Since the 1950s there has been a story that Puerto Rico’s relationship with the U.S. is unique and, unlike all other U.S. territories, this relationship confers entitlements and powers that are even greater than those found in states. The First Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion last week that clarifies, once again, that this… Read more »

A number of people in favor of Puerto Rican independence spoke at a public hearing on the Puerto Rico Status Act on the need for clarity and further elaboration of the definition of statehood included in the proposal. There are currently 50 states, providing precedent on the rights of U.S. citizens living in a state…. Read more »

The Puerto Rico Status Act, a proposal compiled from two Puerto Rico status bills introduced during the current Congress, is pending before Congress and awaits consideration in a key committee. The options on the ballot, the definition of each option, and the fate of U.S. citizenship in a sovereign nation of Puerto Rico have been… Read more »

The Puerto Rico Status Act is a proposal built on ideas contained in two competing bills on Puerto Rico’s political status. Members of Congress spent months working to come up with a bill that both sides — statehood and independence supporters — could support. If the bill becomes law, it will offer statehood or sovereignty… Read more »

The White House has released a report documenting how the  American Rescue Plan advanced equity throughout the United States.  The report notes in particular how the 2021 law made a big difference for Puerto Rico. “We knew that the implementation of this historic piece of legislation would be one of the first tests of the President’s… Read more »

The Puerto Rico Status Act, the discussion draft compromise bill on Puerto Rico’s political status currently being considered in Congress, calls for a vote on three options: statehood sovereignty in free association with the U.S. independence Among the issues presented in the bill, one of the most challenging is the question of U.S. citizenship. At… Read more »

Andres Cordova has written an essay at El Vocero examining the issue of citizenship under independence, with or without a Compact of Free Association.  “The misnamed draft consensus Puerto Rico Status Act bill implies certain premises that require further discussion, particularly with regard to American citizenship under Independence under its two modalities,” he writes. “The draft… Read more »

In a previous post, the Puerto Rico Report reported that a defining point of the discussion draft bill – The Puerto Rico Status Act –  that seeks to end Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. territory is the proposal’s clear rejection of the often confusing “commonwealth” label that has been used to describe Puerto Rico’s… Read more »

A defining feature of the recent Puerto Rico status proposal released by Congress is the clear rejection of Puerto Rico’s current status as a U.S. territory – sometimes also called “commonwealth” – as an option for the future. The draft excludes “commonwealth” as a ballot choice in any future plebiscite. A “commonwealth” option has been… Read more »