NLG Statement on the People’s Movement in Puerto Rico

Contact: communications@nlg.org

The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) congratulates the people of Puerto Rico at this unprecedented moment in the nation’s history. The Puerto Rican people, led by its youth, are standing up for themselves with dignity.

In an unstoppable demonstration of people power, they tossed out the political elite administrators of the colony, after not-so-secret text messages unmasked their disrespect for the casualties of Hurricane María and deceased political leaders, revealed their corruption, misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, fatophobia, and manipulation of the media.

Showing a profound understanding for the 21st century face of colonialism, after forcing the governor to resign, the Puerto Rican people are still in the streets, demanding the U.S. imposed fiscal control board, “la junta,” to get out of their country.

At this crucial moment, given the NLG’s long history of solidarity with the movement for Puerto Rican independence, we stand with the people of Puerto Rico, who courageously and in unified fashion – “somos más y no tenemos miedo” (“we are many and we are not afraid”) – look forward to a future free of U.S. colonial control.

The National Lawyers Guild, whose membership includes lawyers, legal workers, jailhouse lawyers, and law students, was formed in 1937 as the United States’ first racially-integrated bar association to advocate for the protection of constitutional, human and civil rights.

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Photo Credit: Ricardo Alcaraz Díaz

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