Puerto Rico must never become a part of the United States, Ruben Berrios, president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, said yesterday to an audience of 100 people at the Science Center.

"America will get indigestion if they try to swallow the Puerto Ricans," Berrios said.

Berrios added that Puerto Rico is a colony of the United States and is being exploited by the American multi-national companies.

"It is not that the Americans are bad, it's that they are imperialists," the leader said to loud applause from the audience.

Longevity

"They've stayed for 82 years for their own benefit, not for our benefit," he added.

Berrios said the U.S. Congress controls the Puerto Rican minimum wage and labor laws and added "They even tell us what kind of sausages we can eat. That's a colony--the U.S. commands everything in Puerto Rico."

The nationalist leader said, "Colonialism doesn't work," and cited a $13 billion debt and a 30-40 per cent unemployment rate.

Being a part of the United States "is not the answer" Berrios said, "It is the problem."

Meanwhile, Back in the States

"Americans don't hear about independence until someone gets shot or a bomb goes off," Berrios said.

Reaction

In response to the shooting of two Marines in Puerto Rico on Monday, Berrios said, "We deplore this type of action, even though the majority of the people are against American naval bases in Puerto Rico."

The United States used to speak softly and carry a big stick, Berrios added, but now, "you speak softly and carry a small stick" in Latin America.

Berros said "Equality is necessary for friendship between nations," citing several religious and philosophical authorities for support.