Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana ( en, Citizens' Victory Movement, generally abbreviated as MVC) is a
Puerto Rican political party founded in 2019. It ran in the
2020 general elections on an anti-colonial platform, proposing a
constitutional assembly
A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...
to determine a final decision regarding the relationship between the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
and
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
.
History
The ''Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana'' was a result of an attempt by some minority parties, such as the
''Movimiento Unión Soberanista'' (MUS) and the
Working People's Party (PPT), political organizations, namely the
Hostosian National Independence Movement
The Hostosian National Independence Movement ( es, Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano, MINH) is a leftist and pro-independence organization in Puerto Rico. As of 2015, Julio Muriente is known to be the leader.
History
The MINH was ...
(MINH), and other prominent political figures, to establish an "ample front", with conversations predating
Hurricane Maria
Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affec ...
.
Notable individuals who advocated for its formation were
Ana Irma Rivera Lassén, former-president of the
Bar Association of Puerto Rico
The Bar Association of Puerto Rico (BAPR) or ''Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico (CAPR)'' is the bar association of Puerto Rico. It is the oldest professional association in Puerto Rico, and among the oldest bar associations in the world.
The ...
, then-independent Representative,
Manuel Natal Albelo
Manuel Natal Albelo (born March 25, 1986) is a former member of the 29th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. Natal is currently affiliated with the Citizen's Victory Movement party after being previously affiliated with the Popular Democra ...
, ''
Claridad
''Claridad'' ("Clarity") is a Spanish-language weekly newspaper based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was founded in June 1959. The paper served as the official publication of the Puerto Rican independence movement and later the Puerto Rican So ...
''-publisher and urban planner José “Tato” Rivera Santana, and union leader Roberto Pagán.
Additionally, early proponents included former-gubernatorial candidates, who were
Alexandra Lúgaro
Alexandra Lúgaro Aponte (born June 10, 1981) is a Puerto Rican attorney, businesswoman, and politician who was a candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico during the 2016 and 2020 elections, finishing in third place both times. In 2016, running as a ...
, who ran under an independent ticket in the
2016 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election
The 2016 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor of Puerto Rico. The incumbent Popular Democratic Governor Alejandro García Padilla did not run for re-election. The election was won by Ricardo Ro ...
, receiving 11.13% of votes, and
Rafael Bernabe Riefkohl
Rafael Bernabe Riefkohl (born 1959) is a Puerto Rican historian, sociologist, professor and politician. He is currently an elected member of the Puerto Rico Senate representing the Citizen’s Victory Movement. He was the candidate for governor f ...
, who ran in the
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
and 2016 gubernatorial elections, running under the PPT and receiving 0.098% and 0.034% votes, respectively.
On Tuesday, March 5, 2019, Rivera Lassén, registered the party logo as well as the intention of forming a new party at the
Puerto Rico State Commission on Elections
The Puerto Rico State Commission on Elections—Spanish: ''Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico'' (CEEPR or CEE-PUR)—is the government agency of the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico that oversees and manages elections ...
.
Rivera Lassén submitted the sworn declaration, however, the domain name was registered by a company incorporated by Lúgaro and her mother.
When made public, the party logo generated controversy, due to its similarity to the one used by the
United Socialist Party of Venezuela
The United Socialist Party of Venezuela ( es, Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela, PSUV) is a left-wing to far-left socialist political party which has been the ruling party of Venezuela since 2010. It was formed from a merger of some of the p ...
. Afterwards, the social media accounts of people linked, most of whom hailed from the
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the s ...
and
sovereign movements, to the party started replacing the logo on their social media's
profile pictures.
The announcement of the formation of the party was welcomed by then-
Governor of Puerto Rico
The governor of Puerto Rico ( es, gobernador de Puerto Rico) is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and commander-in-chief of the Puerto Rico National Guard.
The governor has a duty to enforce local laws, to conv ...
,
Ricardo Rosselló
Ricardo Antonio Rosselló Nevares (; born March 7, 1979) is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 2017 to 2019. He resigned on August 2, 2019, after protests related to the Telegramgate scandal. He is the ...
, in stark contrast with then-
President of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD),
Aníbal José Torres, who had previously stated that the PPD was the only party that could "face the "monster" of the
NP" Nevertheless, early on, the MVC had not made public which individuals would be chosen as future candidates for the 2020 elections, instead concentrating on collecting the close to sixty-thousand signatures needed to become a registered party.
Early supporters, who tended to publish the party logo on their social media as an expression of their endorsement, included Larry Emil Alicea Rodríguez, former-president of the Puerto Rico Professional Social Workers College, lawyer and
2016 PPT candidate for
Resident Commissioner
Resident commissioner was or is an official title of several different types of commissioners, who were or are representatives of any level of government. Historically, they were appointed by the British Crown in overseas protectorates (such ...
Mariana Nogales Molinelli
Mariana Nogales Molinelli (born October 26, 1973) is a Puerto Rican lawyer, politician, and social activist. In 2020, she was elected to the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico for the Citizens' Victory Movement (MVC) party. She had previo ...
, as well as political sciences professor and author, Manuel S. Almeida.
Prior to the constituting assembly, PNP representative
Jorge “Georgie” Navarro Alicea, alleged that then-
mayor of San Juan,
Carmen Yulín Cruz
Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto (born February 25, 1963) is a Puerto Rican politician who served as mayor of the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico from 2013 to 2020. From 2009 through 2013, Cruz served in the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico.
Earl ...
(PPD), "would mobilize municipal resources and employees
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mech ...
night" to the assembly, to be held at the
Teatro Tapia, owned by the municipal government of San Juan. Yulín Cruz, who had been strongly suspected of her intent to join the MVC, inquired at what time he had stated that and if he was in an drunken state. Additionally, she confirmed that she had accepted meetings with the MVC and expressed her support for new political movements, even though she would not be joining them.
At an assembly held at 7:00 p.m. in the Teatro Tapia in
Old San Juan
Old San Juan ( es, Viejo San Juan) is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the islet of San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Catedral, Marina, Mercado, San Cristóbal, and San Francisco sub-barrios (s ...
on Monday, March 11, 2019, the party was founded.
The ceremony, which was moderated by Rivera Lassen, was
standing-room only
An event is described as standing-room only when it is so well-attended that all of the chairs in the venue are occupied, leaving only flat spaces of pavement or flooring for other attendees to stand, at least those spaces not restricted by occup ...
and some people had to be left out. The doors opened at 6:30 p.m., and the queue "extended beyond the sidewalk." Attendees received a document titled "Citizen Victory Urgent Agenda", which included part of the party platform and a summary of the purpose of the party.
After the ceremony, in which Rivera Lassen and Lúgaro on stage, the leaders of the newly-formed party, which included Bernabe Riefkhol, Natal Albelo, held a press conference, in which Lúgaro rejected the idea of a "
wasted vote In electoral systems, a wasted vote is any vote which is not for an elected candidate or, more broadly, a vote that does not help to elect a candidate. The narrower meaning includes ''lost votes'', being only those votes which are for a losing candi ...
," with Rivera Lassen stating that "
vote for
VCis a vote for the future of Puerto Rico" and Natal Albelo commenting that "in this movement, the action counts, not the reaction."
At its founding assembly, the party platform stated that the MVC was founded "to attend to three urgent duties of our time:" fighting corruption and restoring Puerto Rico's governmental institutions; promoting social, economic, and fiscal reconstruction; and decolonization of Puerto Rico.
MVC also calls for a constitutional assembly to choose a decolonization plan that results in statehood, full independence, or a free association status with the United States. In economic terms, the party's platform known as the "Urgent Agenda" places emphasis on strengthening
labor rights
Labor rights or workers' rights are both legal rights and human rights relating to labor relations between workers and employers. These rights are codified in national and international labor and employment law. In general, these rights in ...
and opposing
privatization
Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...
.
The 2019
Telegramgate
Telegramgate, also known as Chatgate or RickyLeaks, was a political scandal involving Ricardo Rosselló, then Governor of Puerto Rico, which began on July 8, 2019, with the leak of hundreds of pages of a group chat on the messaging application ...
scandal that implicated the ruling
New Progressive Party helped define the focus of the MVC on government reform.
Officials
Senate
*
Rafael Bernabe Riefkohl
Rafael Bernabe Riefkohl (born 1959) is a Puerto Rican historian, sociologist, professor and politician. He is currently an elected member of the Puerto Rico Senate representing the Citizen’s Victory Movement. He was the candidate for governor f ...
''(2020-Present)''
*
Ana Irma Rivera Lassén ''(2020-Present)''
Representatives
*
José Bernardo Márquez
José Bernardo Márquez (born September 11, 1989) is a Puerto Rican attorney, activist, and politician. He was elected to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in the 2020 general election, for the Citizens' Victory Movement party.
Biograp ...
''(2020-Present)''
[''Betito Márquez sobre su hijo, el nuevo representante del MVC: "Él brilla por luz propia": José Bernardo Márquez es uno de los dos legisladores por acumulación del nuevo partido que hasta ahora entran a la Cámara.''](_blank)
El Nuevo Dia. 4 November 2020. Accessed 14 November 2020.
*
Mariana Nogales Molinelli
Mariana Nogales Molinelli (born October 26, 1973) is a Puerto Rican lawyer, politician, and social activist. In 2020, she was elected to the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico for the Citizens' Victory Movement (MVC) party. She had previo ...
''(2020-Present)''
Founding members
*
Rafael Bernabe Riefkohl
Rafael Bernabe Riefkohl (born 1959) is a Puerto Rican historian, sociologist, professor and politician. He is currently an elected member of the Puerto Rico Senate representing the Citizen’s Victory Movement. He was the candidate for governor f ...
, historian and 2016
PPT candidate for governor
*
Edwin Cornier Colón, Aguadillan municipal legislator and youngest elected individual in Puerto Rico
*
Alexandra Lúgaro
Alexandra Lúgaro Aponte (born June 10, 1981) is a Puerto Rican attorney, businesswoman, and politician who was a candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico during the 2016 and 2020 elections, finishing in third place both times. In 2016, running as a ...
, lawyer,
2016 and
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...
candidate for governor (2016 as an independent)
*
Mariana Nogales Molinelli
Mariana Nogales Molinelli (born October 26, 1973) is a Puerto Rican lawyer, politician, and social activist. In 2020, she was elected to the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico for the Citizens' Victory Movement (MVC) party. She had previo ...
, lawyer and 2016 PPT candidate for
resident commissioner
Resident commissioner was or is an official title of several different types of commissioners, who were or are representatives of any level of government. Historically, they were appointed by the British Crown in overseas protectorates (such ...
*
Ana Irma Rivera Lassén, former head of the
Bar Association of Puerto Rico
The Bar Association of Puerto Rico (BAPR) or ''Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico (CAPR)'' is the bar association of Puerto Rico. It is the oldest professional association in Puerto Rico, and among the oldest bar associations in the world.
The ...
*
Manuel Natal Albelo
Manuel Natal Albelo (born March 25, 1986) is a former member of the 29th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. Natal is currently affiliated with the Citizen's Victory Movement party after being previously affiliated with the Popular Democra ...
, former member of the
Partido Popular Democratico and former representative in the
29th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
The 29th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the 17th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico and will meet from January 14, 2013, to January 8, 2017. All members were elected in the General Elections of 2012. The House ha ...
Election Results
Governor Election Result
Resident Commissioner Election Results
Legislative Elections
References
External links
*
{{Portal bar, Puerto Rico, Politics
Political parties in Puerto Rico
Political parties established in 2019
2019 establishments in Puerto Rico