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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 14, No. 3. April 5, 1951

False Solidarity

False Solidarity

Another critic of the N.S.A. for its omissions was the delegate for Porto Rico, Jose Luiz Gonzales. He described his countrymen as "the most exploited people in the Western Hemisphere," Porto Rico having been a colony of the United States itself for 52 years. His story was, like that of so many other colonnial students, one of poverty, ill-health, utterly inadequate facilities for education, medical treatment, housing etc. He claims that there are 500,000 Porto Ricans without reasonable adequate housing and an average of 300,000 children of school age receiving, no schooling, while millions of dollars are being spent on local naval bases. He spoke of a strong movement for national independence in which students take an active part. Speaking with great feeling, he said that Mr. West's claim that the N.S.A. supported national liberation movements and students struggling against colonialism was a lie. He then outlined a recent dispute between students and the authorities when a number of students were killed. He said that the N.S.A. had been appealed to for support in this case, but that it had pronounced that "the blame was equally divided" and had declined any sort of assistance to the students. The delegate concluded, "In the sacred name of one hundred people of Porto Rico who died in the fight for national independence, I reject the false solidarity of Mr. West"