'Let's not sit and wait for federal aid. It is no mana from heaven,' the federal judge stressed.

Judge Juan R. Torruella of the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston requested a grand jury to investigate whether there is a criminal case against those responsible for the government's debt.

He also added that, in order to further other causes for the island's future, its status must be resolved, since it is--albeit divisive--Puerto Rico's biggest problem.

'I am asking the federal grand jury to lead an investigation to determine whether there is a criminal case

against the individuals and organizations, inside and outside Puerto Rico, in relation to the economic crisis the island is facing,' Torruella said during his participation in a panel during the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the birth of Luis Muñoz Marín.

According to the federal judge, this inquiry is essential to avoid the same mistakes that have led to this

crisis.

He mentioned the large amount of money the government is set to receive for the island's recovery after

Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

'I'm afraid that, if we don't do something substantial about the things that have happened so far, history is going to repeat itself. And now that we're apparently getting a lot of money, we will make the same

mistakes, but faster,' he insisted.

Torruella proposed that the investigation be conducted by the federal prosecution in Puerto Rico, in order to establish criminal liabilities against those who led the island to its bankruptcy.

'We are here to rethink Puerto Rico, to reconsider what has happened in the past. That's why I'm

suggesting a grand jury,' he added.

The lawyer emphasized on the unity of purpose shared by Puerto Ricans to overcome the island's fiscal crisis.

He also made a call to leave aside the 'passivity' with which the people have accepted the unfair treatment the US government has dealt the island. He called for the mobilization of those he called 'allies' in minority sectors of the US, to denounce the civil rights violations against Puerto Ricans.

'We have complied to this through inaction. It is time to end this inertia. Our cause is just,' Torruella

asserted.

Along the same lines, the lawyer argued that there must be a resurgence of the entrepreneurial spirit to

develop a robust economy through local industries, instead of expecting to solve its woes by federal

funding alone. The government must highlight Puerto Rican talent and capital.

'We can't make plans. We can't determine what we want if we don't know where we want to go,' Torruella said.

He started by clarifying that his statements were made from his point of view as a citizen, and he added

that he has perceived a sense of defeatism that citizens must overcome.

'I am positive we will prevail. Unity is of the essence,' he insisted.