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Cry of Dolores
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Grito de Dolores
A statue of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in front of the church in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato
Observed by
Mexico
Significance
Commemorating the start of the Mexican War of Independence, by repeating the words of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in the early morning of 16 September 1810
Date
15 September
Frequency
Annual
The Cry of Dolores[n 1] (Spanish: Grito de Dolores) is a historical event that happened in Mexico in the early morning of 16 September 1810. Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the bell of his church and gave the pronunciamiento (call to arms) that triggered the Mexican War of Independence. This happened in the state of Guanajuato within the small town of Dolores (now Dolores Hidalgo).
Every year on the eve of Independence Day, the President of Mexico re-enacts the Grito from the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City, while ringing the same bell that Hidalgo rang in 1810.
Contents
[hide]
1 Historical event
1.1 Exact words and meaning
2 National festivities
2.1 Presidential celebration at Mexico City
2.2 Recent exceptions
2.3 Celebrations by governors and municipal presidents
3 Notes
4 References
5 Further reading
6 External links
Historical event[edit]
Image extracted from the book by Vicente Riva Palacio, Julio Zárate (1880) "México a través de los siglos" Tomo III: "La guerra de independencia" (1808 - 1821)
In the 1810s, Mexico was under Spanish control and known as New Spain. The independence movement began to take shape when Jose Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara went to the small town of Dolores (now known as Dolores Hidalgo) and asked the local Roman Catholic priest, Miguel Hidalgo, to help initiate an effort to free New Spain from Spanish control.
Gutierrez de Lara went to Washington, D.C. for military support (being the first Mexican to do so). Hidalgo remained in Dolores, waiting for Gutierrez de Lara to return with military support. However, fearing arrest,[1] Hidalgo told his brother Mauricio to make the sheriff free the pro-independence inmates there. Mauricio and armed men set 80 inmates free in the early morning of 16 September 1810.[2] Around 2:30 a.m., Hidalgo ordered the church bells to be rung and gathered his congregation. Flanked by Allende and Juan Aldama, he addressed the people in front of his church, urging them to revolt. His speech became known as the "Cry of Dolores".
The liberated country adopted Mexico as its official name. Mexico's independence from Spain took a decade of war. Jose Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara commanded and led Mexico to victory. Independence was achieved by the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire on 28 September 1821. However, Hidalgo is credited as being the "father of his country."[3]
Exact words and meaning[edit]
There is no scholarly consensus on the exact words Miguel Hidalgo said at the time. The book The Course of Mexican History says "the exact words of this most famous of all Mexican speeches are not known, or, rather, they are reproduced in almost as many variations as there are historians to reproduce them".[4]
The same book also argues that:
“ ...the essential spirit of the message is... 'My children: a new dispensation comes to us today. Will you receive it? Will you free yourselves? Will you recover the lands stolen three hundred years ago from your forefathers by the hated Spaniards? We must act at once... Will you defend your religion and your rights as true patriots? Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe! Death to bad government! Death to the Gachupines!'[4] ”
In contrast, William F. Cloud divides the sentiments above between both Hidalgo and the crowd:
“ [Hidalgo] told them that the time for action on their part had now come. When he asked, 'Will you be slaves of Napoleon or will you as patriots defend your religion, your hearths, and your rights?' there was a unanimous cry, 'We will defend to the utmost! Long live religion, long live our most holy mother of Guadalupe! Long live America! Death to bad government, and death to the Gachupines!'[5] ”
Many believe that Hidalgo's Grito condemned the notion of monarchy and criticized the current social order in detail. In fact, his opposition was targeted to Spain and its viceroy in Mexico; not against monarchy in general but against "bad government". The Grito also emphasized loyalty to the Catholic religion, a sentiment with which both Creoles and Peninsulares (native Spaniards) could sympathize. However, the strong anti-Spanish cry of “Death to Gachupines” (Gachupines being a slur given to Peninsulares) would have shocked Mexico’s elites.[1]
National festivities[edit]
The day of 16 September was first celebrated in 1812 in Huichapan, Hidalgo.[6] It was given the status of a national holiday in the Constitution of Apatzingán, ratified by the conventions of 1822 and 1824, and first celebrated nationally in 1825.[7]
The Cry of Dolores has assumed an almost mythical status.[8][9] Since the late 20th century, the event has come to symbolize Mexican independence and to initiate Independence Day ceremonies the following day (16 September). Independence Day in Mexico is a patriotic holiday, marked by parades, concerts, patriotic programs, drum and bugle and marching band competitions, and special programs on the national and local media outlets.[10]
Presidential celebration at Mexico City[edit]
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
President Felipe Calderón at the National Palace balcony during the bicentennial Grito in 2010.
Every 15 September at around 11 p.m., the President of Mexico stands on the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City and rings the same bell that Hidalgo rang in 1810, which was moved to the National Palace. The President then recites a shout of patriotism (a Grito Mexicano) based upon the "Grito de Dolores", with the names of the important heroes of the Mexican War of Independence who were there on that historic day. The Grito ends with the threefold shout of ¡Viva México!
This is the version often recited by the President of Mexico:
Spanish
¡Mexicanos!
¡Vivan los héroes que nos dieron patria!
¡Viva Hidalgo!
¡Viva Morelos!
¡Viva Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez!
¡Viva Allende!
¡Viva Aldama y Matamoros!
¡Viva la Independencia Nacional!
¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México!
English
Mexicans!
Long live the heroes who gave us our homeland!
Long live Hidalgo!
Long live Morelos!
Long live Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez!
Long live Allende!
Long live Aldama and Matamoros!
Long live the nation's independence!
Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico!
Beneath the balcony of the National Palace, there is a large crowd in the Plaza de la Constitución (also called the Zócalo), to hear the recitation. The event draws up to half a million spectators from all over Mexico and tourists worldwide. After the President recites each line beginning with "¡Viva(n)!", the crowd responds by repeating, "¡Viva(n)!"
After the recitation, the President rings the bell one last time, and waves the Flag of Mexico to the applause of the crowd.
This is followed by the playing of the Mexican national anthem by a military band from the Mexican Armed Forces. The crowd sings along. The ceremonies conclude with a spectacular fireworks display at the Zocalo grounds.
On the morning of 16 September, or Independence Day, the national military parade in honor of the holiday starts in the Zócalo and its outskirts, passes the Hidalgo Memorial and ends on the Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City’s main boulevard, passing "El Ángel de la Independencia" memorial column and other places along the way.
Recent exceptions[edit]
The Grito is not always re-enacted at the National Palace; some years it is performed in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, where it originally happened. This is especially common in the final year of a President's term.
President Felipe Calderón made an exception by re-enacting the Grito in Dolores Hidalgo as part of the bicentennial celebrations on 16 September 2010, even though he had already done so the night before from the National Palace balcony to launch the celebrations.[11][12] As a result, in 2012, Calderón's final year as President, he did not go to Dolores Hidalgo but gave the Grito from the National Palace balcony instead. He became the third President to break the traditional practice.
Many Presidents add their "personal touch" to the Grito and this can be controversial. President Vicente Fox frequently took liberties with it, adding and removing items, addressing Mexicans in both genders, and in 2001 wishing long life to "our agreements".[13]
During the Presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto, the Grito became an occasion for political protest against him and his Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). On 15 September 2016, a month after the president appeared to be humiliated by U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump, thousands of citizens marched, yelled, and carried signs. They tried to enter the Zócalo during the Grito, but were blocked by a wall of soldiers.[14] News outlets within Mexico failed to acknowledge the protest. The event was well-attended but opponents charge that the PRI brought acarreados (poor people or hand-picked party members) as a fake show of support.[15]
Celebrations by governors and municipal presidents[edit]
Municipal president giving the "grito" of "¡Viva México!" at the commencement of Independence Day festivities at 11 pm 16 Sept 2008 in Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo.
Similar celebrations to the Presidential one occur in cities and towns throughout Mexico, and in Mexican embassies and consulates worldwide on 15 or 16 September. The chief executive, ambassador, or consul rings a bell and recites the traditional words, including the names of independence heroes and local patriots, and ending with the threefold shout of Viva Mexico! The bell rings a second time, the Mexican flag is waved, and everyone sings the National Anthem, followed by fireworks. There are also celebrations in schools throughout Mexico, and in these cases whenever the bell ringing is reenacted the school or university head utters the traditional words.
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ Literal translations such as "shout of pains", often done by software, should be avoided, as they lack the context that Dolores here is a place name.
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b Kirkwood, Burton (2000). History of Mexico. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-313-30351-7.
Jump up ^ Sosa, Francisco (1985) (in Spanish). Biografias de Mexicanos Distinguidos-Miguel Hidalgo. 472. Mexico City: Editorial Porrúa SA. pp. 288-292. ISBN 968-452-050-6.
Jump up ^ Virginia Guedea, "Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla" in Encyclopedia of Mexico, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn 1997, p. 640.
^ Jump up to: a b Meyer. Michael, et al (1979): The Course of Mexican History, page 276, New York, New York USA Oxford University Press ISBN 978-0-19-502413-5.
Jump up ^ William F. Cloud (1896). Church and State or Mexican Politics from Cortez to Diaz. Kansas City, Mo: Peck & Clark, Printers.
Jump up ^ "En Huichapan, Hidalgo, se dio el primer «Grito de Independencia» hace casi 200 años" (in Spanish). La Jornada. 2010-09-16. Archived from the original on 2015-11-28.
Jump up ^ Emmanuel Carballo (September 2009). "El grito de Dolores de 1812 a 1968" (in Spanish). University of México. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
Jump up ^ Hamill, Hugh M. (1966). The Hidalgo Revolt: Prelude to Mexican Independence. University of Florida Press. ISBN 0-8130-2528-1.
Jump up ^ Knight, Alan (2002). Mexico: The Colonial Era. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-89196-5.
Jump up ^ Saint-Louis, Miya. "How to Celebrate Mexico's Independence Day: Grito de Dolores". iexplore.com. Inside-Out Media. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
Jump up ^ "Mexico Celebrates Its Bicentennial - Photo Gallery - LIFE". Retrieved 8 April 2011.
Jump up ^ "Calderón revive grito original en magnos festejos por bicentenario de México" (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 April 2011.
Jump up ^ Fernando Serrano Migallón (April 2008). "El Grito: símbolo, fiesta, mito e identidad" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 2012-04-25.
Jump up ^ James Fredrick (2016-09-16). "'Resign now' thousands of Mexicans tell president Peña Nieto at Independence Day protest". London Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
Jump up ^ "En el Zócalo, miles de acarreados para la ovación; afuera, miles de indignados exigen renuncia de EPN" (in Spanish). Periodicocentral.mx. 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2017-01-23.
Further reading[edit]
Fernández Tejedo, Isabel; Nava Nava, Carmen (2001). "Images of Independence in the Nineteenth Century: The Grito de Dolores, History and Myth". In William H. Beezly and David E. Lorey. ¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva la independencia!: Celebrations of September 16. Silhouettes: studies in history and culture series. Margarita González Aredondo and Elena Murray de Parodi (Spanish-English trans.). Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources. pp. 1–42. ISBN 0-8420-2914-1. OCLC 248568379.
Sr. Antonio Barajas Becerra, "Entrada de los Insurgentes a la Villa de San Miguel El Grande, la tarde del Domingo, 16 de Septiembre de 1801."
Antonio Barajas Beccera, 1969, Generalisimo don Ignacio de Allende y Unzaga, 2a edicion, p. 108 ("a las cinco de la manana del domingo 16 de Septiembre, 1810").
Gloria Cisneros Lenoir, Miguel Guzman Peredo, 1985, Miguel Hidalgo y la Ruta de la Independencia, Bertelsmann de Mexico, p. 87.
External links[edit]
Mexico connect.com: "El Grito" (The Cry)
Bibliography and Hemerography: Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla.
Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla - Documents of 1810 and 1811.
Chronology of Miguel Hidalgo and Costilla
Mexico Celebrates Its Bicentennial - slideshow by Life magazine
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Puerto Rican status referendum, 2012
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Jump to: navigation, search
Puerto Rican status referendum, 2012
Location
Puerto Rico
Date
November 6, 2012; 5 years ago (2012-11-06)
Voting system
simple majority for the first question
first-past-the-post for the second question
Should Puerto Rico continue its current territorial status?
Yes
46.00%
No
54.00%
Which non-territorial option do you prefer?
Statehood
61.16%
Free Association
33.34%
Independence
5.49%
There were 515,348 blank and invalidated ballots counted alongside the 1,363,854 ballots. Under Puerto Rico Law, these ballots are not considered cast votes and are therefore not reflected in the final tally.[1]
A referendum on the political status of Puerto Rico was held in Puerto Rico on November 6, 2012. It was the fourth referendum on status to be held in Puerto Rico and the first in which a majority voted for statehood. Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since the Spanish–American War in 1898.
Puerto Rican voters were asked two questions: (1) whether they agreed to continue with Puerto Rico's territorial status and (2) to indicate the political status they preferred from three possibilities: statehood, independence, or a sovereign nation in free association with the United States.[2] 970,910 (54.00%) voted "No" on the first question, expressing themselves against maintaining the current political status, and 828,077 (46.00%) voted "Yes", to maintain the current political status. Of those who answered on the second question 834,191 (61.11%) chose statehood, 454,768 (33.34%) chose free association, and 74,895 (5.55%) chose independence.[3][4]
The governor-elect Alejandro García Padilla of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) and several other leaders who favor the present status had recommended voting "Yes" to the first question, and leaving the second question blank as a protest to what they said was "an anti-democratic process" and "a trap".[5]
Puerto Rico's nonvoting Resident Commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi, has said that he will "defend the people's decision" in Washington, D.C. He plans to introduce legislation in Congress to admit Puerto Rico to the Union.[6][7] Although García Padilla questioned the validity of the results, he stated that he planned to go forward with what President Barack Obama had suggested, and convene a constituent assembly to resolve the status issue.[8] Such an assembly was not ultimately held under García Padilla's governorship.
Previous referendums had been held on the island to decide on the political status of Puerto Rico, most recently in 1998.[9][10][11]
Contents
[hide]
1 Background
1.1 Support
1.2 Opposition
1.3 Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status
2 Ballot
2.1 Criticism
3 Results
3.1 Part I
3.2 Part II
4 Reactions and aftermath
5 See also
6 Additional reading
7 References
Background[edit]
Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since the end of the Spanish–American War in 1898. Although Puerto Ricans were granted United States citizenship with the 1917 Jones–Shafroth Act, they cannot vote for the President of the United States unless registered to vote in one of the United States. In addition, the US retains the exclusive right to create and manage foreign policy, including any that affects the island.
In June 2011 the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization asked the United States to expedite the process for political status self-determination in Puerto Rico.[12] Puerto Rico, unlike several other U.S. territories such as Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is not on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.[13] As it is not a state, its citizens do not have the right to full representation in the U.S. Congress nor can they vote in presidential elections. On December 28, 2011, Governor Luis Fortuño authorized the referendum for November 6, 2012.[14]
Support[edit]
Most of the leadership of the New Progressive Party (PNP) vouched for a status referendum to be held. Governor Fortuño, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, and Jorge Santini, the Mayor of San Juan, all supported holding a status referendum. Originally, they presented a bill which divided the process into two separate referendums: one in August to vote whether or not to continue with the current status, and a second one in November to choose among several alternatives to the current status. This process was approved in a General Assembly of the party in October 2011.[15]
Jenniffer González, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, also supported the bill. In December 2011, the House approved the bill for a status referendum to be held in November 2012, along with the general elections.[16] The day before the elections, González said the opportunity to vote for statehood was "historic".[17]
Juan Dalmau Ramírez, gubernatorial candidate for the Puerto Rico Independence Party (PIP), defended the participation of supporters of Puerto Rican independence in the status referendum. Dalmau said that Puerto Rico "had a problem, which was the cancer of colonialism which doesn't allow us to develop ourselves."[18] He said that Puerto Ricans should take advantage of "every chance to overcome the colonial status" and criticized Alejandro García Padilla, President of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) for not supporting the process.[18]
Opposition[edit]
The status referendum has been criticized by some members of all political parties, including the New Progressive Party (PNP) that proposed it. Former Governor of Puerto Rico Pedro Rosselló (from the PNP) said that the choices in the ballot were confusing and might cause "an uncertainty that, in the end, will bring us more of the same: the status quo, continued."[19] Another former governor from the PNP, Carlos Romero Barceló, argued that "the content and language of the formulas will confuse the voter."[20]
Former Governor of Puerto Rico Rafael Hernández Colón, from the PPD, argued that the project "doesn't follow the recommendations of the White House report on [Puerto Rico] in either its content or its date." He criticized the definition used for the Estado Libre Asociado, which is the current status and the one his party defends.[20] According to El Nuevo Día (December 13, 2011), Hernández Colón would advocate that they follow the seventh recommendation of the White House report, and "work from the island to go, together with the White House, to Congress with a bill, in order to press them to establish real status options for the citizens to vote [on]."[21] Another member of the PPD, Senator Eduardo Bhatia, said that the status referendum was "a trick" and that the results would not have any value in Washington because it was an "illegitimate and badly designed ballot question."[22]
Some members of the minority parties agreed with the criticism. After a poll in a local newspaper presented contradicting results, Rogelio Figueroa, gubernatorial candidate and co-founder of the Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR), argued that the poll was proof the status referendum would not solve the status issue. He also said that the project was just a way for the two main parties to "perpetuate themselves".[23] Other leaders from the Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS), Worker's People Party (PPT), and the Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano (MINH) considered the process to be just an excuse of the government to "push supporters of statehood to vote" with some of them calling the referendum a "deceit to voters."[24]
Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status[edit]
The Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status recognizes that the authority under the U.S. Constitution to establish a permanent non-territorial status for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico rests with Congress. Although the current territorial status may continue so long as Congress desires, only two non-territorial options are recognized by the U.S. Constitution to establish a permanent status between the people of Puerto Rico and the Government of the United States.
One is statehood. Under this option, Puerto Rico would become the 51st State with standing equal to the other 50 States.
The other is independence. Under this option, Puerto Rico would become a separate, independent sovereign nation.
The report said that the democratic will of the Puerto Rican people was paramount for the future status of the territory. It suggested any change should begin with an expression from the people of Puerto Rico on whether to maintain current territorial status or establish a permanent non-territorial status with regard to the United States. It recommended that the will of people be ascertained in a way to provide clear guidance for future action by Congress.
The December 2005 Task Force made the following recommendations:
Congress within a year to provide for a federally sanctioned plebiscite in which the people of Puerto Rico will be asked to state whether they wish to remain a U.S. territory subject to the will of Congress or to pursue a Constitutionally viable path toward a permanent non-territorial status with the United States. Congress should provide for this plebiscite to occur on a date certain.
If the people of Puerto Rico elect to pursue a permanent non-territorial status, Congress should provide for an additional plebiscite allowing the people of Puerto Rico to choose between one of the two permanent non-territorial options. Once the people have selected one of the two options, Congress is encouraged to begin a process of transition toward that option.
If the people elect to remain as a territory, a plebiscite should be held periodically, as long as that status continues, to keep the US Congress informed of the people’s wishes.
President George H. W. Bush issued a memorandum on November 30, 1992, to heads of executive departments and agencies, establishing the current administrative relationship between the federal government and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. This memorandum directs all federal departments, agencies, and officials to treat Puerto Rico administratively as if it were a state insofar as doing so would not disrupt federal programs or operations.
The December 2007 Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status reiterated its prior 2005 recommendation that Congress provide for a federally sanctioned plebiscite in order that the people of Puerto Rico could express their wishes in relation to maintaining the current territorial status or to pursuing a constitutionally viable path toward a permanent non-territorial status. Congress should provide for this plebiscite to occur on a date certain.
On March 16, 2011, the President's Task Force on Political Status issued a third report[25] which concluded that "(u)nder the Commonwealth option, Puerto Rico would remain, as it is today, subject to the Territory Clause of the U.S. Constitution." It said that proposals for enhanced Commonwealth were unconstitutional in relation to the U.S. Constitution. Such proposals had provisions that would not be enforceable because a future Congress "could choose to alter that relationship unilaterally."
The Plebiscite was called by the elective representatives of the people of Puerto Rico on the options for the Island Status identified by the Task Force on Puerto Rico. The structure of the Plebiscite followed the findings and recommendations proposed by the March 2011 Task Force report.[25]
Ballot[edit]
The referendum posed two questions. Voters were asked first whether they agreed that Puerto Rico should continue to have its present form of territorial status. Regardless of how voters answered that question, they were asked secondly, to express their preference among the three non-territorial alternatives:[6][26]
statehood,
complete independence, or
nationhood in free association with the United States. Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau have such an agreement through the Compact of Free Association. It should be noted, that the Popular Democrat Party called this option "ELA Soberano", which to most Puerto Ricans familiar with the "commonwealth" sounded like the present commonwealth but with greater sovereignty. It was a deception by the separatist wing of the Popular Democrat Party. In English translation, those who voted for this actually voted for Sovereign Free Association, a form of Independence.
The ballot descriptions for the second part of the question were:[2]
Statehood: "Puerto Rico should be admitted as a state of the United States of America so that all United States citizens residing in Puerto Rico may have rights, benefits, and responsibilities equal to those enjoyed by all other citizens of the states of the Union, and be entitled to full representation in Congress and to participate in the Presidential elections, and the United States Congress would be required to pass any necessary legislation to begin the transition into Statehood." This option was identified by a star with the number 51 inside.
Independence: "Puerto Rico should become a sovereign nation, fully independent from the United States and the United States Congress would be required to pass any necessary legislation to begin the transition into independent nation of Puerto Rico." This option was identified by a map of Puerto Rico with the word "Free" written inside.
Sovereign Free Associated State: "Puerto Rico should adopt a status outside of the Territory Clause of the Constitution of the United States that recognizes the sovereignty of the People of Puerto Rico. The Sovereign Free Associated State would be based on a free and voluntary political association, the specific terms of which shall be agreed upon between the United States and Puerto Rico as sovereign nations. Such agreement would provide the scope of the jurisdictional powers that the People of Puerto Rico agree to confer to the United States and retain all other jurisdictional powers and authorities." This option was identified by the silhouette of a pitirre (Gray Kingbird).
Criticism[edit]
Critics said that voters who favor a developed version of the current status of Puerto Rico (a commonwealth which is part of the United States with internal self-government) had no alternatives on the ballot. As a result, leaders of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) instructed such voters to leave the second portion of the ballot blank, or to invalidate the ballot.[27]
Because there were almost 500,000 blank ballots, creating confusion as to the voters' true desire, Congress decided to ignore the vote.[28]
History professor Luis Agrait explained the result in this manner to CNN: "If you assume those blank votes are anti-statehood votes, the true result for the statehood option would be less than 50%."[29] Considered as a percentage of the total number of votes cast in the first ballot, 44% voted in favor of statehood on the second ballot.
Results[edit]
In this election, 2,402,941 voters were registered to vote; of these, 1,864,186 voted, giving the plebiscite a 78% stake. In the second part of the ballot, 480,918 voters left blank ballots, and another 18,357 ballots were rejected, with votes not awarded. This was the tally of the final vote:[3][4]
Part I[edit]
Choice
Votes
%
No 970,910 53.97
Yes 828,077 46.03
Valid votes 1,798,987 95.74
Invalid or blank votes 79,982 4.26
Total votes 1,878,969 100.00
Registered voters and turnout 2,402,941 78.19
Source: CEEPUR
Part II[edit]
Choice
Votes
%
Statehood 834,191 61.16
Free Association 454,768 33.34
Independence 74,895 5.49
Valid votes 1,363,854 72.59
Invalid or blank votes 515,115 27.41
Total votes 1,878,969 100.00
Registered voters and turnout 2,402,941 78.19
Source: CEEPUR
Reactions and aftermath[edit]
Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi and outgoing Governor Luis Fortuño have stated that they will present the results to the Obama administration and leaders of the United States Congress.[30] President Obama had said that he would support the will of Puerto Ricans if there is a clear majority.[31]
Governor-elect Alejandro García Padilla, who had been critical of the process, said that the consult was "unfair" and that it didn't offer clear results. He also said that "none of the options received most of the 50% within the emitted ballots," which included those from voters who did not choose any of the presented non-territorial options.[8] Wilda Rodriguez, a freelance journalist and political analyst, said that the votes for the various "anti-statehood" alternatives cancelled each other out. She conducted a poll and found that 53.64% of the electorate do not support statehood. The analyst Néstor Duprey said that, although the premise that statehood won could be mathematically correct, the "blank ballots can't be ignored because they are the product of a political intention" —referring to the PPD's campaign for voters to leave the second question unanswered.[7]
On November 8, 2012, the Washington, D.C. newspaper, The Hill, suggested that Congress will likely ignore the results of the referendum due to the circumstances behind the votes.[32] U.S. Congressman Luis Gutiérrez and U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, both of Puerto Rican ancestry, agreed with the statements.[33]
A few days after the referendum, Governor-elect Alejandro García Padilla wrote a letter to President Obama, asking him to reject the results because of their ambiguity.[34] On November 13, 2012, both the Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi and the current Governor Luis Fortuño wrote separate letters to President Obama urging him to begin legislation in favor of resolving the political status of Puerto Rico, in light of the results of the referendum.[35][36]
In early December, ad-lib comments by the White House spokesman were initially ambiguous.[37][38] Hours later, Luis Miranda, the White House's Hispanic Affairs spokesman, told Puerto Rico's El Nuevo Día that the Obama administration thought a majority of Puerto Ricans voted for statehood and supported Congress taking action.[39][40]
On December 11, 2012, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico enacted a concurrent resolution to "request the President and the Congress of the United States, to respond diligently and effectively, and to act on the demand of the people of Puerto Rico, as freely and democratically expressed in the plebiscite held on November 6, 2012, to end, once and for all, its current form of territorial status and to begin the process of admission of Puerto Rico as a State."[41][42]
The PNP organized pro-statehood marches which were held on March 2, 2013 in both Puerto Rico and on the mainland demanding that the U.S. government honor the results of the referendum.[43] Hundreds of people participated in the pro-statehood marches which took place in San Juan, Orlando, and Washington DC on the 96th anniversary of the Jones Act, the 1917 law which gave Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship.[44][45]
On April 10, 2013, it was announced that the White House would seek $2.5 million to hold another referendum as part of Obama's 2014 budget proposal (the money would fund both voter education and the plebiscite itself).[46][47] This next referendum would be the first Puerto Rican status referendum to be financed by the federal government.[46][47] Leaders of the PNP (party in favor of statehood) claimed that the announcement meant that the White House upheld the results of the 2012 referendum, while the PDP (party in favor of maintaining the status quo) claimed that the announcement meant the White House rejected the 2012 referendum.[46]
On May 15, 2013, non-voting Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi introduced the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act (H.R. 2000) to the House of Representatives, which if passed would ask Puerto Rican voters if they want Puerto Rico to be admitted as a state of the United States.[48][49] If the Puerto Rican people support statehood, the bill would direct the president to introduce legislation within 180 days to admit Puerto Rico as a state of the union.[48][49] Pierluisi said that his bill is "distinct" but "consistent" with the White House’s proposal for a Puerto Rican vote.[48][49]
On June 17, 2013, Pierluisi said during a testimony before the U.N. Special Committee on Decolonization that if the Obama administration refuses to act he will raise his case for Puerto Rican self-determination before the United Nations or any other appropriate international forum.[50] Pierluisi said that the current territorial status has lost its democratic legitimacy and that the only paths forward are statehood or nationhood.[50][51]
On July 10, 2013, A U.S. House subcommittee approved a budget bill which includes Obama's requested $2.5 million for a new Puerto Rican plebiscite, though the bill’s ultimate fate is unclear because the Senate is pushing for a related yet different bill.[47][52] One week later, on July 17, 2013, the House Appropriations Committee also approved the bill.[53]
It was reported on July 10, 2013, that Pierluisi had secured the support of at least 87 members of Congress across partisan lines for the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act.[47] It was reported on July 24, 2013, that this number has increased to an even 100 congressional supporters.[54] On August 6, 2013, reports put bill sponsorship at 120 members, giving it more supporters than 97.6% of all House bills and the fourth highest in Republican sponsorship.[55]
On August 1, 2013, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on Puerto Rico's status as a direct result of the 2012 plebiscite vote and invited Governor Alejandro García Padilla, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, and pro-independence supporter Rubén Berríos to give testimony and answer questions from the committee.[56]
The 2014 budget bill included $2.5 million in funding for a future vote in Puerto Rico's political status. This referendum could be held at any time, as there was no deadline attached to the funds.[57][58]
The Puerto Rican status referendum, 2017 was held on June 11, 2017 with 97% voting for statehood amid historically low turnout.
See also[edit]
United States portal
Puerto Rico portal
District of Columbia statehood movement
51st state
Sovereigntism (Puerto Rico)
Political status of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (proposed state)
Special Committee on Decolonization
Proposed political status for Puerto Rico
Statehood movement in Puerto Rico
Additional reading[edit]
Report By the President's Task Force On Puerto Rico's Status (December 2005) - President William J. Clinton.
Report By the President's Task Force On Puerto Rico's Status (December 2007) - President George W. Bush.
Report By the President's Task Force On Puerto Rico's Status (March 2011) - President Barack Obama.
Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress - Congressional Research Service (CRS Report)
Puerto Rico's Political Status and the 2012 Plebiscite: Background and Key Questions – Congressional Research Service (CRS Report)
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Article 2.003(54), Puerto Rico Election Code for the 21st Century, Act No. 78 of 2011 (in English). Retrieved on August 10, 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b "Papeleta Modelo Plebiscito 2012" (PDF). CEEPUR.
^ Jump up to: a b "CEE Event - CONDICIÓN POLÍTICA TERRITORIAL ACTUAL - Resumen" (in Spanish). Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico. 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
^ Jump up to: a b "CEE Event - OPCIONES NO TERRITORIALES - Resumen" (in Spanish). Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico. 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
Jump up ^ "García Padilla exhorta a dejar la segunda pregunta en blanco: El candidato por la gobernación del PPD también pide que voten sí en la primera pregunta del plebiscito". El Nuevo Día. November 2, 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Pierluisi, Pedro (February 17, 2012). "Puerto Rico Status Referendum is Historic". JURIST. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Del Valle, Sara (November 8, 2012). "Intenso debate sobre triunfo de la estadidad". El Nuevo Día.
^ Jump up to: a b Cortés, Ricardo (November 8, 2012). "No hay tiempo que perder". El Nuevo Día.
Jump up ^ "Puerto Rico State Electoral Commission: Official Results for the 1967 Political-Status Plebiscite". Retrieved May 1, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Puerto Rico State Electoral Commission: Official Results for the 1993 Political-Status Plebiscite". Retrieved May 1, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Elecciones en Puerto Rico: Consulta de Resultados". Eleccionespuertorico.org. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
Jump up ^ "Special Committee on Decolonization Calls on United States, in Consensus Text, to Speed up Process Allowing Puerto Rico to Exercise Self-Determination: Nearly 25 Petitioners Underscore Gravity of Situation on Island, Buckling Under Economic Strain; Vigorous Opposition to Death Penalty Also Expressed". 2011-06-20. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
Jump up ^ United Nations. "Non-Self-Governing Territories". Retrieved 2 June 2012.
Jump up ^ "Puerto Rico approves political status referendum". Yahoo News. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
Jump up ^ Rosario, Frances (October 30, 2011). "Asamblea PNP aprueba resolución para apoyar plebiscito". El Nuevo Día.
Jump up ^ Santiago, Yaritza (December 21, 2011). "Cámara aprueba proyecto de status". El Nuevo Día.
Jump up ^ Vega, María Ivette (November 6, 2012). "Emocionada Jenniffer González por votar en elecciones históricas". El Nuevo Día.
^ Jump up to: a b "Dalmau dice que los independentistas deben apoyar el plebiscito". PIP Official website. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
Jump up ^ Rosario, Frances (September 27, 2012). "Rosselló esta confundido con alternativas del plebiscito". El Nuevo Día.
^ Jump up to: a b Santiago, Yaritza (December 14, 2011). "Doble freno a consulta de status". El Nuevo Día.
Jump up ^ "Hernández Colón descartaría el plebiscito de status". El Nuevo Día. December 13, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Bhatia dice que el plebiscito es un truco". El Nuevo Día. December 20, 2011.
Jump up ^ Figueroa, Alex (October 10, 2012). "Rogelio Figueroa dice que el plebiscito es un chiji chija". El Nuevo Día.
Jump up ^ Delgado, José A. (October 17, 2012). "La independencia ante eel plebiscito". El Nuevo Día.
^ Jump up to: a b "Report By the President's Task Force On Puerto Rico's Status" (PDF). whitehouse.gov. March 2011. pp. 26–27. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
Jump up ^ R. Sam Garrett (October 2, 2012). "Puerto Rico's Political Status and the 2012 Plebiscite: Background and Key Questions" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
Jump up ^ Colón, José (October 25, 2012). "Los escenarios del plebiscito de noviembre: terreno movedizo". Diálogo Digital. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
Jump up ^ Wyss, Jim (January 26, 2017). "Will Puerto Rico become the newest star on the American flag?". Miami Herald. Miami Herald. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
Jump up ^ Castillo, Mariano (November 8, 2012). "Puerto Ricans favor statehood for the first time". CNN.
Jump up ^ Fox, Ben; Coto, Danica (2012-11-07). "Puerto Rico Ousts Governor, Backs US Statehood". Retrieved 2012-11-07.
Jump up ^ "Puerto Ricans opt for statehood in referendum". USA Today. 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
Jump up ^ Kasperowicz, Pete (November 8, 2012). "Congress expected to ignore Puerto Rico's vote for statehood". The Hill.
Jump up ^ "El Congreso no hará caso a los resultados del plebiscito". El Nuevo Día. November 9, 2012.
Jump up ^ García Padilla, Alejandro (November 9, 2012). "Alejandro García Padilla letter to Barack Obama".
Jump up ^ Pierluisi, Pedro (November 13, 2012). "Pedro Pierluisi letter to Barack Obama" (PDF).
Jump up ^ Governor of Puerto Rico Letter to the President - Official Results of the 2012 Puerto Rico Political Status Plebiscite
Jump up ^ Delgado, José (December 3, 2012. Quote=Jay Carney said, "I think the outcome was a little less clear than that because of the process itself."). "Casa Blanca dice que no hubo un mandato a favor de la estadidad". El Nuevo Día. Check date values in: |date= (help)
Jump up ^ "White House: Status vote not 'clear'". Caribbean Business. December 3, 2012.
Jump up ^ Planas, Roque (December 4, 2012). "Puerto Rico Status: White House Gives Mixed Signals On Statehood". Huffington Post. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
Jump up ^ Delgado, José (December 4, 2012). "Casa Blanca: estadidad obtuvo mayoría en la segunda pregunta". El Nuevo Día. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
Jump up ^ Rivera-Schatz, Thomas; Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer (December 11, 2012). "Concurrent Resolution" (PDF). Puerto Rico Report. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
Jump up ^ Resolucion Concurrente del Senado 67
Jump up ^ "Puerto Rico, The 51st State? New Progressive Party Organizing Marches To Protest Political Status". Huffington Post. February 16, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Statehooders rally in DC, Orlando, PR". Caribbean Business. March 2, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Hundreds of Puerto Ricans march for statehood". Ynetnews. March 2, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c Coto, Danica (April 10, 2013). "US Seeks To Fund New Puerto Rico Status Plebiscite". Associated Press. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c d "Plebiscite funding gains ground in Congress". Caribbean Business. July 10, 2013. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
^ Jump up to: a b c "Bill in U.S. Congress seeks vote on Puerto Rican statehood". Reuters. May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Pierluisi Introduces Historic Legislation". Puerto Rico Report. May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Pedro Pierluisi (2013). Pedro Pierluisi, before the U.N. Special Committee on Decolonization. YouTube. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
Jump up ^ Planas, Roque (June 18, 2013). "Puerto Rico Statehood Fight Headed To United Nations, If White House Doesn't Act: Pierluisi (Video)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
Jump up ^ Wasson, Erik (July 10, 2013). "House panel approves funding for Puerto Rico status vote". The Hill. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Fiscal Year 2014 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill Approved by Committee". United States House Committee on Appropriations. July 17, 2013. Archived from the original on July 24, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
Jump up ^ "PR status issue heats up on Capitol Hill". Caribbean Business. July 24, 2013. Archived from the original on July 24, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Democrat's Statehood Bill Fourth Highest in Republican Sponsorship". Puerto Rico Report. August 6, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Statements from U.S. Senate Hearing on Puerto Rico Political Status Plebiscite". 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
Jump up ^ "U.S. approves funds for referendum on Puerto Rico's status". 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
Jump up ^ "Make room for 51st star? Spending bill includes $2.5 million for vote on Puerto RIco statehood". 2014-01-22. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
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It's Been Awhile
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"It's Been Awhile"
Single by Staind
from the album Break the Cycle
Released
March 20, 2001
Format
CD single
Recorded
2001
Genre
Post-grunge[1]
Length
4:25
Label
Elektra
Songwriter(s)
Aaron Lewis
Mike Mushok
Johnny April
Jon Wysocki
Producer(s)
Josh Abraham
Staind singles chronology
"Home"
(2000) "It's Been Awhile"
(2001) "Outside"
(2001)
"Home"
(2000) "It's Been Awhile"
(2001) "Outside"
(2001)
"It's Been Awhile" is a song recorded by American rock band Staind. It was released in March 2001 as the lead single from their album Break the Cycle.
The song is Staind's most successful and is their best-known song, becoming a No. 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100,[2] their only song to reach the top 10. The song spent a second-best 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart[2] (behind only "Loser" by 3 Doors Down) and a then-record 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart,[2] beaten in 2007 by Foo Fighters with "The Pretender".
Contents
[hide]
1 Content
2 Reception
3 Track listing
4 Music video
5 Charts
5.1 Year-end charts
5.2 Certifications
6 References
7 External links
Content[edit]
The narrator takes stock of his life and refers to his addiction and failed relationships. Lewis called the song "an acknowledgement of the past."[3]
Reception[edit]
Eric Aiese of Billboard reviewed the song favourably, saying that the group handles the ballad well and packs "a lot of punch into the cut." Aiese said that the song "may be the group's greatest splash yet."[4]
Track listing[edit]
"It's Been Awhile" (LP Clean Edit)
"It's Been Awhile" (Acoustic Version)
"Suffocate" (LP Version)
Music video[edit]
The music video begins with Aaron Lewis going through some old photographs, one of which happens to be the picture of his wife. The video then switches between him writing a letter to his wife and the band performing casually in a room full of candles. There are brief shots of Aaron alone in the streets and looking at himself in the mirror while having second thoughts. Throughout the video, Aaron is seen continuously smoking cigarettes. At the end of the video, one of those cigarettes falls onto the floor and burns down his apartment.
The video was directed by Limp Bizkit frontman, Fred Durst.
Charts[edit]
Chart (2001–02)
Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5]
24
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6]
54
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7]
46
Germany (Official German Charts)[8]
43
Ireland (IRMA)[9]
18
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10]
7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11]
23
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12]
79
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[13]
15
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[14]
5
U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[14]
1
U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks[14]
1
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[14]
3
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks[14]
6
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks[14]
4
Year-end charts[edit]
Chart (2001)
Position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 50
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[16] 14
Certifications[edit]
Country
Certification
Date
Sales certified
Australia[17] Gold 2002 35,000 +
United States[18] Gold 2001 500,000 +
Preceded by
"Duck and Run" by 3 Doors Down Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks number-one single
April 28, 2001 – September 8, 2001 Succeeded by
"How You Remind Me" by Nickelback
Preceded by
"Drive" by Incubus Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single
April 28, 2001 – August 11, 2001 Succeeded by
"Fat Lip" by Sum 41
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Geffen, Sasha (October 7, 2013). "In Defense of Post-Grunge Music". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b c Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 595.
Jump up ^ Pesselnick, Jill (June 2, 2001). "The Modern Age". Google Books. Billboard Magazine. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
Jump up ^ Aiese, Eric (May 12, 2001). Google Books. Billboard Magazine https://books.google.com/books?id=FikEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48&dq=staind+it%27s+been+awhile+review&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjLsNum4pLPAhVCGB4KHehdAVkQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=staind%20it's%20been%20awhile%20review&f=false. Retrieved September 15, 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
Jump up ^ "Australian-charts.com – Staind – It's Been Awhile". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Austriancharts.at – Staind – It's Been Awhile" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Ultratop.be – Staind – It's Been Awhile" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Musicline.de – Staind Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
Jump up ^ Search for Irish peak positions Archived 2011-10-12 at WebCite
Jump up ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Staind" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Staind – It's Been Awhile". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Swisscharts.com – Staind – It's Been Awhile". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Chart Stats - Staind (UK)". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Staind > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
Jump up ^ "End of Year Charts 2001". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
Jump up ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 2001". Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
Jump up ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
Jump up ^ "RIAA certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
External links[edit]
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
[hide]
v
t
e
Staind
Aaron Lewis
Mike Mushok
Johnny April
Jon Wysocki
Sal Giancarelli
Studio albums
Tormented
Dysfunction
Break the Cycle
14 Shades of Grey
Chapter V
The Illusion of Progress
Staind
Compilation albums
The Singles: 1996–2006
Video albums
The Videos
Singles
"Just Go"
"Mudshovel"
"It's Been Awhile"
"Outside"
"Fade"
"For You"
"Price to Play"
"So Far Away"
"How About You"
"Right Here"
"Everything Changes"
"King of All Excuses"
"Believe"
"This Is It"
"Not Again"
"Eyes Wide Open"
"Now"
"Something to Remind You"
Related articles
Discography
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It%27s_Been_Awhile&oldid=829024365"
Categories:
2001 singles
Staind songs
Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one singles
Billboard Alternative Songs number-one singles
2000 songs
Elektra Records singles
Songs written by Aaron Lewis
Song recordings produced by Josh Abraham
Songs written by Mike Mushok
Rock ballads
Hidden categories:
Pages with citations lacking titles
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Singlechart usages for Australia
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This page was last edited on 6 March 2018, at 04:45.
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