The West Wing, a TV drama about a fictional president of the United States and his staff, took on Puerto Rico’s status in a 2012 episode called “Galileo.” In this episode, the Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee has recommended to the Postmaster General that a stamp honoring Marcus Aquino be created. Marcus Aquino is a fictional… Read more »
Free Association is one of the options in the upcoming status vote in Puerto Rico. It is included as a possible form of independence. Since Puerto Rico has been a territory of the United States for more than a century and was a colony of Spain for four centuries before that, it may be difficult… Read more »
Jenniffer González, the new Resident Commissioner for Puerto Rico, is confident that the time is ripe for statehood for Puerto Rico, according to an interview with Caribbean Business. Gonzalez, along with incoming governor Ricardo Rosselló, intends to work aggressively for statehood for Puerto Rico. She believes that she will be able to work with Donald… Read more »
It has often been said that the Jones-Shafroth Act, which brought U.S. citizenship to the people of Puerto Rico in 1917, was motivated by the need to draft more soldiers for the U.S. army. But is this true? A new paper by Harry Franqui-Rivera describes this idea as “enshrined in Puerto Rican popular … mythology,” but false…. Read more »
Vice President-elect Mike Pence did not discuss Puerto Rico during the campaign, but he did make a statement on the subject in 2010 during congressional debate when he served as Republican Conference Chair in the House of Representatives. Pence began by noting that “[a]s a conservative who believes in the power of self-determination and of… Read more »
The candidates and parties in the recent presidential election spoke up for self-determination for Puerto Rico. Now Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, who also chairs the Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico, seems to be brushing the question of status aside. But Congress has a responsibility to the people of Puerto Rico that… Read more »
Only residents of Puerto Rico were eligible to vote in the November 2012 referendum on Puerto Rico’s political status. Only residents of Puerto Rico will vote in the next — the first federally funded — referendum, but that doesn’t mean that Puerto Rico’s status is important just to people living in Puerto Rico. Members of… Read more »
Presidential candidate Donald Trump has released his first official statement on Puerto Rico status. “There are 3.7 million American citizens living in Puerto Rico,” begins the statement. “As citizens, they should be entitled to determine for themselves their political status.” The Trump statement continues to advocate a “process where Puerto Ricans might resolve thier status” and pledges… Read more »
Presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson visited Puerto Rico on Sunday and gave unambiguous support to statehood for Puerto Rico. At a rally of roughly 3,500 people, Carson cited the patriotism of Puerto Rico’s 3.5 million U.S. citizens and said, “You have paid your dues.” Carson left no possible uncertainty about his position on statehood for Puerto Rico…. Read more »
Former Florida Governor – and likely soon-to-be candidate for the Republican presidential nomination – Jeb Bush (R) visited Puerto Rico to express his continued support for statehood and to participate in a town hall with the Puerto Rico Republican Party. While the island is not a major player in presidential politics, no politician knows the… Read more »
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