PANAMA. - President Martin Torrijos said yesterday that Latin America has the obligation to encourage a dialogue to obtain the independence of Puerto Rico, considering that in the 21st century “no form of colonialism can be justified”.

“For Latin Americans, to help in the definitive correction of this anomaly must be a continental priority”, he declared.

Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean approved yesterday to establish a mechanism that works permanently for the independence of Puerto Rico.

The Permanent Work Committee “aims at coordinating and to ensure that determinations made by this Congress (Latin American and Caribbean by the Independence of Puerto Rico) are respected'', emphasizes the “Proclama de Panama (the Panama Proclamation)''.

The document was approved unanimously within the framework of the congress, supported by the Socialist International and the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Torrijos, that also is Secretary General of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, inaugurated in a hotel of the Panamanian capital the Latin American and Caribbean Congress for the Independence of Puerto Rico, supported by the Socialist International and the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The president of Partido Puerto Riqueno Independentista (PIP), Rubén Berríos, requested from Latin America to become interlocutor before Washington in order to impel a decolonization program.

A poll held in 1998 in the island indicated that 1% were in favor of Free State Associate, 2.5% guaranteed independence, 46.5% endorsed annexationism and 50.3% did not favor any of the previous because it was not in agreement with the definition of associated free state.

Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States since1898, and its inhabitants have American citizenship since 1917.

It has a population of 3.9 million inhabitants in the island and four million in continental territory of the United States.