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, the ability to issue money and postage stamps, and recognition by the international community. Puerto Rico is a territory belonging to the United States.
How Did Puerto Rico Become a U.S. Territory?
In the 21st century, it’s hard to imagine how one place can become part of another place. Back in the 19th century, however, big countries often took on the ownership of smaller places. Spain gave Puerto Rico to the United States after holding the Island as a colony for centuries.
Puerto Rico: A U.S. Territory
Seeing a theme here? The truth is, many people are confused about Puerto Rico’s relationship with the United States. The legal relationship is straightforward: Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory belonging to the United States.
Puerto Rico and Federal Income Tax
One of the things many people know about Puerto Rico is that residents don’t have to pay federal income tax on money they earn in Puerto Rico. This doesn’t mean that Puerto Ricans don’t pay taxes, though — and it shouldn’t mean fewer benefits for the Island.
Puerto Rico Is Not a State: Why Not?
Why is Puerto Rico still waiting for statehood after being a territory for more than a century? The answers to this question lie both in Puerto Rico’s history and in Congress’s failure to accept responsibility.
The Meaning of “Commonwealth”
One of the most confusing things about Puerto Rico is the use of the term “commonwealth” to describe the Island. “Commonwealth” has no legal meaning in the United States and is part of the names of several states.
Puerto Rico Has Valuable Natural Resources
Puerto Rico has enriched the culture of the United States, defended her in every branch of the U.S. military, and provided influential Americans in the arts, sciences, and all walks of life. The Island also has valuable natural resources.
Is Puerto Rico Part of the U.S.?
Puerto Rico belongs to the United States. Is the territory also a part of the United States? The answer to this question is more complex, and more often debated, than questions about the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States.
Why Can’t Puerto Rico Vote for President?
Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and Puerto Rico belongs to the United States, but the territory is not represented in the Electoral College, and residents can’t vote for the U.S. president. How can this be?
US Department of Defense Recognizes Puerto Rican Military Service
It is particularly ironic that Puerto Ricans cannot vote for the Commander in Chief when Puerto Rico sends a higher proportion of men and women into the military than any State does. Puerto Ricans have been fighting for America since the Revolutionary War.
The Puerto Rico Report looks forward to more opportunities to clear up confusions about Puerto Rico, and to report on the continuing relationship between the Island and the United States.
