![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.noticel.com\/2026\/07\/30090709\/106-2026-21_Magna-Verano-Display-v.02_300x600-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nAnd without question, he loved our people and our history.<\/p>\n
I offer Don Ricardo Alegria my humble thanks and gratitude for his commitment to Puerto Rico, his leadership for our people, and the way he elevated our history and our culture.<\/p>\n
At this time of crisis for Puerto Rico, a time when many in power seem to have forgotten the traits that make us us, make our island our island, and make our history our history\u2026<\/p>\n
Don Ricardo was very supportive of my work in Congress.<\/p>\n
The inspiration of towering Puerto Rican figures like Don Ricardo motivate me to speak out on this floor and denounce attacks on the civil and human rights of Puerto Ricans.<\/p>\n
These attacks come from the same quarters Don Ricardo fought all his life.<\/p>\n
They come from those who seek to destroy the national culture and identity of Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n
They have not succeeded and will never succeed, because there will always be Puerto Ricans like Don Ricardo standing defiantly, proudly and courageously in their way.<\/p>\n
This fact was driven home right here in Congress just yesterday, Mr. Speaker, at a well attended briefing conducted by the ACLU, the National Institute for Latino Policy and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund\/Latino Justice.<\/p>\n
As part of their briefing, these organizations showed a video depicting some of the many scenes of violence by the police of Puerto Rico against unarmed, peaceful demonstrators.<\/p>\n
I have seen this video, and I am certain that any Member that sees these images would be moved to indignation and action. That these scenes happen under the American flag and that these abuses are committed against American citizens is simply shameful.<\/p>\n
If any of my Colleagues saw these images, I am sure they would feel the same indignation I felt when I saw them.<\/p>\n
Mr. Speaker, it is out of my deep concern for the people of Puerto Rico that I wish to inform my colleagues that I have sent a letter today to our Attorney General, the Honorable Eric Holder. This letter requests the release of any and all documents and information regarding contacts by officials or representatives of the Government of Puerto Rico with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding an investigation by the Civil Rights Division into very serious allegations of systematic police brutality in Puerto Rico — an investigation that is at least three years old.<\/p>\n
I have requested this information under the Freedom of Information Act because published reports allege that the Government of Puerto Rico is using its well paid Washington lobbyists and other resources to thwart the release of the Justice Department report.<\/p>\n
The reports are based on lobbying disclosure forms that do not give much detail on exactly what the lobbyists do for the Government of Puerto Rico, which is precisely why I am asking the Attorney General for all of the information he has.<\/p>\n
Given the recent history of the ruling party in Puerto Rico trying to act with impunity and in secrecy, these published reports have raised serious doubts in my mind.<\/p>\n
So, Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear that while there may not be transparent and open government in Puerto Rico or a Freedom of Information Act there, as far as the Federal Government is concerned, the secrecy and impunity of the regime in Puerto Rico ends here.<\/p>\n
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
El Departamento de Justicia federal enfrenta una solicitud de parte del congresista Luis Guti\u00e9rrez para que se divulguen todos los intercambios y comunicaciones que han tenido con los cabilderos de la Administraci\u00f3n Fortu\u00f1o que aparentemente han detenido la investigaci\u00f3n contra la polic\u00eda por violaci\u00f3n de derechos civiles que est\u00e1 pendiente desde 2008. Guti\u00e9rrez, de origen […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":331185,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ultima-hora"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/noticel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/noticel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/noticel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noticel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96065"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/noticel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":331187,"href":"https:\/\/noticel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96065\/revisions\/331187"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noticel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/noticel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noticel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noticel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}