On Monday, the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Puerto Rico native Gustavo Gelpi to serve on the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Although this is the court that hears cases from Puerto Rico, Gelpi is only the second Puerto Rican judge to serve in this position. His predecessor, Juan Rafael Torruella del Valle,… Read more »

Some Puerto Ricans who live in the diaspora are advocating for an “inclusive” self-determination process. An “inclusive” process would mean one that doesn’t leave out anyone or anything.  For Puerto Rico’s self-determination, this would naturally imply that all eligible voters are included and all – valid – options are on the table. What is an… Read more »

Salvador Gómez-Colón is a young activist from Puerto Rico. After Hurricane Maria struck the Island in 2017, Gómez-Colón founded the organization Light and Hope for Puerto Rico. This initiative distributed hand-operated washing machines and solar-powered lamps to households in 16 municipalities to help them through the long months Puerto Rico went without electricity after the… Read more »

Lt. Col. Olga Custodio, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was the first Latina to complete U.S. Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) and the first Hispanic woman to become a military pilot. She was also the first woman from Puerto Rico to achieve either of these accomplishments. She was recently honored at the “Latinas… Read more »

Puerto Rican native Mari Carmen Aponte has been nominated as the United States Ambassador to Panama. Aponte was Ambassador to El Salvador twice between 2010 to 2016. She was also acting assistant secretary for the Western Hemisphere for the U.S. Department of State under President Barack Obama, executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs… Read more »

A survey by George Washington University concluded that 40% of Puerto Rico residents are experiencing food insecurity. By contrast, only about 10% of households in the United States as a whole are food insecure, according to the USDA. Factors contributing to food insecurity in Puerto Rico: While food insecurity levels in the States did not… Read more »

Rhode Island Senators Jack Reed (D) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D) have both signed on as cosponsors of the Puerto Rico Statehood Admissions Act (S. 780). S. 780 Following the November 2020 vote in favor of statehood for Puerto Rico, S. 780 recognizes the results and calls for Puerto Rico’s admission to the Union as a… Read more »

Puerto Rico, in spite of being blessed with a long growing season and significant arable land, imports 85% of the food needed to feed its residents and employs only about 2% of its workers in agriculture. Much of the land that could be farmed is not in production. Experts estimate that less than 5% of… Read more »

Judge Gustavo Gelpí, currently the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, has been nominated to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Gelpi is from Puerto Rico. President Biden proposed Gelpi’s appointment in May to fill the position vacated upon the death… Read more »