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                                                                                         WORLD NEWS Friday 17 June 2022
             Puerto Rico party to hold vote on its political future




            SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)                                                                                          The  Popular  Democratic
            —  With  a  possible  plebi-                                                                                        Party  has  roughly  400,000
            scite on statehood or inde-                                                                                         supporters on the island of
            pendence  for  Puerto  Rico                                                                                         2.3 million people and it got
            looming, one of the island's                                                                                        about 32% of the guberna-
            two main parties said Thurs-                                                                                        torial vote in the 2020 elec-
            day  it  will  ask  its  members                                                                                    tion — just behind the New
            to  reconsider  or  reaffirm                                                                                        Progressive   Party's   33%.
            its  own  stance  on  the  U.S.                                                                                     Support  for  both  parties
            territory's political future by                                                                                     has  been  eroding  due  to
            holding an island wide vote                                                                                         frustration  over  corruption
            on the issue.                                                                                                       scandals,  economic  prob-
            The   announcement      by                                                                                          lems and mismanagement.
            José Luis Dalmau, president                                                                                         Dalmau,  who  is  also  the
            of the Popular Democratic                                                                                           president  of  Puerto  Rico's
            Party,  follows  a  proposal                                                                                        Senate,  said  he  would
            last  month  by  a  group  of                                                                                       continue  to  support  the  is-
            U.S.  legislators  to  hold  a                                                                                      land's  current  political  sta-
            binding  plebiscite  giving                                                                                         tus, which he said was "the
            Puerto  Ricans  three  op-                                                                                          masterpiece  of  the  move-
            tions:  Become  America's                                                                                           ment's founder."
            51st  state,  become  fully                                                                                         Political  analyst  Mario  Ne-
            independent  or  opt  for  in-                                                                                      grón  Portillo  said  Dalmau
            dependence  with  free  as-                                                                                         is  likely  taking  the  risk  of
            sociation  —  possibly  main-                                                                                       holding a historic vote be-
            taining U.S. citizenship and                                                                                        cause  he  wants  to  put  an
            other ties with the U.S.. That   The Puerto Rican flag flies in front of Puerto Rico's Capitol as in San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 29, 2015.   end to the intensifying de-
            vote  would  not  include                                                                          Associated Press  bate  within  the  party  and
            the  possibility  of  maintain-                                                                                     believes  the large majority
            ing  the  current  common-   Its  main  rival,  the  current  Associated  Press  that  it's  ties to the U.S. while others  of its supporters will uphold
            wealth status.               governor's New Progressive  too  early  to  say  whether  seek  more  independence  the status quo.
            That choice would appear  Party, advocates for state-     that  would  be  based  on  in some areas.                "This is a gamble," he said.
            to  threaten  the  future  of  hood.                      the  free  association  op-  "For  decades,  this  issue  Matos said that on the day
            Dalmau's  party,  founded  Possible  statehood  will  not  tion  that  U.S.  lawmakers  has  divided  us,"  Dalmau  of the vote, party officials in
            in  the  1930s,  which  is  de-  be  an  option  in  the  PDP's  proposed  as  one  of  three  said.  "Since  two  parallel  each of the island's 78 mu-
            fined by its support for the  Aug. 14 vote. Dalmau said  choices.                      strategies  and  two  distinct  nicipalities  would  recog-
            current status, under which  the  current  status  and  a  Within  the  Popular  Demo-  popular parties cannot ex-  nize  supporters  and  allow
            Puerto Ricans have U.S. citi-  free association option that  cratic  Party,  opinions  vary  ist, it's up to the thousands  them  to  vote.  If  not,  rec-
            zenship  but  the  island  has  he did not define would be  as to what sort of common-  of (party supporters) to re-  ognized,  voters  would  be
            quasi-autonomy  from  the  offered.  Party  spokesman  wealth  best  suits  Puerto  solve  the  controversy  and  asked to fill out a member-
            United States.               Ángel Raúl Matos told The  Rico. Some argue for closer  make the final decision."      ship statement.q


             Bitcoin-boosting Salvadoran leader may have second thoughts



            SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador  apparent  incredulity  Tues-   "That must be made clear,
            (AP) — El Salvador's Bitcoin-  day:  "You're  telling  me  we  because we have not sold."
            boosting president may be  should buy more #BTC?"         However, most companies
            having  second  thoughts  Bukele  became  the  first  and governments do write
            about the crypto-currency,  leader in the world to make  down  the  value  of  what
            whose value has tanked in  the  crypto-currency  legal  accountants  call  an  "un-
            recent weeks.                tender last year and was a  realized  loss,"  even  if  they
            According  to  the  tracking  devoted booster at least up  don't sell the distressed as-
            site  nayibtracker.com,  El  to  May,  when  he  crowed  set. Zelaya also insisted the
            Salvador  under  President  about  "buying  the  dip"  in  Bitcoin slide doesn't matter
            Nayib  Bukele's  administra-  the crypto currency's price.  very  much  for  El  Salvador,
            tion  has  bought  a  total  of  But the coin has slid further  saying  that  "this  doesn't
            about  $105  million  in  Bit-  since then.               even represent 0.5% of our
            coin,  starting  last  Septem-  Finance  Minister  Alejandro  budget."
            ber  and  paying  an  aver-  Zelaya  sought  Wednesday  That might prove a hard sell
            age  of  almost  $46,000  per  in an interview with a local  in  a  country  where  about   A bitcoin symbol is presented on an LED screen during the clos-
            coin.                        television  station  to  put  a  one-fifth of the people live   ing ceremony of a congress for cryptocurrency investors in San-
            The  value  of  that  invest-  good face on the situation,  on less than $5.50 per day.  ta Maria Mizata, El Salvador, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021.
            ment is now calculated to  saying that because El Sal-    In  January,  El  Salvador  re-                                       Associated Press
            have fallen by over 50%, or  vador hasn't sold any of its  jected a recommendation
            around $51 million.          Bitcoins,  it  hasn't  really  suf-  by  the  International  Mon-  calling it an issue of "sover-  der and return any of those
            So  when  a  Bitcoin  publi-  fered any loss.             etary  Fund  to  drop  Bitcoin  eignty."                  unused funds to its treasury.
            cation  crowed  that  El  Sal-  "When  they  tell  me  that  El  as legal tender.      The  IMF  recommended  The  IMF  cited  concerns
            vador  has  lost  "only"  $40  Salvador's  budgetary  risk  Zelaya said at the time that  that  El  Salvador  dissolve  about  the  volatility  of  Bit-
            million  on  its  investment  in  has  increased  because  of  "no  international  organiza-  the $150 million trust fund it  coin  prices,  and  the  possi-
            the currency also known as  the supposed loss, that loss  tion is going to make us do  created when it made the  bility  of  criminals  using  the
            "BTC," Bukele tweeted with  doesn't  exist,"  Zelaya  said.  anything,  anything  at  all,"  cryptocurrency  legal  ten-  cryptocurrency.q
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