LULAC delegates show their support for Juan Carlos Lizardi by voting

Although a Texas judge Suspended and ordered on Friday Election of Directors of League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) And at its Legislature in Puerto Rico, more than 900 delegates from various states participated in a simulated assembly meeting today to support the presidential nominee. Juan Carlos Lizardi In a poll.

“At this time, it (the poll) will not be conducted or accepted as an official election, but it is proof that the people, the LULAC members, wanted to cast their annual vote. We could not implement it despite the parliamentary processes,” said Lizardi, a Puerto Rican candidate for the presidency of LULAC who lives in New York.

Today’s scheduled vote was halted after a ruling by Dallas County Judge Tara Merritt in response to a lawsuit filed by LULAC members alleging that the New Progressive Party (PNP) created a plan to illegally control the organization. Hostile.

According to LULAC Parliamentary Counselor José Lugo Varela, during the vote, only eight representatives raised their hands in favor of the candidacy of current President Domingo García. Meanwhile, hundreds supported Lizardi.

García planned to confront Lizardi, but did not appear at the event, as he indicated in a statement to members that the assembly was canceled due to a court order. Yesterday’s election will define 12 leadership positions in LULAC, including the presidency.

“LULAC is not for sale, not for rent, and we will not allow the corruption of the PNP to tarnish the reputation of our organization. As president, my goal is to confront and oppose any internal or external force that tries to bring LULAC under its leadership through corrupt means,” Garcia said in written statements.

LULAC is an organization that promotes the preservation of civil rights and other essential services for Hispanic Americans through community programs operating in more than 1,000 councils across the United States.

Members of the organization that filed the lawsuit in Texas pointed out that Lizzardi’s mother, Elsie Valdez, was charged with ethics charges in the past decade for soliciting donations from government contractors to travel to the LULAC conference. Lizardi defended his mother and said she was freed at the time. “I want you to present me with evidence,” said the Puerto Rican candidate.

Suspend the CEO

For his part, Garcia indicated yesterday that he had indefinitely suspended LULAC’s national executive director, Cindy Benavides, “as a result of an investigation into allegations of corruption and conspiracy, along with other individuals trying to seize control of LULAC for their own purposes.” Illegal political objectives.

Signed by those present was a document similar to an affidavit in which they supported Lizardi’s election as national president of LULAC, “under penalty of wrongdoing.”

“Everything is anti-election to stop this process. A process that has been stopped plain and simple because the current national president of LULAC does not have the necessary votes, no votes, not even close, and cannot be re-elected,” Lizardi said.

Meanwhile, former Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock has vowed that the current president has no chance of being elected. Likewise, he pointed out that delegates from various parts of the United States invested resources to attend the conference and complete it by voting for the new order.

“He (Garcia) is not here to open the assembly. However, about 900 to 1,000 representatives are here out of the 1,465 who were certified yesterday (Friday). (…) A ‘temporary restraining order’ (TRO) prohibits elections, but it does not prohibit the assembly from sitting, so there would be no reason to suspend the assembly,” said McClintock, a member of LULAC.

He stressed that this is the first national conference to be held after the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was on the third floor of the Puerto Rico Convention Center.