Jeremy Scahill, author of Dirty Wars, interviewed by Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman & Juan González

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Puerto Rico Topics

Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Puerto Rico

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  • Vieques_bomb

    Punishing Vieques: Puerto Rico Struggles With Contamination 10 Years After Activists Expel U.S. Navy

    On the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, thousands are commemorating the 10th anniversary of when the U.S. Navy stopped using their home as a bombing range. Since the 1940s, the Navy used nearly three-quarters of the island for bombing practice, war games and dumping old munitions. The bombing stopped after campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience, but the island continues to suffer. At the current cleanup rate, the Navy says, it will take until...
    May 02, 2013 | Story
  • Juan_puerto_rico

    Puerto Rico Referendum Approves U.S. Statehood for 1st Time, But Results Show Divided Views

    For the first time in Puerto Rico’s history, a majority of the island’s voters have supported a non-binding referendum to become a full U.S. state. The measure will require approval from the U.S. Congress, but President Obama has said he will respect the vote. Obama made the same promise last year when he visited the island, becoming the first sitting U.S. president in half a century to do so. If Puerto Rico becomes the 51st state,...
    Nov 08, 2012 | Story
  • Harvest

    "Harvest of Empire": New Film Recounts How U.S. Intervention Caused Mass Latin American Migrations

    At a time of heated and divisive debate over immigration, the new feature-length documentary, "Harvest of Empire," examines the direct connection between the long history of U.S. intervention in Latin America and the immigration crisis we face today. Based on the groundbreaking book by award-winning journalist and Democracy Now! co-host Juan González, "Harvest of Empire" takes an unflinching look at the role that U.S. economic...
    Sep 25, 2012 | Story
  • Obama_button

    In Nod to Latino Voters, Obama Makes Historic Visit to Puerto Rico Ahead of 2012 Elections

    On Tuesday, President Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Puerto Rico in a half century. His trip underscored the growing importance that Puerto Ricans will play in the 2012 U.S. elections. Although Puerto Ricans living on the island cannot vote for president, there are about 4.6 million Puerto Ricans living in the 50 states, including an estimated 857,000 in the battleground state of Florida. We speak with University of Puerto...
    Jun 15, 2011 | Story
  • Puerto_rico_pipeline

    Critics Dub Planned Puerto Rico Pipeline the "Death Route" for Alleged Threat to Environment, Public Health

    President Barack Obama is due to visit Puerto Rico next week in what will be the first official U.S. presidential visit to the territory in 50 years. His trip comes as controversy grows over a proposed 92-mile natural gas pipeline that would cut across much of the island. Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño has made the $450 million project a central goal of his administration and insists it is a safe and environmentally friendly way to lower utility...
    Jun 09, 2011 | Story
  • Puertorico_button

    Obama to Make First Presidential Visit to Puerto Rico Since 1961

    President Barack Obama has announced he will visit Puerto Rico next month, fulfilling his 2008 campaign promise and making him the first U.S. president to visit to the island since John Kennedy’s trip almost 50 years ago. A task force recently called on the United States to resolve the issue of Puerto Rico’s statehood by 2012. “All the four million people living on the island, as well as those Puerto Ricans who are here in the U.S., are...
    May 25, 2011 | Story
  • Puerto-rico

    Defiant Student Protesters Force Withdrawal of Puerto Rican Police from Restive Campus

    Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño has begun withdrawing the police occupation of the main University of Puerto Rico campus in San Juan after two months. SWAT teams and riot squads took over the campus in December following a massive student strike against fee hikes and privatization. Hundreds of students have been arrested, and some have reported being beaten, including sexually harassed and tortured, in the ensuing crackdown. Democracy Now!...
    Feb 17, 2011 | Story
  • Jayuya

    Puerto Rico Marks 60th Anniversary of Jayuya Uprising

    October 30 is the sixtieth anniversary of the 1950 Independence Revolt in Puerto Rico by the island’s Nationalist Party. It marked the most significant attempt at armed revolution in Puerto Rico since the late nineteenth century. Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez, who’s written extensively on the uprising, discusses its significance. [includes rush transcript]
    Oct 29, 2010 | Story
  • Juan-jmgp

    Juan Gonzalez Remembers Puerto Rican Analyst Juan Manuel García-Passalacqua

    The well-known Puerto Rican attorney, political analyst and historian Juan Manuel García-Passalacqua has died at the age of seventy-three. After his death on Friday, Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuño declared three days of mourning. Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez, who has known Passalacqua for many years, talks about his life and legacy. [includes rush transcript]
    Jul 08, 2010 | Story
  • Juanmgp

    Puerto Rican Attorney, Historian & Analyst Juan Manuel García-Passalacqua, 73, Dies

    The well-known Puerto Rican attorney, political analyst and historian Juan Manuel García-Passalacqua has died at the age of seventy-three. After his death on Friday, Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuño declared three days of mourning. Passalacqua was a regular guest on Democracy Now! We last spoke to him in 2009 after President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. [includes rush transcript]
    Jul 06, 2010 | Story