By P. Albizu Campos
The recognition of the independence of Puerto Rico by the Executive Power of the United States disables the United States from continuing to act on its own only in the affairs of Puerto Rico. Notwithstanding this incontrovertible truth, three bills have been presented in the Congress of the United States: two by Senator Tydings and one by Representative Marcantonio.
As the recognition that the Executive Power of the United States has made of the independence of this nation is irrevocable, those three bills ratify the recognition of the independence of Puerto Rico.
After that transcendental fact, the United States cannot treat the matter of Puerto Rico as a domestic issue. That conclusion is imposed on it by the fact of the recognition of the independence of Puerto Rico.
Any legislation that the Congress of the United States tries to pass, generous or selfish, will have no effect on the relations of the two nations. These relations can only be fixed by a treaty concluded between both powers as equals by legitimate plenipotentiaries and ratified by the respective Parliaments of both nations in accordance with the provisions of their respective Constitutions.
The United States cannot deal with itself to resolve its relations with Puerto Rico. Every effort made in that sense in the Congress of the United States is completely useless.
Now then, the United States has not designated plenipotentiaries to deal with Puerto Rico, nor has Puerto Rico designated plenipotentiaries to deal with the United States, to liquidate the present regime of North American occupation.
The United States is in a position to designate plenipotentiaries because the North American Republic is duly organized.
Puerto Rico has only one way to organize itself, only one, and there will never be another that is not that one, and this is the Constitutional Convention of the Republic.
In the United States they are trying to prevent the holding of the Constitutional Convention of the Republic of Puerto Rico under the influence of vested interests, enemies of the independence of Puerto Rico; but the Government of the United States has to see that such a situation must end without further delay because it is not possible to reach a treaty with a nation if the organization that allows it to designate suitable plenipotentiaries and legitimately conclude treaties with any power is hindered.
We perfectly understand that this delay is also the result of the desire to impose international servitudes on Puerto Rico in favor of the United States, before Puerto Rico can organize its legitimate power through a Constitutional Convention, but that effort is useless and dangerous.
Of course, Puerto Rico will never be able to accept international servitudes in favor of any power, but even in that case, such a thing would not be possible if it were not part of a treaty negotiated by plenipotentiaries of both parties and ratified by their respective Parliaments, in accordance with the Constitution of both nations.
That is to say, one is beginning where one must end and one wants to end where one must begin.
To begin, it is necessary to organize the legitimate power of Puerto Rico, and that is only possible through a Constitutional Convention.
Even in the case that a plebiscite is held, something that we reject as useless, provoking a civil war and null because it is a unilateral act of the United States, nothing can be done to formalize international relations between Puerto Rico and the United States if it is not through the organizations established by the Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico.
With a plebiscite or without a plebiscite today, within a year or within the time that is desired, the holding of the Constitutional Convention is irremediable.
The Constitutional Convention has not been held in Puerto Rico because of the propaganda made by interests that are enemies of the independence of the nation, insinuating that it is a revolutionary act and hostile to the United States.
We have already pointed out that in order for the United States to leave Cuba and the Dominican Republic, they had no choice, because there is no other, but to view with approval the organization of the respective constitutional conventions from which emerged the plenipotentiaries who could rightfully conclude the respective treaties of the North American de-occupation of those two nations.
Senator Tydings with the resolution that he has just presented creating this joint commission of North Americans and Puerto Ricans to resolve everything concerning the liquidation of the North American regime in Puerto Rico based on the recognition of the independence of this nation, demonstrates that he has become aware of the international legal situation created by virtue of the recognition of the right to our aforementioned independence, which has forced the North American regime in Puerto Rico to enter into forced liquidation and which paralyzes the executive, legislative and judicial action of the North American power with reference to all the affairs of Puerto Rico.