www.us-puertoricans.org

By DANICA COTO (AP)

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A White House task force on Puerto Rico's ties with the United States heard from islanders across the political spectrum Wednesday at a hearing that tapped into deep emotions surrounding a decades-old debate.

U.S. Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli, a task force co-chairman, said the meeting was meant to gather opinions on what role the U.S. government can play in resolving the status question. He said President Barack Obama believes the U.S. territory must determine its own course and the task force has no particular preference for the road ahead. 

Many Puerto Rican participants said they were eager to learn more about their options from Washington.

"Say what you are willing to give and not give, but don't take another century. It's important that you do it soon," said Manuel Rodriguez Orellana, a leader of the small Puerto Rico Independence Party, whose remarks drew a burst applause from the small audience of about 150 people inside a San Juan convention center.

The delegation of more than a dozen senior U.S. officials said it would hold another public hearing on the U.S. mainland and present Obama with their recommendations by October.

The Caribbean island of 4 million people has been a U.S. territory since 1898. Puerto Ricans voted to maintain its status as a commonwealth and rejected a push to become the 51st state in nonbinding referendums in 1967, 1993 and 1998. A small percentage opted for independence.

A U.S. House committee approved a proposal last year that would let Puerto Rican voters to choose between two options: keeping the island's commonwealth status or adopting something different, which would require a second plebiscite. But two of the island's main political parties oppose the bill and it is not clear whether Congress will consider it.

The task force on Puerto Rico's status was created by President Bill Clinton. Its scope was expanded by Obama to provide advice on policies covering education, health care, and economic development.