Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi spoke with CNN about Puerto Rico’s debt. He said that the debt is payable. “We’re not talking about the central government of Puerto Rico declaring bankruptcy. That’s not available to the states so it wouldn’t be available to Puerto Rico.”

HR 870, the bill that would stop Puerto Rico’s exclusion from the use of chapter 9 of the U.S. bankruptcy code, would give Puerto Rico the same treatment as States. “We are 3.5 million American citizens living in Puerto Rico,” Pierluisi said after discussing inequalities in federal support between States and Puerto Rico. “Why treat us differently? It’s unAmerican.”

Hearing Pierluisi’s plea for equal rights for Puerto Rico, the CNN interviewer asked, “Is what you’re asking for statehood?”

“What’s democracy? Basically the people choosing their leaders and choosing their form of government,” Pierluisi affirmed. “Well, in Puerto Rico, we have already spoken.”

Pierluisi was referencing the 2012 plebiscite, in which the largest number of voters voted against the current territorial status on Question 1 and for statehood on Question 2.

Callers had a number of questions and Pierluisi gave clear and informative answers. Watch the whole program in the video above and let us know what you think.

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