A lot has been said and written about the crime rate in Puerto Rico and San Juan.
There has been two high profile cases invloving an American and Canadian citizen which brought plenty of bad publicity in the media towards Puerto Rico. Let me write my opinion on it.
My friends, before you despair and cancel you vacation, let me tell you. It's not that bad, I personally feel as safe in Puerto Rico as I do in London. Actually, I reckon that the likelihood of being robbed at knifepoint or gunpoint in London is greater thabn Puerto Rico. A lot of the crime rate in San Juan and Ponce (the two murder capitals in Puerto Rico) is related to the drug trade. There is no hiding that Puerto Rico is a spot for the drugs route between Latin America and USA. Actually, if you look at a map, Puerto Rico is the nearest American territory to Latin America.
That provides a bit of comfort that if you don't get in the way, you will stay out of the way. Sadly, innocent victims are caught in the crossfire/robbery of these drug gangs. Mostly those that live in the "projects" don't really have a choice but to face and be exposed to the crime and drugs trade.
Also, despite Puerto Rico as a whole getting the bad PR, the rest of the island is safe, safer than many American and European cities. It has happened in many occasions in San German, to leave the car unlocked or forgetting a valuable or two and the following day, the contents are still intact. San Juan itself, if you know where and when to go can be ok.
As per the tourist industry, in my opinion, if you stay within the beaten track areas, use common sense, don't flash, just use the same common sense that you use everywhere and you will be ok.
I still think that the police, government, etc should do more to address this issue.
There has been a feeling amongst both families of the victims and in general that crime usually goes unpunished and badly investigated.
Better pr is also needed in PR
Friday, 21 March 2008
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5 comments:
I agree. Puerto Rico is not as riddled with crime as one would think. Yes, there is a high murder rate. But, I have never seen or heard of this happening in the day time where tourists are or in any of the many small towns. I am an American who bought a home here. I feel very safe. People are wonderful, friendly and helpful. Remember, "One bad apple does not spoil the whole bunch." If drugs were not so profitable, these murders would not persist. Puerto Ricans are as good as any other ethnicity. There are good and bad in all kinds.
Everything you said is the same rap that is said by all Puerto Rican's. So if you stay at home or go only to the tourist areas Your safe. Gee, that sounds like fun.
Not true that there are 3 political status options for Puerto Rico
The United States (US) government has made Puerto Ricans believe that there are 3 political status options for Puerto Rico. That is a lie. The purpose for that is to have Puerto Ricans fight amongst themselves. The plan has been a huge success! Puerto Rico has been a colony of the United States for 116 years, and judging by the 80% voter turnout in the colonial elections, the majority of us has not realized that we have been lied to.
In reality, there is only one option. The United Nations (UN) in 1960 determined that colonialism is a crime against humanity. Therefore, the only thing that Puerto Rico can do is to become her own nation. That means that the US must give Puerto Rico the sovereignty that the US illegally took away from her by virtue of the July 25, 1898 military invasion.
Thus far, the US government has ignored the 33 UN resolutions asking it to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico. Instead, it has tried to hide these petitions, and at the same time appear to believe in democracy by pushing for plebiscites so that Puerto Ricans could decide between colonialism, being a US state, or independence (decolonization as required by the UN).
The problem with the US pushed plebiscites are that they:
1. don’t comply with international law that prohibits a nation to have a colony.
2. don’t comply with international law that requires the empire to give the sovereignty it illegally took away to its colony.
3. don’t comply with international law that requires that to have free elections, that country must be free first.
4. have 2 options that are not permitted by international law- continuing being a colony and becoming a state of the country that has the colony. For the option of becoming a state of the country that has the colony to be considered, the colony must first become her own nation (decolonized).
This is why we have to peacefully protest 3 times a year until the US government complies with the UN resolutions for Puerto Rico decolonization.
José M López Sierra
www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com
Should criminals be in charge of correcting the wrong they inflicted?
Puerto Ricans vote in elections every 4 years at an 80% level of participation. Puerto Rico has been a colony of the United States (US) government for the past 116 years. If the US government has the final say in what happens in Puerto Rico, what is the purpose of these elections? The purpose is to fool the world that Puerto Rico is a democracy.
The United Nations (UN) declared colonialism a crime against humanity in 1960. The UN has asked the US government 33 times to decolonize Puerto Rico immediately. The US government has refused. It says that Puerto Rico’s political relationship with the United States is none of the UN’s business. The US says that it is a domestic affair.
To appear that the US government wants to decolonize Puerto Rico, it promotes the use of plebiscites to determine what Puerto Ricans want. Doesn’t that sounds innocent and democratic? So what’s the problem?
To begin with, the international community already rendered its verdict and determined that colonialism is illegal. So to have a political status option in a plebiscite that favors maintaining Puerto Rico a colony of the United States is not permitted. To have a political status option of Puerto Rico becoming a state of the United States is also not permitted under international law. The problem goes back to the beginning of this article. In order to have free elections, the country must be free. So before these elections and plebiscite could be valid, Puerto Rico would have to first be an independent nation.
What people must realize is that Puerto Rico is a colony of the US because the US government wants it that way. That is why it has used terrorism to keep it that way. That is why it refuses to release the Puerto Rican political prisoner of 33 years Oscar López Rivera. That is also why it is ridiculous to believe that decolonization is a US internal matter in which the UN has no jurisdiction over. If we allow the US government to decolonize Puerto Rico, she will remain a colony of the United States forever!
José M López Sierra
www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com
The Second Oscar – Mandela March in New York City 2015
We will be having our 2nd Oscar – Mandela Protest March on Monday, June 22, 2015. We will start marching peacefully at 9 AM from Hunter College on East 68th Street and Lexington Avenue, to East 43rd Street and Lexington Avenue. We will then go East (turning left) to end up at the Ralph Bunche Park on First Avenue (across from the United Nations).
We will be at the park until 5 PM. We will be giving out flyers and talking to people about who Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera is. We will also be educating the public about Puerto Rico’s colonial relationship with the government of the United States (US).
Most people don’t know that every year, usually on the Monday after Fathers’ Day, the United Nations holds its hearing about the decolonization of Puerto Rico. The petitioners will usually join our protest after this meeting.
The UN determined in 1960 that colonialism is a crime against humanity. Since then, the UN has issued 33 resolutions asking for the US government to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico. The US government has ignored these resolutions. What kind of democracy is that?
The US government tries to keep these hearings a secret. What we are trying to do is to get them out of the closet. The UN is in its 3rd decade trying to make the world colony-free. Please help us!
Most people also don’t know that the United States government takes out 14 times more money than what it invests in Puerto Rico. But, that is what colonies are for!
This savage exploitation impedes Puerto Rico’s ability to provide opportunities for Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico. That is why there are now more Puerto Ricans living away from Puerto Rico than in their homeland.
Oscar López Rivera has been incarcerated for 34 years for his struggle to decolonize Puerto Rico. Since colonialism is an international crime, international law gives Oscar the right to use whatever means necessary to decolonize his homeland. Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 27 years for doing the same thing as Oscar. This is why we say, Oscar López Rivera is our Nelson Mandela!
United Partners for Puerto Rico Decolonization invites the public to be part of the tsunami of people that will be necessary to make the US government comply with the UN resolutions. These annual protests in Puerto Rico and at the UN are absolutely necessary, because, those who maintain colonies, don’t believe in justice for all!
José M López Sierra
www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com
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