---
A coalition of advocates for Puerto Rican statehood, including Gregorio Igartúa, José Garriga Picó, Héctor Ramos, José M. Saldaña, Ivette Chardón, Ilka Ríos, Philip Hopgood and Bob Segarra, has lodged an ethics complaint against U.S. Representatives Nydia Velázquez and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.
The complaint, submitted to the Office of Congressional Ethics, arises from Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement of the “Alliance” formed between the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP in Spanish) and the Citizen Victory Movement (MVC in Spanish) for the upcoming November 2024 election.
The complainants assert that by backing PIP gubernatorial candidate Juan Dalmau Ramírez, whom they allege has connections to communist governments in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez have “lost credibility and trust in Congress.” They contend that such actions contradict the democratic principles they are meant to uphold as members of the U.S. Congress.
In the November 2024 election, five political parties in Puerto Rico have been officially approved to run their respective candidates. The two parties, MVC and PIP, advocate for Puerto Rican independence, and the complainants highlighted that their key leaders have affiliations with leftist governments in Latin America, notably Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
The complainants claim that the partnership between MVC and PIP was unlawful, as they are independently registered and receive public financing separately, yet function together as a single entity. They have submitted a complaint regarding this situation to Puerto Rico’s State Elections Commission and notified the U.S. Department of Justice, though it remains unresolved.
Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez traveled to Puerto Rico to engage in the electoral process, endorsing Dalmau Ramírez and other candidates associated with the MVC-PIP Alliance. The ethics complaint references remarks made by the congresswomen to the media during their visit.
Velázquez stated in her endorsement: “Today, with my head held high and facing the sun, I embrace hope. … Puerto Rico neither surrenders nor sells out.”
Ocasio-Cortez echoed her support for the Alliance, stating, “It is time to elect a government that works for all the people, not just for a few privileged people.”
“The alliance between the PIP and the MVC has shown us that there can be a path to a future for all Puerto Ricans, not just for the rich and powerful …” she added.
The group contended that both Congress members acted “against the best interest of our National Security and the provisions in the U.S. Constitution Preamble. In doing so, they violated their Oath of Office as mandated by law.”
“Velázquez and Ocasio have realized the American dream. Ocasio transitioned from being a bartender to a Representative in Congress. Velázquez progressed from the PR Office in N.Y. to Representative,” the statehood proponents stated. “Both pledged allegiance to the U.S. Constitution. In contradiction, they traveled to Puerto Rico to disrupt our democratic system by endorsing leftist candidates.”
The complainants maintain that by backing the PIP and MVC partnership, the congresswomen facilitated electoral fraud and political manipulation, infringing on the equal rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the due process rights of voters in Puerto Rico, who are entitled to a lawful election process, just like candidates from non-Allied parties.
Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez, the complainants further argued, endorsed parties advocating for Puerto Rico’s separation from the U.S., overlooking the three million residents of Puerto Rico who are American citizens, as well as the five million residing in the states, including over one million in New York where the two congresswomen live.
“Velázquez and Ocasio wish to lead us towards a republic, devoid of federal assistance or American citizenship,” they claimed.
Ironically, the complainants noted, Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez, along with three other congressmen, made a formal request last September to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, asking for federal election observers to ensure compliance with the island’s State Electoral Commission and federal voting rights legislation. Conversely, they were part of an unlawful scheme to undermine the electoral process in Puerto Rico in 2024, the group asserted.
“Velázquez and Ocasio breached their responsibilities as federal officials and representatives of the federal government, and necessary affirmative action for their ethical misconduct should be enforced as the Committee deems appropriate,” the complainants stated. “The Office of Congressional Ethics is obligated to investigate claims of unethical and illegal conduct by members of Congress. We urge your Office to investigate this complaint against the two Congresswomen …”
