A. Vargas Vidot re-validated for a second term.
The results occurred in the context of unprecedented political events in the history of Puerto Rico, in particular, the resignation the previous year of the PNP governor, Ricardo Rosselló, amid massive protests that spread beyond the territory.
The “Alliance” between the PIP and MVC had been buzzing since at least last year.
The document with the final text of the pre-agreements between both groups was ratified by the National Citizen Assembly on November 19, 2023. These pre-agreements were the result of conversations between the dialogue committees designated by the MVC and the PIP.
The end of coalition candidacies
Dalmau and Manuel Natal, general coordinator of the MVC and candidate for mayor of San Juan under that banner, reached out to those in the know about the “Alliance” given the fact that coalition candidacies are prohibited in Puerto Rico.
Under a coalition candidacy, more than one party can nominate the same candidate.
Since 2011, this type of association has been prohibited in Puerto Rico, as provided by the Electoral Code.
Last August, the Court of Appeals on the island ratified the decision of the Court of First Instance against the lawsuit filed by both leaders to declare the ban on coalition candidacies in Puerto Rico unconstitutional.
Basically, the courts decided that articles 6.1 and 7.9 of the Electoral Code that prevent colligations are constitutional.
In view of the impediment in law, Dalmau argued that with the Alliance it is about defeating the majority parties using its own rules at the polls.
The three forms of collaboration under the “Alliance”
Under the Alliance, there are three types of collaboration promoted by the leaders of the PIP and the MVC. The first is “mutual support”, that is, Victoria and the PIP support the same candidacy for the same position.
In this case, although both parties have candidates for the governorship and the resident police station, it was agreed that the MVC and the PIP will support Dalmau as a candidate for governor as a result of the Alliance, and Ana Irma Rivera Lassén (MVC) as a candidate to the police station.
A second agreement under the Alliance is that of “non-competition.” The above means that a community does not present a candidacy for a position with the aim of not competing with the candidacy of the other community.
Finally, the parties promote the agreement of “fraternal competition”, a mechanism through which the communities will present one or multiple candidates for the same position.
The former senator also acknowledged that the strategy can be confusing at first, and added that the challenge for the coming months will be to guide the electorate on how to vote to favor the Alliance agreements.
“Right now, we have candidates for all elective, legislative, and municipal positions. Now, the great challenge is to teach voters how to vote; that they can vote mixed, by candidacy, and that is going to be a challenge in the next 10 months that we have assumed, and I am sure that the country will be able to make the necessary change,” he explained.
Compliance candidates
Even before it was officially announced at the end of 2023, the board was already carrying a list of questions. One of what opposition leaders repeat is that it is a “hoax”, since the communities agreed to present to the State Election Commission (CEE) candidacies for which the vote will not be publicly requested.
“They are candidates in compliance with the law, the very law that was binding and that was drafted by the PPD and the PNP, that law forces us to nominate candidates for resident commissioner, the governorship. If we did not do so we would break the law, and, therefore, we would not be able to appear on the ballot. So they are compliance candidates, essential to do what we have called the ‘Alliance’ between MVC and the PIP. Therefore, we have complied with the law. It is an imposition of the PPD and the PNP, and we have complied with it. If we did not do so, we would break the law, and therefore, we would not be able to appear on the ballot,” Dalmau said on this matter.
“We have complied with the law. It is an imposition of the PPD and the PNP, and we have complied with it, and we have said, with all its letters, that we are going to support each other; and therefore, Victoria Ciudadana is going to support the candidate for governor of the PIP, which is this server, and in the case of the PIP, we are going to support Ana Irma Rivera Lassen as a candidate for resident commissioner,” she insisted.
PPD files suit to invalidate MVC candidacies
Last week it emerged that the PPD filed a legal appeal to challenge several of the candidacies presented by the MVC.
Four candidates from that party filed a lawsuit in which they request the disqualification of eight candidates from the MVC and three from the Dignity Project. The popular ones allege that they did not comply with the requirement for collecting endorsements.
The representatives of the Alliance propose that the collection of endorsements is not mandatory in the case of alternative candidate selection methods such as those used by MVC.
A hearing regarding the case is scheduled for February 12. In statements to El Nuevo Día, Dalmau described the demand as frivolous and cowardly, as well as an act of desperation by the PPD.
Where will the call for independence remain?
Another point of alleged disadvantage regarding the Alliance is that the association leaves the PIP in a vulnerable position regarding its demand for independence.
“Is the PIP at a disadvantage or not in terms of its ideal of independence with this Alliance?” El Diario asked Dalmau.
The politician answered: “On the contrary, I believe that what was projected in the last election is that for the first time in the political history of Puerto Rico, a party grew seven times what the previous elections were, and that was the case. of the Independence Party. Even people who are not independentists voted for the Independence Party, and I believe that this is a step towards the political maturity of the people of Puerto Rico, and that is why I am convinced that in the next elections we will be able to clean up the house with an effective government, and on the other hand, what has to do with promoting a decolonization process.”
“Is this growth because people believe in independence or is it because you represent a different alternative?” this newspaper asked.
“I am convinced that those who voted for me are not all pro-independence supporters, and if I did not say so, that would be a falsification of the political history of Puerto Rico. What I think is that many people, without being independentists, took the step to support my candidacy to clean house, to be able to have an honest government, and at the time, to be able to carry out a decolonization process; They are going to support even an option different from the one I believe. And I believe that that is a decisive step with respect to what politics is in Puerto Rico,” he responded.
Dalmau added that the focus of his speech on the status of Puerto Rico will lean towards the call for a decolonization process that includes all ideologies and sectors on the island, although on a personal level he defends independence.
“I am going to assume the element of what a decolonization process has to do with it, where statesmen, supporters of free association, independentists, can have an opportunity to express ourselves as a people democratically. What happens is that in the general elections that is not decided. In many cases, the narrative has been made that if you are a statesman, you have to vote for the PNP; if you are a pro-state activist, for the PPD; If you are independentists, you have to vote for the PIP, and that is not the truth. What I believe is important to communicate to the country is that we have within reach of being able to clean the house, to be able to execute with respect to government affairs as the country deserves; and at the same time, do something that directs a process towards decolonization, and in that process, then the statesmen, the state-libertarians, the independence supporters, can express ourselves democratically,” he argued.
In that sense, he considered that the discussion in Washington about the status of the island should be representative of the different viable formulas under the United States Constitution.
“I believe that we have to take a first step among those of us who believe in statehood, independence and free association, together; that is, go before Congress and say, ‘we disagree about what the end should be regarding what the political status of Puerto Rico should be, but we are aware that we have to take the step so that you have to respond as soon as possible. to options, transition, responsibilities and obligations so that the people of Puerto Rico can vote with knowledge of the facts regarding those options,’” he added.
Electoral franchises at risk
The Alliance also implies other risks, such as the loss of the electoral franchise, the interviewee acknowledged. However, he assured that he is one of the that they are willing to take as part of what he called a “paradigm shift.”
“We, when we spoke with Victoria Ciudadana, we put aside what were institutional interests or selfishness, and it may be the case that we do not have the registration of a political party, but we put Puerto Rico first and that is part of what we “It is a change in the paradigm of what politics is in Puerto Rico,” he said.
“To retain the electoral franchise (we need) 2% of the full votes of the political parties, we decided that we were going to put Puerto Rico first; and, therefore, the campaign is going to concentrate on voting by candidacy, that is, a person who sees the national ballot and sees my name as a candidate for governor, makes a mark next to it, and votes for me by candidacy. , or vote for me by mixed vote, and I believe that that is part of the change that has occurred in PR with respect to the political transformation of the country,” he pointed out.
The role of the diaspora
In all these movements, Dalmau recognizes that the Puerto Rican diaspora is key, contrary to what some still think.
According to the independence movement, it is necessary for leaders in Puerto Rico to create the necessary conditions so that Puerto Ricans who have moved, mainly to the United States, due to the lack of economic opportunities and social development can return.
“I believe that in Puerto Rico there is still a mentality that those who leave PR or have had to make their life outside of PR are penalized. However, I think it should be a completely opposite attitude. Many of those who have had to leave have done so because they have not had opportunities for development in Puerto Rico. But they want to be in their country, and they want to develop in their country. Therefore, we have to create the conditions so that those who want to return can return; and those who cannot do so, at least when they return, even if it is to visit, they feel proud of what their country is. I believe that sometimes there is not enough awareness that they have been part of what has been the failure of the country’s political, economic and social model,” he added.
“In the last three years, to say the least, I have been in contact with the diaspora. The diaspora is essential; not only those who want to return to Puerto Rico to have an opportunity for employment and housing and what has to do with developing fully; but those who cannot return to Puerto Rico, let them return and feel proud of their country. That is a fundamental commitment that I have. “I have visited Chicago, Florida, New York, Boston, and the truth is that a fundamental part of what is the political, economic and social development of Puerto Rico has to be hand in hand with the diaspora,” he added.
El Diario contacted Natal, but he did not respond to the interview request.