Former Congressman Ron Dellums (D-CA) served five terms in Congress (1971-1998) and then went on to become mayor of Oakland. He had been a Marine and a psychiatric social worker before taking up public service, and he was the first Black chair of the House Armed Forces Committee while in Congress. He was also a fiery supporter of independence for Puerto Rico.
Background on Dellums
Legislators who support independence for Puerto Rico often either have ties to Puerto Rico or simply want the United States to sever ties with the Island. Dellums was a different case. To him, the colonial relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico was morally wrong, because colonialism is wrong. Having grown up in an activist family, Dellums was generally considered the most radical left member of Congress during his terms of office.
He was an anti-war activist who took a strong position against military activity in Puerto Rico when local protests increased in the 1970s. Dellums successfully opposed U.S. Navy bomb target practice on the island of Culebra and called for the House Armed Forces Committee to investigate U.S. Navy activity in Vieques. The leader of the opposition in Puerto Rico was the head of the Independence Party, the charismatic Rubén Berríos Martínez. Since the statehood movement was associated with the Republican Party at the time, Berrios was able to influence Dellums toward support of independence.
In 1978, Dellums requested information on “any activities” by the CIA which were intended to suppress Puerto Rico’s independence movement. “During the last week I participated in a series of meetings with persons advocating the independence of Puerto Rico,” he wrote. “There were recurring charges that the ‘Intelligence Community’ was active in Puerto Rico, particularly in operations designed to preclude Independence. I believe that any such activities directed against non-illegal political advocation would be itself illegal and against the best interests of the United States.”
Legislation on Puerto Rico
Dellums introduced five bills on Puerto Rico status. While they were presented as self-determination bills, they actually focused on independence.
For example, H.J.Res.215 – “A joint resolution for transfer of powers to Puerto Rico,” introduced in 1981, “Declares it to be the policy of the United States: (1) to comply with the sovereign rights of the people of Puerto Rico to decide their political status; (2) to recognize that Puerto Rico constitutes a full-fledged Latin American nation; and (3) that all of the Government’s powers and authority over Puerto Rico should be relinquished and transferred to the people of Puerto Rico.”
That is, while the resolution stated that the people of Puerto Rico should have the opportunity to decide their political status, it also called for the U.S. government to transfer all powers and authority over Puerto Rico to Puerto Rico. Since the 1980 gubernatorial election showed just 6% of voters choosing the Independence Party candidate, and independence in the most recent plebiscite had gotten just .6% of the vote, there is no reason to think that independence would have been the decision made by Puerto Rico voters if his resolution had passed.
Nonetheless, the legislative proposal also authorized “an organizing committee to convene a sovereign constituent assembly of the people of Puerto Rico and to transfer to it all the powers currently entrusted to the Puerto Rican government and all powers pertaining to Puerto Rico exercised by the U.S. Government.” It also specified that Congress “maintains all rights and benefits acknowledged to Puerto Rican citizens who are U.S. veterans, retired Federal employees, or social security recipients, regardless of the political status of Puerto Rico.”
The other bills introduced by Dellums were similar in scope. H.J. Res 215 had just five cosponsors, all Democrats, and died in committee.
What does this page from history tell us?
Dellums’ work shows that people outside of Puerto Rico, including Members of Congress, think about Puerto Rico’s status and have opinions. His initiatives also show that some who favor independence do so not because they want to experience their own lives under Puerto Rican independence or because plebiscites show that people in Puerto Rico are ready to give up their U.S. citizenship and embrace independence. Sometimes support for independence is more theoretical, based on a strongly held philosophy. Dellums simply believed that colonialism was wrong.
