A Page From History: Chechen Leaders Call Out the U.S.

In his book The Power of a Positive No,  William Ury describes an occasion when he was asked to help mediate a discussion between Russian and Chechen leaders. Chechnya had declared independence from the disintegrating Soviet Union in 1991, but Russia was not ready to allow Chechnya to leave. War broke out and conflict continues to this day. Ury, co-founder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation and one of the world’s best-known experts on negotiation and mediation, was brought in to help with difficult negotiations between the leaders in the conflict.

At one point, the Chechen leader burst out, “You Americans have been supporting the Russians in their war crimes! And what is more, you are violating the rights of self-determination of the people of Puerto Rico!”

Ury describes his resulting feelings of confusion.

“Puerto Rico?” he thought, ” What do I know about Puerto Rico?”

In his book, Ury uses this story to explain how to overcome setbacks and surprises in a negotiation.  His story was not about Puerto Rico, nor was it about Chechnya and Russia, and the book does not address international diplomacy in any substantive way.

The story demonstrates, however, that other nations recognize the inherent lack of democracy in the relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico.  Puerto Rico’s territorial relationship with the United States is an issue that continues to arise in international news coverage, including news about of Russia and the Ukraine.

It is also interesting to note that many people of the United States, including respected leaders who have the expertise to help with sensitive negotiations, do not understand the status of Puerto Rico. The lack of awareness affects the international perception of the U.S.and our relationships with the outside world.

This is just one reason that Puerto Rico’s status is an issue for all Americans.