In November of 2019, the U.S Congress enacted the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, possibly paving the way for economic sanctions and other diplomatic actions critical of the Hong Kong government. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said the passage of the bill was an important step in “holding accountable those Chinese… Read more »

In 2017, Chinese press reported that a Chinese legal firm had gathered investors to create a China-themed resort in Puerto Rico.  Bloomberg further announced that it was a $200 million initiative. The plan envisioned 39 structures made with Chinese style architecture and highlighting Chinese food, music and entertainment. Construction was planned to begin in May… Read more »

Puerto Rico’s population stabilized during the year that ended July 1, 2019, according to new, similar estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau and the territory’s Statistics Institute, which works with the Federal agency. The estimates indicate a reversal of a 15-year decline that reduced the population from approximately 3.85 million to just under 3.2 million…. Read more »

December 20th is the day when cockfighting, a traditional sport in Puerto Rico, became illegal on the Island.The federal 2018 Farm Bill closed a loophole that had made it possible for Puerto Rico to hold cockfights even though such events have been illegal in all the States since 2008. Two days before the deadline, Puerto… Read more »

Last week we shared the top stories of 2019. You might also like to see the most popular stories at the Puerto Rico Report since the beginning. Click through to read the full articles. Is Puerto Rico a Country? No. A country must have certain characteristics, including national sovereignty, the ability to negotiate trade deals,… Read more »

2019 was a news-filled year for Puerto Rico. We hope 2020 will be a year filled with good news for Puerto Rico. Here were the most popular stories posted this year at Puerto Rico Report: Puerto Rico Is Not a State: Why Not? Puerto Rico is the only remaining U.S. territory with a large population,… Read more »

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said yesterday that he will press next year for longer term Federal funding for Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program. His statement came after two developments. The first was President Trump insisting that the cost of extensions of several health programs, including Medicaid in Puerto Rico, which congressional leaders agreed… Read more »

Congress is on track to enact a $1.4 trillion spending deal this week, preventing  the kind of government shut down that took place last year. Included in the bill is $5.7 billion in Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico over the next two years. Initially, the bipartisan agreement hammered out by the House Energy and Commerce… Read more »

On Wednesday, Governor Wanda Vazquez of Puerto Rico sent a letter to Congressional leaders calling for continued extended Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico. The letter was timely as lead Congressional negotiators finalize their decisions on U.S. Medicaid spending in Puerto Rico in end of the year legislative proposals expected to pass this week. Puerto Rico’s… Read more »