Council Staff calls next panel; Alberto Urbina testifies

Next, we're going to thank you so much to the panel.

Next, we're going to have Angel Garcia.

Alberto Urbiño, Yvette Aguirre, Olga Zanabria, and Alan Aja.

Helen Colon, are you here?

Alberto, would you like to start?

Yeah, no problem.

Thank you, Councilwoman Naviles.

It's a pleasure to be here.

My name is Alberto Urbina.

I am the co-founder of Daughters and Sons of Borinquen.

And this is in regards to Resolution 27, this particular remark.

I was born and raised in New York City.

I was born in the Bronx.

So I'm fully aware of the predatory practices Wall Street uses on U.S.

Soil.

So what would make me think that they would not weaponize debt against a colony that they have extorted, monopolized, and terrorized since 1898?

We are not indebted to you.

Our blood, our resources, our culture, our military service, and our land is why this country is indebted to us.

Daughters and Sons of Boarding King supports Resolution 27.

In regards to Resolution 28, we must end La Junta.

I mean, I think this is obvious, right?

This is the epitome of colonialism.

We have absolutely no say in the financial dealings of our beloved boarding king.

We defer to a corrupt and vicious board that has absolutely no interest in the rebuilding of...

infrastructure or the upliftment of the people of Borinquen.

They simply want a Borinquen without Borinquas.

Daughters and Sons supports Resolution 28.

As far as Act 22,

Now under Act 60, which continues to move the goalposts.

Act 22 now operating under Act 60 has, because of Law 38, extended this egregious program to new investors through 2055, which is insane.

And I mean, we can talk about a thousand things that are wrong with this, but I only have two minutes, right?

Time expired.

We don't want to have that problem.

So we may not be able to fight future investors through legislation.

In addition, we remain deeply concerned that those who are grandfathered in will continue to benefit retroactively from the recolonization construct, a system that is shameful

but certainly not foreign, coming from a country that has built its status on the flesh of those that it detests.

We support Resolution 372.

Resolution 494, stop the Essencia project.

The incredibly grotesque Essencia project is looking to destroy approximately 2,000 acres of coastal land in Cabo Rojo

without a thought for the fracturing of the bio-communities that will experience irreversible effects so the elite can play golf and watch the sunset from their multi-million dollar condos.

Meanwhile, Boricuas who spent generations building culture through love and community are displaced and ultimately erased.

To that we say, Esencia Nova.

Que viva Palestina libre, Congo libre, Yemen libre.

Cuba libre y todos los pueblos que sufren en la lucha contra la opresión libre.

Daughters and sons of Orinquin, a la orden.

And Nolan Wells, say his name.

Nolan Wells, say his name.