Alexandra Lúgaro, a 35 year old woman, has shaken the Puerto Rican political scene with her liberal and progressive views which are unusual for socially conservative Puerto Rico. No woman before her has ever attempted to run for the highest office on the island without the backing of a political party. She is one of the main independent candidates in the race for the next Puerto Rican governor and she recently told a journalist that she didn’t believe in God.

After her statement, there were a lot of harsh comments and she posted a video on Facebook which explains her views and personal beliefs. First thing she pointed out is that Puerto Ricans have many bigger and serious issues than religious ones—such as unemployment, state debt, an economic crisis, a fiscal control board, denied rights etc. She said that she doesn’t have problem with religions but with fundamentalism, which is considered a source of violence around the world.

Lúgaro pointed out that her attitude toward the church changed after she had her daughter, Valentina, with a help of an assisted conception procedure. And when it was time to baptize Valentina, the priest told her that the Church didn’t approve of assisted conception because there were many children in the world who needed love and caring through adoption, and they did not of people resorting to an assisted conception procedure. Although she was raised in a Catholic family and went to church regularly, she doesn’t think that goodness comes from believing in a religion—or from prayers that we are taught to memorize without really believing.

Her main objective is to promote respect for everyone and to include everyone in the decision making process; whether they believe in Christianity, or if they are Muslim, or whether they are atheists or agnostics. A Constitution guarantees everyone the freedom and the right to be different and that is what really matters. Lúgaro said that as governor, she will not push her personal beliefs. As governor she will not interfere with anyone’s personal beliefs, and she said that Puerto Rico faces a very difficult decision in the upcoming elections.  Puerto Ricans have the opportunity to choose between the same old political status that has brought them to this point—or to choose change. We will have to wait till 8 November, 2016 to see what decision will be made.

Photo Credits: El Nuevo Dia