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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 16 december 2022

House approves referendum to ‘decolonize’ Puerto Rico

By FARNOUSH AMIRI and Members of his party, in-
DÁNICA COTO cluding Puerto Rico Resi-
Associated Press dent Commissioner Jen-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The niffer González, cheered
U.S. House passed a bill the approval of the bill, al-
Thursday that would allow though reaction in the U.S.
Puerto Rico to hold the first- territory was largely muted
ever binding referendum and tinged with frustration
on whether to become a since it is expected to be
state or gain some sort of voted down in the Senate.
independence, in a last- The proposal of a binding
ditch effort that stands little referendum has exasperat-
chance of passing the Sen- ed many on an island that
ate. already has held seven
The bill, which passed 233- nonbinding referendums
191 with some Republican on its political status, with
support, would offer voters no overwhelming major-
in the U.S. territory three op- ity emerging. The last ref-
tions: statehood, indepen- erendum was held in No-
dence or independence vember 2020, with 53% of
with free association. votes for statehood and
“It is crucial to me that any 47% against, with only a
proposal in Congress to little more than half of reg-
decolonize Puerto Rico be A woman waves the flag of Puerto Rico during a news conference on Puerto Rican statehood on istered voters participating.
informed and led by Puerto Capitol Hill in Washington, March 2, 2021. The proposed binding ref-
Ricans,” said Rep. Raúl Gri- Associated Press erendum would be the first
jalva, D-Ariz., chairman of negotiations over foreign nation that our nation has ty, traveled to Washington time that Puerto Rico’s cur-
the House Natural Resourc- affairs, U.S. citizenship and always championed,” the for the vote. He called it a rent status as a U.S. com-
es Committee, which over- use of the U.S. dollar. Maryland Democrat said. historic day and said the 3.2 monwealth is not included
sees affairs in U.S. territories. Majority Leader Steny Hoy- After passing the Demo- million U.S. citizens who live as an option, a blow to the
The proposal would commit er, who has worked on the crat-controlled House, the on the island lack equality, main opposition Popular
Congress to accept Puerto issue throughout his career, bill now goes to a split Sen- do not have fair represen- Democratic Party, which
Rico into the United States said it was “a long and tor- ate where it faces a ticking tation in the federal gov- upholds the status quo.
as the 51st state if voters turous path” to get the pro- clock before the end of the ernment and cannot vote Pablo José Hernández Ri-
on the island approved it. posal to the House floor. year and Republican law- in general elections. vera, an attorney in Puerto
Voters also could choose “For far too long, the peo- makers who have long op- “This has not been an easy Rico, said approval of the
outright independence or ple of Puerto Rico have posed statehood. fight. We still have work to bill by the House would be
independence with free been excluded from the full Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro do,” he said. “Our quest to “inconsequential” like the
association, whose terms promise of American de- Pierluisi, of the pro-state- decolonize Puerto Rico is a approval of previous bills in
would be defined following mocracy and self-determi- hood New Progressive Par- civil rights issue.” 1998 and 2010.q

Hacker claims breach of FBI’s critical-infrastructure portal

By FRANK BAJAK base of InfraGard, an FBI- The hacker posted samples professionals, military, state ers. Krebs first reported its
AP Technology Writer run outreach program that they said were from the da- and local law enforcement theft on Tuesday.
BOSTON (AP) — A hacker shares sensitive information tabase to an online forum and government officials The hacker, going by the
who reportedly posed as on national security and popular with cybercriminals involved in overseeing the username USDoD on the
the CEO of a financial in- cybersecurity threats with last weekend and said they safety of everything from BreachForums site, said
stitution claims to have ob- public officials and private were asking $50,000 for the the electrical grid and trans- on the site that records of
tained access to the more sector actors who run U.S. entire database. portation, to health care, only 47,000 of the forum’s
than 80,000-member data- critical infrastructure. The hacker obtained ac- pipelines, nuclear reactors, members’ — slightly more
cess to InfraGard’s online the defense industry, dams than half — include unique
portal by posing as the and water plants and fi- emails. The hacker also
CEO of a financial institu- nancial services. Founded posted that the data con-
tion, they told independent in 1996, it is the FBI’s largest tained neither Social Secu-
cybersecurity journalist public-private partnership, rity numbers nor dates of
Brian Krebs, who broke the with local alliances affili- birth. Although fields exist-
story. They called the vet- ated with all its field offices. ed in the database for that
ting process surprisingly lax. It regularly shares threat information, InfraGard’s se-
The FBI declined to com- advisories from the FBI and curity-conscious users had
ment. Krebs reported that the Department of Home- left them blank.
the agency told him it was land Security and serves However, the hacker told
aware of a potential false as a behind-closed-doors Krebs that they had been
account and was looking social media site for select messaging InfraGard mem-
into the matter. insiders. bers, posing as the financial
InfraGard’s memberhip is The database has the institution’s CEO, to try to
a veritable critical infra- names, affiliations and con- obtain more personal data
An FBI seal is seen on a wall on Aug. 10, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. structure Who’s Who. It in- tact information for tens of that could be criminally
Associated Press cludes business leaders, IT thousands of InfraGard us- weaponized.q