Protesters affiliated with the Republican Party of Puerto Rico (PRPR) stormed into the state assembly held at the Caribe Hilton hotel in San Juan earlier today. Their actions were fueled by their rejection of the New Progressive Party (PNP), which they believe does not truly represent conservative values.
The group, sporting t-shirts with slogans encouraging a departure from the PNP, accused the PRPR leadership of being Republican in Name Only (RINOs), a term commonly used by American Republicans to describe those whose ideologies they do not consider appropriately conservative. Many of the protesters were disaffected members of the community who felt alienated by the PNP.
Tensions arose between the protesters and ushers at the event, as the former were not allowed to approach the stage during speeches by PRPR state president, Ángel Cintrón García, and party president emeritus, Jenniffer González Colón.
Nelson Albino, the president of the Hispanic Republican National Assembly (RHNA) in Puerto Rico, who was among the disgruntled protesters, shared his disappointment with the direction the PNP has taken. He explained, “The people who have t-shirts are people who belonged to and were active within the PNP, but since the PNP moved away from conservative values, they have decided to leave the PNP. I include myself in that group. I understood that the PNP was a conservative party with family values, but now it has gone towards the liberal left-wing. We understand that the PNP is not an option for conservatives in Puerto Rico.”
The final day of the Republican assembly also featured the participation of Drew McKissick, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and president of the Republican Party in South Carolina. The disaffected protesters called upon McKissick to recognize that the PRPR’s leadership is colluding with the Democratic government of Pedro Pierluisi and characterized them as elitist.
Meanwhile, Nelson Albino highlighted the recent disaffiliation of San Sebastián Mayor Javier Jiménez Pérez from the PNP and his subsequent entry into the Dignity Project. Albino praised the young party’s efforts in addressing conservative concerns within Puerto Rico’s political landscape, stating, “Among local parties, ironically, an emerging party is the one that has become the representative of conservative values. Based on their actions, it has been the Dignity Project, through its legislators. Many of the Republicans who were active in the PNP have taken the step, as did the mayor of San Sebastián, because they understand that the PNP does not represent them.”
As tensions rise within Puerto Rico’s political parties, it remains to be seen how this internal conflict within the Republican Party of Puerto Rico will impact future political dynamics on the island.