wfn.org | UCC Executive Council encourages Puerto Rico churches

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

UCC Executive Council encourages Puerto Rico churches

> Written by Gregg Brekke
> October 19, 2009

Thousands of protestors flooded the streets of San Juan in the largest
public gathering in Puerto Rican history. The October 15 strike was in
response to governor Luis Fortuño's decision to lay off 16,720 public  workers.
Ricardo Figueroa photo / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The UCC's Executive Council issued a letter of solidarity October 17
in support of the coalition protesting massive government layoffs in
Puerto Rico.

"We join with the Council of Churches of Puerto Rico and all its
member churches to demand the reinstatement of thousands of
governmental workers who have lost their livelihood," the letter said.
It is addressed to Executive Secretary the Rev. Angel Luis Rivera at
the Council of Churches of Puerto Rico . The letter was affirmed by
the entire Executive Council and includes Chairman Pierson Kemp and
General Minister and President the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black as signatories.

A letter received earlier in the week from former Global Ministries
missionary, Carmen Alicia (Ali) Nebot, alerted the Executive Council
to growing dissatisfaction in Puerto Rico and the likelihood of a
protest. She noted that the government had threatened to declare the
coalition a terrorist organization and apply Patriot Act policies to the  group.

"It is my conviction that as a Christian and believer in justice my
place is here accompanying the people," Nebot's letter stated. "... to
be a witness on behalf of the UCC [to] the people's suffering and
their courage in this struggle."

The New York Times reports that the public sector of Puerto Rico's
economy employs roughly 25 percent of all workers. The 22,000 layoffs
- 5,000 earlier this year and nearly 17,000 proposed for November -
are expected to raise the island-wide unemployment rate from 15 to 17
percent. Gov. Luis G. Fortuño says the layoffs are the only way to
avert a government shutdown being brought on by the territory's $3.2
billion deficit.

"We will continue to hold you all in prayer in the days and weeks
ahead that will become even more difficult as the promised harsh
social and economic policies are put into place," the Executive
Council's letter said. "May the gracious love of God made real in
Christ Jesus bring you strength, peace, and hope."