In the News

By Sheli Muñiz

Could Puerto Rico be on its way to becoming the 51st U.S. state?

Last week, Puerto Ricans on the U.S. territory headed to the polls and voted in favor of becoming a state. While Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they cannot vote for president, but did voice their opinions on the future of the Commonwealth’s political status.

It’s clear: they want changes.

The question is one Puerto Ricans on the island have voted on several times before. Once again, they have voted in favor of becoming a state, this time with 57 percent in favor.

Jorge Duany, former FIU professor and author of "Puerto Rico: What Everyone Needs to Know," says the vote is simply symbolic.

“According to U.S. law, only Congress can initiate a process of status change for Puerto Rico since 1898, because Puerto Rico became part of the United States as a result of the Spanish American War of that year, and Congress has never taken action with regard to the status of Puerto Rico,” Duany said.

Any change to Puerto Rico’s status needs Congress’ approval, but it would first need to be a priority for congressional leaders, and it never has been.

“Many Republicans associate the Puerto Rican push for statehood with the similar movement in Washington, D.C., and if those two territories or jurisdictions were admitted to the Union, it would probably mean more Democratic senators and some number of representatives of Congress,” said Duany.

In this year’s election, however, Republicans performed well with the Puerto Rican communities, despite backlash from a joke made at a President-elect Donald Trump campaign rally about the island being "garbage" and the former president's unfavorable history with the island following hurricanes and relief aid.

Puerto Rico also elected a new governor, Jenniffer González-Colón, a representative for the island in Congress. She is a Trump supporter and has been pushing for statehood.

“It’s expected that, perhaps, her personal relationship with the president-elect might help Puerto Rico, but on the other hand, it's well known that the Republican Party is not in favor of considering admitting Puerto Rico as a state of the Union,” Duany said.

Over years, various legislation has been introduced by members of Congress.

Republican Maria Elvira Salazar told in NBC6 in part: “I support a path forward for Puerto Rico as laid out in the Puerto Rico Status Act. Puerto Ricans should be able to chart their own path to statehood.”

Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz co-sponsored a bill as well, and said: "It's past time that we honor the will of Puerto Rico’s voters by recognizing their right to determine their own status, just as an overwhelming majority of its citizens did on their Nov. 5th ballot. Puerto Ricans are full-fledged U.S. citizens, who should be entitled to equitable access to federal programs toward which they pay taxes. They are part of our Union and deserve the right to make that official. Congress and our next President must heed the will of the island’s citizens.”

Duany said, the power really lies in the 5.8 million Puerto Ricans living in the United States to change anything for those living on the island, because they can vote.

The last time the United States added a state was Hawaii in 1959, after a referendum vote similar to the vote that took place in Puerto Rico.

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