Puerto Ricans voted for statehood in November. Honor their decision | Opinion

Donald Trump’s behavior demonstrates the importance of accepting the results of free and fair elections.

In Puerto Rico, one of the results of the Nov. 3 elections was that an indisputable majority of voters backed equality within the United States: statehood. It won far more votes than any candidate, including the governor.

Majorities voted for statehood in 2012 and 2017, but some questioned the results because the plebiscites included all of Puerto Rico’s options and some proponents of other ideas did not vote, disputing the definition of Puerto Rico’s current status — territory — or its inclusion as an option.

Statehood opponents were sure that they were going to win the up-or-down vote in November. Now they want President Biden and Congress to ignore the vote and negotiate with advocates of all of Puerto Rico’s options and proponents for unprecedented governing arrangements that federal authorities have repeatedly said are impossible: a “Commonwealth status” that would combine statehood, nation and territory status and separate nationhood with U.S. citizenship.

One of their arguments is that the majority for statehood was not large enough. That’s a standard to which no territory has ever been held before the process started.

Also, before Puerto Rico is made a state, there would certainly be a vote on the terms, as there has been for other territories. And consider this: Biden and more than 100 members of the U.S. House of Representatives were chosen with lesser percentages of the vote.

There’s another compelling fact: Americans who were born in Puerto Rico increasingly have been voting for statehood “with their feet,” getting on planes and moving to States, where they have equal opportunity with their fellow citizens. The migration has been so enormous that about 65 percent of all Puerto Ricans now live in the States..

Territory status denies those of us who remain equal representation in the U.S. Government, which not only makes our national laws but also our local laws when it wishes, and it enables the government to treat our islands and people worse overall.

These differences have had a major negative effect on Puerto Rico’s economy and budget. Laws make economies possible, and the United States has one economic model that works: the equality denied Puerto Rico.

The current status’ exemptions from some taxes benefits a minority in the territory who have powerful allies in the States. The billions that it denies the majority of Puerto Ricans, to some extent, are enjoyed by a couple of dozen companies, a couple of thousand individual tax-avoiders from the States and the professionals who serve them in the territory.

It’s unacceptable that politicians such as U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, who chose to live in New York rather go back to the territory, opposes equality for those of us here.

It’s also ironic since a firm that polled for the Biden, Clinton, and Obama campaigns found that 78 percent of Puerto Ricans in New York support statehood for the territory. Opposition runs contrary to empowerment of all Latinos.

Velazquez is pushing a bill that would preserve the status quo and suppress the votes of 655,505 Puerto Ricans. It refers to the territory holding a convention to draft a new governing arrangement — whether or not the arrangement is possible — fully knowing that the government of Puerto Rico has rejected this idea for more than a dozen years and that our new governor has as well. He supports the will of the people.

Velazquez has helped Puerto Rico many times in the past, but her so-called “self-determination” bill is really anti-self-determination legislation. It would only perpetuate colonialism, contrary to the democratic will of the people of Puerto Rico.

Congress ought to follow President Biden’s admonition. Just weeks before the election, he declared that the United States “must respect and act on” a Puerto Rican decision for statehood.

Charlie Rodriguez is head of the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico.