Melissa led a group of Puerto Rican and Latino elected officials in releasing a joint statement to show solidarity with the students of the University of Puerto Rico who are currently engaged in a strike following proposals to cut the university’s budget. In the statement, the elected officials call on the government to engage in transparent and good faith negotiations with the students and faculty.
The statement also calls on the police to stop using forceful and repressive tactics in response to this strike, which has spread to all 11 campuses of the university.
The University of Puerto Rico is widely viewed as a premier academic institution that has provided a gateway to a college education for the large numbers of Puerto Rican young people that might not otherwise be able to access such opportunities.
This statement, which can be viewed below, was also signed by Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez and Council Members Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Fernando Cabrera, Erik Martin Dilan, Julissa Ferreras, Rosie Mendez, Annabel Palma and Ydanis Rodriguez.
Melissa Mark-Viverito 