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From Palestine to Puerto Rico, Colonialism Has Got to Go

I've been spending a lot of time conceptualizing the exact stories that connect different struggles to each other in a self-determination and decolonial uprising manner. Since I am Puerto Rican, and my emotional connection to their independence is strong, these internal discussions have focused on the crisis in Puerto Rico that has manifested for 120 years (and beyond). Specifically, I seek to validate how advocating for independence is, relevant to the rest of the world.


The blog I wrote earlier about Native and Puerto Rican solidarity begins that conversation (you should read it if you haven't :-) ). The Puerto Rican situation is strikingly similar to that of Native American reservations. Puerto Rican land is being commodified and its people are being administratively murdered. The Indigenous People's Day march and rally in Albuquerque on Monday, October 8th sparked more ideas regarding the global struggle against colonialism. The Red Nation outwardly expresses solidarity between themselves as indigenous people living in the United States and Palestinians facing US imperialism. One of the speakers said, "We cannot be free until Palestine is free because they are facing colonialism just like us." I am wondering now whether Puerto Rico comes into this conversation of international solidarity with colonized "Third World" countries. In New Mexico it doesn't appear so.


Puerto Rico is a colonial territory of the United States. As such, they are subjected, historically and contemporarily, to institutional forces of genocide, land theft, cultural depreciation, and self-determination denial. The same happens and has happened in Native communities. The same happens and has happened to Palestinians.


My plan from now on is to make the struggle for Puerto Rican independence more visible in Albuquerque. While there were some solidarity movements in the late 60's and early 70's that connected the Chicanx movement with the Young Lords movement, such as presence at various conferences, solidarity with Cuba, ant-Vietnam War sentiments, the bridge between southwest organizing objectives and those of the east coast no longer as fortified. It is important to note that the targets of liberation still haven't changed. Puerto Rico still isn't free, Palestine is still under siege, and the US-Mexican border still exists. The best I can do for now in terms of advocating for Puerto Rico in my current predicament is bring the struggle and awareness to the other side of the country. I plan on bringing the Puerto Rican independence flag and wearing my Young Lords beret to marches and rallies in order to start conversations and educate others on how Puerto Rican independence is not exclusive from Abolishing ICE, freeing Palestine, or earning Native reparations. We all operate under the same system of oppression. Capitalism is feeding off the abuse of all of our communities.



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