Federal Judge Juan R. Torruella: “Puerto Rico is in a political apartheid…we need to organize a civil resistance”

Book - 12-10

 

Judge Juan R. Torruella is Puerto Rican. He is also the longest-standing federal judge in Puerto Rican history.

Judge Torruella has served on the federal bench for 42 years, from 1974 through 2016. He is still a high-ranking federal judge.

For 32 years (1984 through today) he has served on the US First Circuit Court of Appeals. Seven of those years (1994 through 2001) he was the Chief Justice of the First Circuit.

Torruella is also a leading interpreter of what is known as “the Insular Cases” (Balzac v. Porto Rico; De Lima v. Bidwell; Goetze v. US; Dooley v. US; Armstrong v. US; Downes v. Bidwell; Huus v. New York and Porto Rico Steamship Co.) and he wrote what many legal scholars consider the definitive analysis of those cases:

In 2013, Judge Torruella called for a general strike against US chain stores, by the consumers of Puerto Rico.

Over the past three years, his feelings have deepened.

Five days ago – on September 10, 2016 – Judge Torruella delivered a thundering speech to the Colegio de Abogados (the Bar Association of Puerto Rico) in Río Grande, PR.

JUDGE TORRUELLA’S SPEECH

Here is a video of the complete speech.

This is what Judge Torruella, of the US Circuit Court of Appeals (1st Circuit) had to say about the current relationship between Puerto Rico and the US.

The time code for each statement is also provided:

“The PROMESA bill makes our own elections superfluous, here in Puerto Rico.” (11:20 – 11:27)

“The principal purpose of PROMESA is to establish a collection agency for bondholders.”   (11:54 – 12:03)

“We have a castrated government.” (12:20 – 12:24)

“The imposition of a Financial Control Board is the most demeaning, un-democratic, and colonial act in our entire history with the United States.” (13:00 – 13:45)

“We have fewer rights today, than we had under Spain in 1898.” (15:50 – 16:10)

“Puerto Rico is in a political apartheid.” (25:10 – 25:30)

“From 1920 until today, the Jones Act has cost Puerto Ricans $75.8 billion…which is more than the current debt.” (33:45 – 34:10)

“Thanks to the Jones Act, Puerto Rico subsidizes 27.7% of the US Merchant Marine.” (34:20 – 34:45)

“Puerto Rico is the fourth-largest market in the world for US products. Puerto Ricans buy more US goods per capita, than any other country on earth.” (34:40 – 34:45)

“We must unite and be prepared to take action. We must not be docile, or accept whatever is imposed upon us. (this was followed by a 45-second standing ovation) (47:15 – 48:30)

“We must defend our civil rights, and undertake civil resistance.” (49:00 – 49:15)

“This civil resistance is in the great tradition of Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King.” (49:15 – 49:45)

“We must organize a movement of civil resistance.” (standing ovation of 30 seconds) (50:00 – 50:40)

“The most effective way to get their attention is through their pockets…and so we should organize an economic boycott.” (51:15 – 51:30)

“President Obama, I respectfully request that you free Oscar López Rivera.” (45-second standing ovation) (54:15 – 55:00)

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID

As Arthur Miller once wrote in Death of a Salesman, “attention must be paid to such a man.”

All of the above statements were made during an hour-long speech…which was researched, written, and delivered by Judge Torruella himself.

The statements are not slogans from an excited college student. They are not threats from a left-wing radical, a “suspected terrorist,” or a person under FBI surveillance.

They are the words of federal Judge Juan Torruella, the second-highest ranking Puerto Rican jurist in the US.

 

For a history of the War Against All Puerto Ricans, read the book…

War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America’s ColonyBuy it Now

Si prefiere ver la página web en español por favor visite: http://www.guerracontratodoslospuertorriquenos.com

 

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18 Comments on “Federal Judge Juan R. Torruella: “Puerto Rico is in a political apartheid…we need to organize a civil resistance””

  1. Pingback: After a Century of American Citizenship, Puerto Ricans Have Little to Show for It – Karmic Reaction Blog

  2. Pingback: PROMESA will begin the “fiscal stabilization and eventual rebound” for Puerto Rico’s economy, says Somos El Futuro | WAR AGAINST ALL PUERTO RICANS

  3. Gracias Nelson por el video. Me alegro que el honorable juez ahora esta con la justicia de los patriotas paisanos

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  4. Thank you Nelson for presenting this valuable video on the honorable Judge Juan Torruella. He was on target,great and to the point. Un patriotismo of valiente que necesitamos

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  5. I trully agree wirh your post because it took me this long to realized i have been liwd all this years by both goverments .I love my island and I want it to be free of this goverment didtating everything you do .We should leran from them anduse them to our advantage not the other way around .We have plenty of educated people ,we need to reinvest in what is ours ,reintroduce comsume lo que tu paiz produce. Disenfranchized from the big selfish corporations s,Jesopee its about time instead of be3ing used we used the system to our advantage and learn how to take over the co.any and free our selves abd create our own economy ,our business and get ot cut the umbical cord away from them abd beung destetatos too .We are old enough. We do not have to take it now we are in this turmoiled because this bastards eobthem and are trying 5o get away with it .perhaps we hould live in afrancw when tgey cut the heads off the eliye the royalty for what they did .Bring back the guillotine lets see the heads of the guity roll . Because now they want to say they are inocent like the money vanish in thin air .But the whole counyry has to pay for the sins of few.Dont you see how the same Americans treat their own country? They dont respect their own natice americans .They contaminate the land and the water in the mame of progress,.athey create earthquakes with fracking and spill more deadly waste in the ater and land and lie to the people . They say tgeoild and gas lines are save yet they are more spills in land and water and more deaths and environmental issues every day.Who are they trying to convinced? Did you know the fresh water supply in the world its veryimited and we may run out of water in the. Ext years .Meanwhile this people dont care because fraxking uses millions of gallons of water.. Is this what you all want also for your sins and daughters ? Money does not buy what you cannot replace due to destruction.Either due to ratiation or toxic waste Wake up Puerto Rico.

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  6. I believe the same way .Dont buy foreign products US or else.No matter how cheap they sell it. Buy your country produce ,go t rhe market or home town.Or else grow your own on pots if needed be .Yes its easy .You can grow your own herns by cuttin the to and rwrootong rhe bottoms i. wzter then replanting foe later use. If you have a will you will do what ever it takes .Domt let this bastatds that depend on your hard earn money to take it away from you .Teach them we are resilient. Fight back .Dont trust those bastards politicians in PR who run and put you and privatized and sold everything. Enough with the lying and lying propaganda . Instead of msking Puerto Rico more self reliant in teir own people and resources they made us in prarsites and lead us tothis mess.They should pay this debt and retun all tbe money they stole and go to jail .Tbey should not be let free to keep rbere con artists work.Oh yes I am agaisnt all rhis all Us businesz should be not bought .No excuse Do it and you will see how they will change theur tone because as tpu should know every business needs money to make money no consumets no business .Trust me it wont take long .

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  7. RESPONSE FOR MARIA:

    Maria
    September 15, 2016

    MARIA, IT’S THE PR PEOPLE THAT ARE LOSING CONTROL ( AS IF THEY EVER HAD MUCH OF ANY ). NOT THE U.S. THE U.S. HAS BEEN IN TOTAL CONTROL AND KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT IT’S DOING. IT’S THE PR’S THAT KEEP REACTING IN A NON-CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER. FURTHER, THE U.S. HAS NEVER WANTED ASSIMILATE THE ISLAND OF PR/PR’S. HOW COULD YOU ( HAVE ) NOT SEE THAT?!? THAT WOULD MEAN GAME OVER TO THEM. AND, WHY WOULD THE U.S. ELITES WANT TO STOP THIS FRAUDULENT GAME? NO FUN. THE EASY MONEY WOULD STOP COMING IN.

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  8. A RESPONSE FOR RAQUEL:

    Raquel negron
    September 16, 2016

    DE AQUERDO RAQUEL. A COUPLE OF THINGS: IN MY VIEW, MIXED RACE OR COLOR OF SKIN ISN’T SO MUCH THE PREDISPOSING FACTOR FOR 2ND CLASS CITIZEN STATUS. THE PREDISPOSING FACTOR IS A CULTURAL AND POLITICAL VULNERABILITY THAT IS EXPLOITED TO GET PEOPLE INTO THAT 2ND CLASS STATUS BIND. BOTTOM LINE: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT RACE/COLOR OF YOU SKIN; SCUMBAG ELITES IN D.C. ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR “WEAK SPOTS” TO SEIZE UPON, THEN CONTROL AND EXPLOIT. NO MATTER OW UNETHICAL OR EVEN ILLEGAL.

    A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PR’S AND THE CUBAN’S, IN THIS REGARD, IS THAT THEY REALIZED THAT THEY DIDN’T LIKE THAT KIND OF TREATMENT, SO THEY EFFECTIVELY DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. MEANING, THEY STOOD UP TO THE BULLY IN THE SCHOOL YARD. BULLY’S ( AND THEY’RE EVERYWHERE ) WILL TEST YOU UNTIL YOU REALLY LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF. OTHERWISE, YOU’RE GOING TO GET TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AS FAR AS YOU LET THEM DO IT. IT’S HOW IT’S ALWAYS WORKED. THE PR’S HAVE NEVER HAD IT IN THEM COLLECTIVELY, TO STAND UP TO IT; AND, POSSIBLY DIE FOR IT. THAT’S CALLED GUTS. THE PR’S HAVE GOT THE PHYSICAL GUTS. BUT, THE MORAL GUTS HASN’T QUITE GOTTEN TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. AND, I THINK PART OF THAT “MORAL GUTS” DEFICIENCY IS DUE IN PART TO THE LONGSTANDING IDENTITY CRISIS THE ISLANDERS, AND A LOT ON NON-ISLANDERS HAVE DEVELOPED AS A RESULT OF THE TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP THE ISLAND HAS WITH THE U.S. THE PR’S NEED TO GET PAST THAT.

    ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS THIS: RAQUEL, YOU TALK ABOUT THE MILITARY SERVICE THAT ISLANDERS HAVE PROVIDED TO THE U.S. AND THE SACRIFICES THEY HAVE MADE. THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT OVER DECADES, ONE NOTICES THAT NOTHING CHANGES AS IT RELATES THE RELATIONSHIP OF PR AND THE U.S., THEN ONE SHOULD ( HAVE BEEN ) BE ASKING THE QUESTION: WHAT’S ALL OF THIS SACRIFICE FOR? WHO’S REALLY BENEFITING FROM IT? THE U.S. WHOM HAS NEVER WANTED YOU TO BE A FULL TEAM MEMBER….BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAD PLANS ON HOW TO USE YOU. THAT MINDSET HASN’T CHANGED A BIT SINCE 1898.

    BUT, THE KIDS KEEP ON SIGNING UP. I THINK IT’S MOSTLY FOR ECONOMIC REASONS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. SAME ON THE MAINLAND. IF WE HAD THE DRAFT, WE WOULDN’T BE CAUGHT UP IN ALL THESE GLOBAL CONFLICTS. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHERE THE FEDS WANT IT. KEEPS THE HEAT AND THE LIME LIGHT OFF OF THEM.

    EVERYONE WANTS TO BELONG TO SOMETHING/SOMEONE. IT’S HUMAN NATURE. THE PR’S HAVE MOSTLY FELT LIKE, “YEAH… I GOT THE U.S. IN MY BACK POCKET, AND WE’RE THE LATINO BAD ASSES OF THE WORLD BECAUSE OF IT.” BUT, IF YOU ASK SOME OF THOSE LATINOS IN AUTONOMOUS AND SOVEREIGN COUNTRIES LIKE MEXICO AND ELSEWHERE, THEY SEE AN ONGOING TRAGEDY W/PR. ALL THOSE PR MILITARY VETS ARE VIEWED AS CORPORATE MERCENARIES. THAT’S IT. IT’S THAT THE PR’S DON’T WANT TO SEE IT/ACKNOWLEDGE IT. THEY DON’T WANT TO BELIEVE IT. THAT’S ALSO BEEN INCREASINGLY THE CASE FOR MAINLAND WHITE BOYS FIGHTING WARS BEGINNING MOST NOTABLY W/VIETNAM TO THE PRESENT DAY. AND THEY DON’T ( WANT TO ) SEE IT EITHER, FOR SIMILAR REASONS. SOME DO. BUT, MOST DON’T OR WON’T VERBALLY ACKNOWLEDGE IT.

    RAQUEL, THE PR PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS HAD A CHOICE, EVEN THOUGH THEY CONVINCE THEMSELVES THAT THEY DON’T. 118 YRS AND COUNTING. THERE ARE SOME CHOICES THAT ARE SIMPLY NOT COMFORTABLE TO ENTERTAIN. BUT, MAKING THAT KIND OF DECISION MAY BE THE ONLY WAY OUT. I HOPE IT’S NOT TOO FAR FETCHED TO SAY THAT “INSIDE EVERY PUERTO RICAN IA A CUBAN TRYING TO GET OUT.”

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  9. RESPONSE TO COCODRILO:

    croc40
    September 15, 2016

    WTF, this is federal judge; he can suspend the Jones Act and the anti-bankruptcy law against the US citizens of PR based on unconstitutional grounds. I am off-base here? Help me understand.

    CROC, FIRST OFF, I THINK THAT THOSE CONCERNS NEED TO BE LEGISLATIVELY ADDRESSED BY THE U.S. CONGRESS. THIS JUDGE WOULD PROBABLY GET SANCTIONED FOR LEGISLATING FROM THE BENCH IF HE ATTEMPTED WHAT YOU SUGGESTED. WHAT I NEED UNDERSTANDING ON, IS HOW A FEDERAL JUDGE CAN ACTUALLY PRACTICE AS A FEDERAL JUDGE WHEN IT COMES TO CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS, WHEN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION DOESN’T APPLY TO PR’S IN PR LIKE IT APPLIES TO CITIZENS OF THE MAINLAND. IT’S LIKE A FISA COURT IS TO PR WHAT A STANDARD FEDERAL COURT IS TO THOSE LIVING IN SAY, FLORIDA.

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  10. WAPA radio you are wrong ,you go ahead and pay the debt the corrupt government and the US has put us then. Since you thinks this way . Enough is enough. This should not had happened if the portorrican government would had not done what they did privatized everything. What happened to being proud of what your country produces? What kind of patriotism is this . Enough is enough. Puerto Rico has been a slave to the US and they have been like a vampire taking every bit of blood form us .plus because they see us as mixed raced we are treated as second class citizens. yes you are talking to one of the most racial countries in the world. We need to demonstrate we are proud and fierce warriors and we do not take this bs sitting down we defended not only this US country to be treated as second class citizens ,we also served our country. Don’t forget when they killed our brothers and sisters for just flying the portorrican flag or even mentioning the national anthem.people and corporations and like you give our country a bad taste and name.

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  11. To all the people that feel the Financial Control Board is coming to save Puerto Rico from its situation:
    Congress and the politicians in Washington DC are just as corrupt, greedy and even worst, prejudice! They do not see us as equal.
    In many ways Congress has set up Puerto Rico to fail.
    Eliminating Bankruptcy Protection law, making it difficult for Puerto Rico to produce their own products, export and import, trying to eliminate spanish., our identity, selling Puerto Rican bonds all over the USA, trying to stripped mine Puerto Rico, etc …. etc… People cannot function with one hand tie behind their backs.
    This is why I considered this debt an illegal debt.
    The actions of Congress, seems to me, the actions of a Government trying to get a stronger grip over a people, over Puerto Rico, for they are losing control. After so many years (118 years) of trying to assimilate us and unable to completely do it, they are finally coming down personally to Puerto Rico.

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  12. RESPONSE TO WAPA RADIO:

    WAPA Radio
    September 15, 2016

    Clearly this man is a leftist ignorant terrorist in disguise and must be executed by the FBI.

    YOU’RE OUT OF YOUR F**KING MIND.

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  13. WTF, this is federal judge; he can suspend the Jones Act and the anti-bankruptcy law against the US citizens of PR based on unconstitutional grounds. I am off-base here? Help me understand.

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  14. Sin pelo en la langua. Judge states financial control board is a “coup d État and a bolitero ring. Island has been exploited since the US. Invasion of 1898. You can’t put it any clearer than that. Jone’s act another money making machine for the US. And keeping Puerto Rico in a down hill spiral. All for intent for an island to be sucked dry.

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  15. To: Federal Judge Juan R. Torruella
    The Declaration of Independence
    IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
    We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—
    Federal Judge Juan R. Torruella: “Puerto Rico is in a political apartheid…we need to organize a civil resistance” Por que no : Puertorriqueños ; Demandar a los Estados Unidos por Engaño y Incumplimiento. Estamos otaves en los pricipios de 1898 ; nos prometieron libertad y nos dieron esclavitued.

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  16. Is really stupid to pay any attention to a person that will be out of the federal court soon. He made a career in the federal government and now with a hypocrite act we have to organized a civil resistance. Of course he is preaching to the Colegio de abogados that has losts all credibility and we all know they act like they were in control of the juridical system. Puerto Rico itself got into the economic struggles we are right now. Bad economic administrations, thinking the money will never run out and underestimating the power of the US constitution over the Puerto Rico GOVERNMENT that is the main problem and now that el “CUCO” has come to clean the mess that we obviously made now we have to make a civil resistance!!! Come on man!!!

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  18. Clearly this man is a leftist ignorant terrorist in disguise and must be executed by the FBI.

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