On the morning of day one of the General Strike in Puerto Rico, organizers are already declaring the protest a great success.

Yesterday late in the afternoon, the owners of Plaza las Americas, the largest shopping mall in the Caribbean, announced that it would remain closed on October 15 "due to security reasons." Coincidentally, Plaza las Americas owners also happen to be some of the biggest contributors to the Republican Party and their henchman, Governor Luis Fortuño. So it's very appropriate that the main gathering location of the strike is in front of this very shopping center, to serve as a symbol of the greedy upper class that supports the draconian measures taken by the current Puerto Rican administration.

Two successful events that have already taken place today in the strike include the closing of Plaza Las Americas and more significantly, the defeat of fear. Hundreds of thousands of workers are now marching for justice, overcoming the campaign of media terror launched by the Puerto Rican Government during the last days. Protesters are marching from seven different locations of the Banks Zone in San Juan today, heading towards the southern side of Plaza Las Americas--which is expected to largest public gathering in Puerto Rican history.

Today's national protest is being led by the Todo Puerto Rico Por Puerto Rico, a coalition that is composed of unions, civic, professional, religious, community and other civil society organizations, and includes SEIU Locals 1996SPT and 1199UGT.