Why do 35,000 Puerto Rican service members fight for a democracy they can't fully participate in? In this powerful episode of the Mano a Mano podcast, host George Laws Garcia sits down with Brigadier General Victor Perez —a 36-year military veteran who rose from enlisted soldier to general in the Puerto Rico National Guard—to discuss the contradiction of military service without voting rights.

General Perez shares his decades of experience advocating in Congress for Puerto Rican veterans and statehood, explaining why 250,000 Puerto Ricans have served throughout U.S. history—earning 9 Medals of Honor and the Congressional Gold Medal for the 65th Infantry Regiment—yet still cannot vote for their Commander-in-Chief or Congressional representatives when living on the island.

This conversation takes on new urgency as the U.S. deploys significant military forces to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean in response to drug trafficking, Venezuelan instability, and growing Chinese and Russian influence in the region. General Perez provides firsthand insight into why Puerto Rico's strategic location makes it indispensable to U.S. national security—and why statehood would benefit both Puerto Rico's 3.2 million citizens and America's geopolitical interests.

In this episode:

• Why 35,000 Puerto Rican service members serve without voting representation
• Puerto Rico's military contributions: 9 Medal of Honor recipients & 250,000+ veterans
• The current U.S. military buildup in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean
• Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America and why it matters
• How Puerto Rico's strategic location factors into U.S. defense strategy
• Why the territorial status creates inequality for veterans and their families
• How statehood would secure democracy and economic opportunity for future generations
• What Puerto Ricans on the island think about increased military presence
• Personal stories of veteran advocates who've lobbied Congress for decades

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & Veterans Day Tribute 

03:45 Puerto Rico's Military Service Record: 250,000+ Veterans 

06:15 Serving Without Representation: The Democratic Deficit 

12:35 Veteran Advocates: Stories of Sacrifice and Persistence 

18:25 What Statehood Would Mean for Future Generations 

23:30 Economic Inequality: Territory vs. State Status 

29:10 The Fiscal Oversight Board and Colonial Control 

33:20 Current Caribbean Military Deployment Explained 

40:15 Chinese & Russian Influence in Latin America 

45:50 Venezuela Crisis and U.S. Strategic Response 

51:40 Why Puerto Rico is Key to Western Hemisphere Security 

56:25 How Puerto Ricans View Military Presence on the Island 

01:02:10 Advice for Statehood Advocates: Never Quit 

01:08:45 Conclusion & Call to Action

🔔 Subscribe for conversations about Puerto Rico's path to equality and democracy through statehood.

#PuertoRico #Veterans #MilitaryService #PuertoRicoStatehood #VotingRights #NationalSecurity #Caribbean #VenezuelaCrisis #ChinaInfluence #ManoAManoPodcast #BrigadierGeneral #VeteransRights #Democracy #Equality #CongressionalRepresentation

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