The ELPAC Report January 2001

Most "mainland" media outlets overlooked the recent elections in Puerto Rico. For more than ten years, Puerto Rican elections have revolved around whether to become the 51st State. Adding Puerto Rico as a State would have had immediate effects on English as the official language of the United States, and pro-English forces vigorously fought Puerto Rico statehood. ELPAC and English Language Advocates, for example, ran advertisements in Puerto Rican newspapers showing how English would be required for statehood.

The election was expected to be close. The ruling New Progressive Party had been in power for many years, and was renowned for corruption and election hijinks. The out-going NPP governor, Pedro Rosello, was co-Chairman of the national Gore for President Committee, and had enlisted top government officials to support his party remaining in power.

Yet, when the dust cleared on November 7, the pro-statehood NPP lost decisively, and the pro-"commonwealth" party gained the historic governor’s mansion: La Fortaleza. Sila Maria Calderon, the victorious commonwealth candidate, will be the first woman governor of Puerto Rico.

One likely effect of Calderon’s election will be the end of the vast flow of taxpayer dollars to Washington lobbyists promoting Puerto Rican statehood. For many years, Puerto Rican government agencies have paid millions of dollars to lobbyists every year to support congressional statehood proposals. Calderon will probably focus more on getting new federal money into Puerto Rico and less on obtaining statehood. With the lobbyist spigot turned off, perhaps pressure will ease for legislation making Puerto Rico a state.

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