Introduction by Aurora Santiago-Ortiz
La Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, referred to as “La Cole,” began in 2013 when feminist activists from the Puerto Rican student movement and other radical activist spaces decided to create an intentional space to address multiple and simultaneous oppressions affecting womxn and femmes. La Cole is an intersectional political organization, with an explicitly anti-capitalist, anti-racist, pro-queer and trans agenda from its inception. La Cole is a highly visible presence in Puerto Rico’s public sphere and have consistently put forward their opposition to capitalist and neoliberal government policies that have dispossessed and disenfranchised the most vulnerable populations in Puerto Rico: Black, poor, trans, queer, womxn and femmes. These policies are reflected in the closing of public schools, public university funding cuts, and health care and services.
During the past two years, La Cole has carried out an intensive campaign against the alarming number of femicides in Puerto Rico, which were at 23 in 2018, with many more cases under investigation. Among the investigated are members of the Puerto Rican police force. In 2019 to date, 9 women have died at the hands of intimate partners or ex-partners, including a 13-year-old girl. In November 2018, La Cole drafted an Executive Order so that Governor Ricardo Rosselló would declare a State of Emergency and create public policy addressing the femicides in Puerto Rico. La Cole spent two nights camping out in front of the Governor’s mansion, holding workshops and other activities to educate and raise awareness of gender violence. Governor Rosselló did not meet with La Cole and no such State of Emergency has been declared.
It should come as no surprise that when 889 pages of a private Telegram group chat which included the Governor surfaced this past weekend, the public reacted with outrage in reading the misogynist, racist, and classist comments coming from the Governor, and several of his cabinet members, and advisers.
Statement by Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, Puerto Rico
Versión en español abajo
Members of the Colectiva Feminista en Construcción demanded the resignation of Governor Ricardo Roselló Nevares, after the publication of a series of Telegram messages, in which he makes misogynistic and homophobic remarks, as do other members of his cabinet.
“For over a year we have been claiming a State of Emergency due to the violence that women suffer in this country. We have addressed our claims to the state, denouncing their inaction and complicity in maintaining this state of emergency, by not taking affirmative and effective actions to address it. If this government has been consistent in anything, it has been in ignoring this reality. That, along with the governor’s unfortunate remarks, such as calling former councilman Mark Viverito a “hooker,” among other sexist and homophobic statements, shows us the discriminatory nature of his administration and his inability to govern this country, so we demand its immediate resignation,” said Zoán Dávila Roldán, spokesperson for the Collective.
For her part, Vanesa Contreras Capó, also a spokesperson for the organization, stressed that the gender violence that plagues the country not only manifests itself within relationships, but is a reflection of social institutions, the education system, the lack of health services, of the government, its public policy, and the recent cases of corruption, in which funds were allegedly diverted from the departments of education and health. Therefore, she considers, citizen action is necessary.
“Yesterday and today have been decisive days for Puerto Rico. The rampant corruption and sexism of the government of this country force us to take to the streets and demand not only the resignation of the misogynist governor, Ricardo Roselló, but also demand resources for a citizen audit of the debt. At times when institutional violence has shown us its worst face, in the Collective we are ready to continue promoting the mobilizations that will succeed in stopping robbery, looting and institutional violence, “said Contreras Capó.
Last November, the Collective stayed for three days in front of La Fortaleza, denouncing the gender violence, in all of its diverse manifestations, that affects women all over the country. There they demanded that the governor declare a state of emergency and implement a plan that addresses this problem in a holistic manner. Similarly, in conversations with his aides, they denounced the austerity measures implemented by his government, which have put the lives and well-being of women and their families in the country at risk. At this time, the governor did not heed the organization. Later, he expressed to the spokespersons of the Collective, that “he would not sign the Executive Order.”
“Now we know why the governor did not hear us while we were three days in front of Fortaleza. Now we know why he did not want to meet with us, now we know why they continue murdering, attacking, raping, abusing, harassing women in this country with impunity; because the one who runs the country is the first to do violence to us,” said Dávila Roldán.
The call of the Colectiva Feminista en Construcción is focused on the state, knowing that it holds the power to facilitate the conditions to overcome the inequalities that women in the country face. Consequently, it has demanded the implementation of education with a gender perspective, a demand which has been ignored by the governor. His remarks not only highlight the need to address gender violence through prevention and education, but it underscores the call for declaring a state of emergency.
“Governor Ricardo Rosselló has done violence not only to women – whom he insults directly – but to the country. His attack was not that he called us “whores,” “kittens,” or any other macho epithet; the governor’s attack is that he still has not declared a state of emergency against gender violence,” concluded Contreras Capó.
Colectiva feminista exige renuncia inmediata del gobernador ante expresiones
Desde Colectiva Feminista en Construcción
Integrantes de la Colectiva Feminista en Construcción exigieron la renuncia del gobernador Ricardo Roselló Nevares, ante la publicación de una serie de mensajes de Telegram, en los que este hace expresiones misóginas y homofóbicas, junto a otros funcionarios de su gabinete.
“Hace más de un año venimos denunciando el Estado de Emergencia por la violencia que vivimos las mujeres en este país. Hemos dirigido nuestros reclamos al estado, denunciando su inacción y complicidad en mantener este estado de emergencia, al no tomar acciones afirmativas y efectivas para atenderlo. Si en algo ha sido consistente este gobierno, ha sido en ignorar esta realidad. Eso, junto a las desafortunadas expresiones del gobernador, llamándo “puta” a la ex concejal Mark Viverito, y otras expresiones machistas y homofóbicas, nos demuestra el carácter discriminatorio de su administración y su incapacidad para gobernar este país, por lo que exigimos su inmediata renuncia”, expresó Zoán Dávila Roldán, portavoz de la Colectiva.
Por su parte, Vanesa Contreras Capó, también portavoz de la organización, resaltó que la violencia de género que atraviesa el país no solo se manifiesta en las relaciones de pareja, sino que es reflejo de las instituciones sociales, del sistema de educación, de la falta de servicios de salud, del gobierno, su política pública, y los recientes casos de corrupción, en los que se alega, desviaron fondos de las áreas de educación y salud. Por tanto, estima, es necesaria la acción ciudadana.
“Ayer y hoy han sido días decisivos para Puerto Rico. La rampante corrupción y el sexismo del gobierno de este país nos obligan a salir a las calles y exigir no solo la renuncia del misógino gobernador, Ricardo Roselló, sino también exigir recursos para una auditoría ciudadana de la deuda. En momentos en donde la violencia machista institucional nos ha mostrado su peor cara, en la Colectiva estamos dispuestas a seguir impulsando las movilizaciones que logren detener el robo, el saqueo y la violencia institucional”, puntualizó Contreras Capó.
Durante el pasado mes de noviembre, la Colectiva permaneció durante tres días frente a la Fortaleza, denunciando la violencia de género, en sus diversas manifestaciones, que viven las mujeres en el país. Allí exigieron que el gobernador declarara un estado de emergencia e implementara un plan que atendiese de manera integrada esta problemática. De igual forma, en conversaciones con sus ayudantes, denunciaron las medidas de austeridad implementadas por su gobierno, que han puesto en riesgo la vida y bienestar de las mujeres y sus familias en el país. En este entonces, el gobernador no atendió a la organización. Posteriormente, este expresó a las portavoces de la Colectiva, que “no firmaría la Orden Ejecutiva”.
“Ahora sabemos por qué el gobernador no nos atendió mientras estuvimos tres días frente a Fortaleza. Ahora sabemos por qué no quiso reunirse con nosotras, ahora sabemos por qué siguen asesinando, agrediendo, violando, abusando, acosando a mujeres en este país de manera impune; pues quién dirige al país es el primero en violentarnos”, expresó Dávila Roldán.
El reclamo de la Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, se ha concentrado en el estado, entendiendo que es quien puede facilitar las condiciones para superar las desigualdades que enfrentan las mujeres en el país. Consecuentemente ha reclamado la implementación de una educación con perspectiva de género, reclamo que ha sido ignorado por el gobernador. Las expresiones hechas por este, no solo dejan en evidencia la necesidad de atender la violencia de género desde el ámbito de la prevención y educación, sino que agudiza el reclamo de que se declare un estado de emergencia.
“El gobernador Ricardo Rosselló ha violentado, no solo a las mujeres — que insulta de manera directa — sino al país. Su agresión no fue que nos llamó “putas”, “gatitas”, o cualquier otro epíteto machista, la agresión del gobernador sigue siendo que no ha declarado un estado de emergencia contra la violencia de género”, finalizó Contreras Capó.
Aurora Santiago-Ortiz is a social justice educator and PhD candidate at UMass Amherst. Born in Puerto Rico, Aurora’s scholarship centers radical pedagogies, anti and decolonial praxis, anti-racist feminism, and social movements in Puerto Rico. Follow her on Twitter at @santiaaurora.
The statement was originally published on July 11, 2019.