Introduction

Victoria Ciudadana was created to tend to what we consider are the three most urgent issues currently endangering Puerto Rican society: rescuing our public institutions; rethinking the social, economic, environmental, and fiscal policies of the current government; and the decolonization of Puerto Rico.

We are a citizen’s movement composed of a diverse group of people from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and organizations. We celebrate diversity and a plurality of opinions.

Anyone who is aligned with this Urgent Agenda, as well as Victoria Ciudadana’s Code of Ethics can participate in the Movement — there are no requirements to take any oaths of loyalty or pledge allegiance to any political party. People who comprise the Puerto Rican Diaspora can also participate in Victoria Ciudadana. 

The following principles and objectives are considered fundamental points of consensus for anyone who wants to become a part of our Movement. These are the basic issues and ideas that require our uncompromising commitment as we present our vision for our Nation.

Rescuing our Public Institutions

Eradicating Corruption

1. Swift and comprehensive enforcement of anti-corruption laws
2. Legislation to prevent ‘revolving-door’ style business arrangements
3. Public financing of all elections, in order to curb the influence of money in politics

Reforming our Electoral System

1. Proportional representation
2. Runoff elections and/or ranked-choice voting system
3. Citizen initiatives
4. Recall referendums
5. Fusion candidates

Rethinking the social, economic, environmental, and fiscal policies of the current government

Rights

1. Restoring and expanding worker’s rights that have been curtailed by past governments
2. Recognizing the right to work with dignity and adequate conditions (for example: fair wages, humane work schedules, sensible vacation policies, etc)
3. Instituting a minimum wage that allows all workers to live above the poverty line
4. Enforcing and expanding policies designed to eradicate discrimination and harassment
5. Instituting base salaries above the minimum wage in sectors of the economy that can sustain it 

Organization

1. Incentivizing the organization of workers into unions, both in the public and the private sector
2. Remove obstacles to unionizing — at a national level in the Judicial Branch as well as locally in Municipalities
3. Promoting the organization of all sectors (communities, students, guilds, professional) as a fundamental feature of a democratic society

The defense of our public goods and services

1. We reject the current policy of privatizing essential services and public goods, as it only serves to submit these basic services to the dynamics of competition and the goal of generating private profits
2. A comprehensive government reform, with participation from the labor sector and the general citizenry, with the goal of attaining better services and efficiencies

Public Education

1. Roll back the privatization of our schools, and provide the appropriate budget for our public education system
2. A comprehensive educational reform based on the needs of school communities
3. Implement educational programs based on human rights, and with a gender perspective
4. Encourage the arts and sports, which are a vital component of our cultural development
5. Respect and re-implement the budget formula for the University of Puerto Rico codified in our constitution
6. A university reform which guarantees autonomy and the democratization of the governance of the University of Puerto Rico

Pensions

1. Recognize pensions as an acquired right
2. Prioritize the payment of pensions over other public expenditures

Healthcare

1. A universal health insurance system (otherwise known as ‘single-payer’) which guarantees access to health services for everyone
2. A health-based approach to the treatment of addiction and substance abuse

Taxes

1. A taxation system based on the principle of ‘who has more, should contribute more’

Economic Development

1. We’re for just, sustainable, diverse and dynamic economic development; food sovereignty; ending the practice of offshoring profits, and and a revision of incentive policies
2. Adoption of the appropriate approaches to each sector: public enterprises, cooperatives, workers collectives, trusts, small businesses, or private enterprises
3. Regulation and direction of foreign investment based on development objectives (labor, environmental, reinvestment, local sourcing, knowledge and technology  transfers)
4. We will demand that the US Congress, as the entity in part responsible for our current crisis, allocate resources for our economic development

The Environment

1. We consider the protection and stewardship of our natural resources as a central component of all economic, urban, industrial, agrarian, or infrastructure project
2. The implementation of energy, urban, transportation, and infrastructure policies geared toward protecting our natural resources
3. Protection of watersheds, farmland, and coasts
4. An accelerated transition toward renewable energy, and the closure of coal-based power generation installations
5. A zero-waste policy based on the principles of reduction, reuse, and recycling

Our People over the Debt

1. Define and codify essential services and social guarantees in our Constitution, in order to prioritize them over the payment of debt
2. Place a moratorium on debt payments until such time as a comprehensive,  citizen-led audit of all debts can be completed
3. Canceling illegal or illegitimate debt
4. Renegotiation of debt, prioritizing social guarantees and essential services

The Financial Oversight and Management Board

1. We reject the Financial Oversight and Management Board and its austerity policies, which endanger the basic needs of our society as well as our economic development
2. We’ll put a stop to using public funds to subsidize the operations of the Fiscal Control Board

The Decolonization of Puerto Rico

1. We propose a process that guarantees equal representation of each of the decolonizing options available: statehood, independence, and free association
2. We support a Constitutional Status Assembly as the vehicle through which to achieve a true process of decolonization