Project Dignity (Proyecto Dignidad)

Project Dignity (Proyecto Dignidad) is a Puerto Rican political party founded in 2019 that emerged as a conservative Christian democratic movement within the political landscape of Puerto Rico. The party positioned itself as an alternative to the traditional New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) and Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico), emphasizing social conservatism, anti-corruption rhetoric, and religiously informed policy proposals. It achieved notable visibility during the 2020 and 2024 electoral cycles through legislative campaigns and public advocacy on issues such as bioethics, family policy, and public health.

History

Proyecto Dignidad was established by a coalition of activists, clergy, and former members of New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico), Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico), and independent civic organizations in 2019, during a period of public mobilization following protests against Ricardo Rosselló and the 2019 political crisis. Early organizers included figures from Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano, religious networks connected to Roman Catholic Church in Puerto Rico and evangelical denominations associated with leaders linked to Assemblies of God, Southern Baptist Convention, and the National Association of Evangelicals. The party obtained official recognition from the State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico ahead of the 2020 general election and ran candidates for the Senate of Puerto Rico, the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, and the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. Its founding coincided with debates over the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act and fiscal adjustments overseen by the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico.

Ideology and Platform

Proyecto Dignidad blends strands of Christian democracy, social conservatism, and civic anti-corruption positions, advocating policies influenced by religious ethics articulated in statements referencing the Papal encyclicals and evangelical social teaching. The platform emphasizes opposition to measures seen as expanding abortion rights promoted in legislative debates in the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, resistance to same-sex marriage policy disputes that involved cases reaching the United States Supreme Court, and advocacy for conscience protections analogous to debates in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures such as the Florida Legislature and Texas Legislature. Economic positions have referenced tax debates akin to discussions in the United States Department of the Treasury and fiscal policy critiques aligned with some actors in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. On status, the party has avoided explicit alignment with Puerto Rican independence movement orthodoxy or full-throated support for Puerto Rican statehood, differing from stances taken by the Puerto Rican Independence Party and the Statehood Republican Party.

Organization and Leadership

Party leadership has included prominent figures such as founder Víctor Manuel Castillo and legislative candidates with backgrounds in law, healthcare, and civic activism; these leaders have engaged with institutions like the University of Puerto Rico, the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, and religious organizations including the United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America affiliates on the island. The party maintains local committees across municipalities including San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and has coordinated with civic groups tied to international networks such as Family Research Council-style organizations and faith-based NGOs that interact with the Organization of American States and regional human rights forums. Administrative functions have been handled through electoral attorneys familiar with regulations from the State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico and campaign finance practices paralleling scrutiny seen in Federal Election Commission discussions in the United States.

Electoral Performance

Proyecto Dignidad first contested the 2020 general election, fielding candidates for the Senate of Puerto Rico and the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico as well as a bid for the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, competing against incumbents from the Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico) and New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico), and third-party campaigns like those of the Working People's Party of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican Independence Party. The party secured legislative representation in the 2020 Puerto Rico elections with successful bids for seats in the Senate of Puerto Rico, influencing committee debates involving public health policy tied to the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico and budget votes related to measures overseen by the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico. In subsequent electoral cycles, Proyecto Dignidad sustained its presence amid competition from emerging formations such as Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana and established districts where turnout patterns mirrored national trends observed in United States midterm elections and territorial contests in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Controversies and Criticism

Proyecto Dignidad has attracted criticism from progressive parties including Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana, the Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico), and civil rights organizations modeled after ACLU affiliates over its stances on reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ issues that mirror legislative debates in bodies like the United States Congress and courts such as the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Critics have connected the party to international conservative networks that have influenced policy in regions represented at the Organization of American States and accused some candidates of engaging in rhetoric similar to controversial figures in debates within the U.S. Republican Party and social movements associated with the Tea Party movement. Investigations and media scrutiny by outlets comparable to the El Nuevo Día and investigative reporting forums referencing methods used by the Center for Investigative Journalism (Puerto Rico) examined campaign finance practices, endorsements from religious leaders, and the party’s responses to public health directives during the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, prompting public debate over separation issues that echo jurisprudence from the United States Supreme Court and legislative controversies in territories like Puerto Rico itself.

Category:Political parties in Puerto Rico