Puerto Rican Government Declares War on Dissent

(English Version)

Yesterday, the Puerto Rico Police Department began a campaign to arrest protesters; unidentified
plain clothed police officers (known after the fact), driving a private civilian car, arrested a
college protester under the guise that she had incurred in an infraction of the law while at a prior
protest. This arrest marks the start of an announced campaign against escalating protests, in
which students and workers have been demanding that Puerto Ricos crippling public debt be
audited and that persons responsible for the financial debacle be held accountable.

This new development marks the beginning of a campaign of repression against dissent not seen
in Puerto Rico since the 1970s. What distinguishes this action from previous events that helped
pave the way for an agreement to reform the Puerto Rico Police Department is the outright
brazenness of the taking of a citizen from a public street by unidentified officers of the law. In
the 1970s other countries engaging in these policing tactics escalated to what we now know as a
Dirty War against leftists or enemies of the state.

It is now up to the Puerto Rican judiciary to make this right; the judiciary must uphold the
constitution and demand to see arrest warrants. Contrary to government actions, in particular the
President of Puerto Ricos Senate, arrest warrants are not an inconvenience, they are the law.

Unidentified cops in civilian clothing, driving private vehicles, cannot snatch students off Puerto
Rico streets. If PRPD has reason to believe that a person has incurred in an infraction of the law
while attending a prior protest GET A WARRANT.

We have from the start differentiated civilian constitutional policing from military policing;
which was the basis for our initial opposition to the appointment of a military colonel to the post
of Superintendent of the Puerto Rico Police Department; the second largest police force in a
United States jurisdiction. However, we were willing to work with our new police chief; to push
forward a sustainable reform of PRPD.

We now remind the Governor of Puerto Rico, federal judge Hon. Gustavo Gelpi and the
Technical Compliance Advisor, that this is the reason why military colonels cannot be civilian
police chiefs. Military policing is simply not compatible with civilian constitutional policing.
Ultimately, it is the police chief who must be held accountable for these actions, regardless of
whether she is acting under pressure and threats from Puerto Ricos Senate President.

We call on Puerto Ricos judiciary to hold the Governor, Secretary of Justice and the
Superintendent of PRPD accountable and not allow them to continue down this slippery slope,
from which recovery would be costly and painful. In 2017, dirty wars are supposed to be a thing
of the past, a remnant of the cold war era. Lets not take that road.

It is now becoming more apparent that the Senates use of private security to do what a police
department under a reform agreement cannot do; and, having unidentified cops in civilian clothes
snatch citizens off the streets, is geared to going around the police reform agreement, which
would not tolerate these police tactics. Had it not been for the many witnesses, this encounter
with unidentified agents would not have been known to the people. It would have been the
students claim against denials by the government. The people will not stand for this; and the
ACLU of Puerto Rico will not remain silent nor docile.

Shame on our government and heads of our security agencies; in a civilian society ruled by the
constitution citizens participating in protest do not get snatched off the streets. That is nothing
short of government sanctioned kidnapping. To remain silent is to become an accomplice of this
very serious violation of fundamental rights and the start of the chipping away at our
constitution.

In the United States, the federal judiciary has fast become the safe keepers of the constitution,
not allowing President Trump to rule by unconstitutional decree. It is now up to the Puerto Rican
judiciary to uphold our constitution.

Because our judges are not life time appointments the Senate President has also chosen to
threaten Judges with lose of job, as it did the "Secretary of Justice" and Police Chief. However,
any judge that is fearful of losing her job for upholding constitutional principles is no judge at
all. Judiciary, do not allow the Constitution to be highjacked by the new political order. Stop this
administration's war against dissent.

As this administration frequently points out - we are a society of law and order; to which we add,
in a society of law and order the constitution is supreme.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, this 24th day of April 2017.

William Ramirez
Executive Director