LECTURE BY MAURICE FERRÉ ON PUERTO RICO AND ITS ROLE IN US AND LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS A COMPLETE SUCCESS

RELEASE
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
Contact: Eduardo J. Soto (787) 536-3014, esoto@statehoodpr.org

LECTURE BY MAURICE FERRÉ ON PUERTO RICO AND ITS ROLE IN US AND LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS A COMPLETE SUCCESS

MIAMI, FL: The Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association hosted on Wednesday, March 31, a lecture on Puerto Rico and its Role in US and Latin American Relations with Democratic Senate Candidate Maurice Ferré. The former 12 year Miami mayor spoke at Florida International University about the issue before students and faculty of the South Florida Institution. “Like the issue of immigration reform, the status of Puerto Rico is a civil rights issue” said Ferré during the lecture.

PRSSA collaborated with the FIU Latin American and Caribbean Center and with the FIU College Democrats for the event, part of a series of lectures and speeches by notable figures held by the organization.
“We had an interesting discussion on Puerto Rico, its status and its effect within the United States, and Ferré’s unique credentials provided a different perspective on the issue” said William-Jose Velez, president of the PRSSA-FIU Chapter and National Vice President of the PRSSA. “The fact that as a US Senate candidate, he may have a role in the determination of Puerto Rico’s status issue gave the discussion this unique sense of relevance.”

As a Senator for Florida, Ferré could potentially have a vote on HR 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act, a bill presented by Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi with the aim of solving the status issue. HR 2499 currently has 181 cosponsors, and is due to be placed on the House of Representatives calendar for the final vote.

PRSSA is a student organization dedicated to the advocacy of Puerto Rico’s self-determination and the enhancement of U.S. citizenship through statehood.

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