During their visit to Puerto Rico this week, Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Juan Dalmau, the gubernatorial candidate for the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) and the Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana (MVC) candidates.
The democratic Congress members Nydia Velázquez and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have a sense of urgency for Puerto Ricans to go out and vote in the Nov. 5 elections.
For the congresswomen, there is much at stake in these elections. Corruption, the poor economy, the lack of services, and emigration are some of the most pressing issues affecting Puerto Rico today, according to them.
“Go today from Santurce, to the halls of power in Washington, and to the rest of the world that Puerto Rico will neither surrender nor sell out. The message is clear, this coming November 5th we must go out and vote with all our strength, and you will see that we will win,” Rep. Velázquez said.
During their visit to Puerto Rico this week, Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Juan Dalmau, the gubernatorial candidate for the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) and the Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana (MVC) candidates, including Ana Irma Rivera Lassén as candidate for Commissioner Resident, and Manuel Natal, as a candidate for San Juan mayor.
The congresswomen repudiated the campaigns that have appealed to fear by saying that if Dalmau wins, the Island will become communist, like the regime of Nicolás Maduro, and federal aid will be lost.
“I carry in my heart the conviction that my commitment to Puerto Rico is a necessary fight, because it is the battle of brave Puerto Ricans who fight against corruption and in favor of the protection of beaches, for affordable housing, for quality education, and for social justice,” Rep. Velázquez said, adding, “What it is about is that Puerto Ricans continue to be Puerto Ricans in their own land, and if they want to emigrate, it should be an individual decision, but they should not be forced by the circumstances in which they live.”
Ocasio-Cortez also highlighted all the difficulties that the people of Puerto Rico have experienced in recent years, aggravated by natural disasters such as hurricanes Maria, Fiona, and the earthquakes of 2020.
“I don’t have to say that the people of Puerto Rico and our communities have suffered so much from blackouts, storms, and two kinds of disasters. Because there are two kinds of disasters, natural disasters, and also disasters of corruption and poor leadership.” Ocasio-Cortez said, adding, “It is time to elect a government that works for all the people, not just for a privileged few. The people of Puerto Rico deserve a government free of corruption, false claims, and scandals. Corruption has cost us too much. It has cost lives.”
While the congresswomen’s press conference was taking place, it was learned that the US Attorney, W. Stephen Muldrow, announced that the Chief Assistant Attorney General of the Financial Fraud and Corruption Section, Seth Erbe, will lead his office’s efforts in relation to the Department of Justice’s National Elections Program for the general elections of Nov. 5, 2024.
Erbe has been designated as District Election Officer (DEO) for Puerto Rico, and will be responsible for overseeing complaints related to voting rights, threats of violence against election officials, and electoral fraud.
“Having representation matters, and when we see that there is an empty space to protect what is most precious for any human being, which is to participate in elections. We have to use the resources that we have. And in this case, Alexandria and I sent a letter to the Department of Justice and I am glad that they appointed that prosecutor and that the people of Puerto Rico have certainty and confidence. And so that young people know that their rights count. Young people and all Puerto Ricans in this country,” Velázquez said upon hearing the news.
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