United Nations (UCTP Taino News) - Various petitioners submitted testimony to the UN Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence of Colonial Countries and Peoples on June 20, 2016 at UN Headquarters in New York. In a resolution adopted last year, the Special Committee decided to continue hearing testimony on Puerto Rico.
The United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP) submitted a statement to the Committee Chairperson via Committee Secratary, Ms. Jullette Ukabiala. The UCTP' intervention highlighted Boriken's (Puerto Rico's) colonial situation, environmental racism on the island, and the release of political prisoner Oscar López Rivera, among other issues. The UCTP recently submitted a related statement to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues during its 15th session.
The Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence of Colonial Countries and Peoples (also known as the Special Committee on decolonization or C-24), the United Nations entity exclusively devoted to the issue of decolonization, was established in 1961 by the General Assembly with the purpose of monitoring the implementation of the Declaration (General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960).
6/20/2016
UCTP Statement to UN Decolonization Committee
To: UN Special Committee
on Decolonization via email
Re: Special
Committee decision of 22 June 2015 concerning Puerto Rico: hearing of petitioners,
United Nations Headquarters
Greetings,
Mr. Chair:
The rampant
and vicious Environmental Racism Puerto Rico is enduring at the expense of the
health of her people, water, land and air, with factors such as
Military Waste; Incinerators; GMO experimentation; Carbon Ashes; Water and
Natural resources being negotiated to accommodate interests of multinationals and
others that just come to the island to squeeze the benefits out
while destroying the economy for the locals, for there are more incentives for
foreigners than there are to help the locals prosper, are just a some examples of the colonial impacts on the island of Puerto Rico .
For 118
years, the violation of Human Rights, Cultural Rights, the Right to
Self-determination, Genocide and Ethnocide in Borikén (Puerto Rico) have gone with impunity while the
powers of the empire, which are now on the open continue impacting the people and resources. Violations that this Committee has heard throughout the decades,
and/or via the dialogues about the colonial situation of the island of Borikén, are all the result of the lack of transparency about the real
relationship between the United States and the colonial powers it continues to
execute upon the island and all her peoples, including the indigenous Taino
peoples.
The
intimidation methods used, where we have seen leaders that work towards the
independence of the island, either be shot to death, incarcerated, etc., is
another imperialistic way of denying the people of Borikén the right to
protest and work towards the inalienable right to self-determination.
With this in mind, the United
Confederation of Taino People, joins all the other petitioners and states who
have made a call for the immediate release of Oscar López Rivera.
Mr. Chair,
it is also our hope, as was stated by petitioner Mr. José Ortiz-Velez, earlier
this afternoon, that this process goes beyond just the formulation of yet
another Resolution to join another previous 34, but that it results in the
release of Oscar López Rivera, and ultimately and finally as is their inherent
right, for the United States to begin an immediate process of decolonization of
Puerto Rico, to respect the Right to Self –Determination, and the release of
this debt that was created by their imperialistic ways, while exploiting Borikén and its diverse peoples and resources for 118 years.
Hahom (Thank
you).
6/18/2016
Taino Ambassador in Cuba
 |
| Idalis Rojas, Taino, of Caridad de los Indios and Ambassador Miguel Sague, Taino |
Baracoa, Kuba (UCTP Taino News) - The United Confederation of Taino People's ambassador to Cuba, Miguel Sobaoko Koromo Sague, visited the island from 11-17 June to meet with several local Taino community representatives. On a diplomatic mission for the Confederation in support of the 2016 Peace and Dignity Journeys, Sague meet with Idalis Rojas a representative of the Caridad de los Indios community and daughter of Kasike (chief) Francisco Ramirez Rojas in the town of Baracoa and members of the organization "Grupo Kaweiro" in Havana. In 2014, Grupo Kaweiro became an allied treaty partner with the Confederation.
Ambassador Sague returned to the United States with a specially cut piece of wood for sacred "matuko" (staff) that will become a prayer staff eventually to join others staffs that will be held by runners during the Peace and Dignity run this year. The wood was blessed by the local Cuban Taino leaders. The Peace and Dignity Journeys are continental ceremonial runs that connect all participants to Indigenous Communities rich in ancient wisdom and traditions.
UCTPTN 06.18.2016
Ambassador Sague returned to the United States with a specially cut piece of wood for sacred "matuko" (staff) that will become a prayer staff eventually to join others staffs that will be held by runners during the Peace and Dignity run this year. The wood was blessed by the local Cuban Taino leaders. The Peace and Dignity Journeys are continental ceremonial runs that connect all participants to Indigenous Communities rich in ancient wisdom and traditions.
UCTPTN 06.18.2016