Island residents are debating the future of the U.S. territory.
The political status of Puerto Rico has been an unsolved question for over a century.
The island is a U.S. territory in the Atlantic Ocean with more than 3 million residents, all of whom are U.S. citizens, but do not have representation in Congress or the right to vote for president. Puerto Rico has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since 1898, and questions about its future status are at least that old, as island residents have debated whether the island should remain a U.S. territory, become a U.S. state, or become fully independent.
Now, there’s another option on the table: aligning with another country—namely, Spain, the colonial power that surrendered the island to the United States during the Spanish-American War of 1898.
A group of activists on the island, organized as Adelante Reunificationistas (Forward Reunificationists), have said the best way forward for Puerto Rico is to rejoin Spain. They say they have the support of 13% of the population.
It’s not exactly clear how the group plans to move forward, but any move would require majority support and cooperation with Spain’s government. Spain’s government is relatively devolved, meaning that its 17 autonomous communities have significant rights to self-government—some even financially independent from the country’s national government.
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Spain has not added an autonomous community since 1982, when the Canary Islands were elevated from the status of province, the former status of Puerto Rico.
Organizers of Adelante Reunificationistas contend that the island has stagnated under U.S. administration, and that the island’s residents never wanted to leave Spanish rule. Puerto Rico, along with the Philippines and Guam, was transferred to the United States as part of the treaty ending the Spanish-American War. Only Guam and Puerto Rico remain. The Philippines was recognized as independent by the US in 1946 after decades of pro-independence activism and two early, years-long wars.
Spain’s government does not appear to have commented publicly on the group’s ambitions. It’s also worth noting that there are several separatist movements within Spain, notable in the Basque Country, Catalonia, and the Canary Islands, which at various times have moved for complete independence.
Originally called Boricua by its Indigenous Taíno inhabitants, the island was claimed by Spain by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Spain established a colony on the island in 1508 and first imported enslaved people from Africa in 1513. Spain did not end slavery in Puerto Rico until 1873. By the time of the Spanish-American War, there were already local factions advocating for the island’s independence from Spain.
Puerto Rico was removed from the United Nations’ list of non-self-governing territories in 1952 after new laws defined the island’s relationship with the U.S. federal government and internal governance, although there is still ongoing debate at the UN Special Committee on Decolonization whether the island is truly self-governing. The committee has defined the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico as “colonial.”
Puerto Ricans can vote in U.S. presidential primaries, but not in presidential elections. The island also elects a single representative to the U.S. House of Representatives, called a Resident Commissioner, who can sponsor legislation and vote in committee, but not on the House floor.
In November 2024, the voters on the island participated in a symbolic referendum, with 57% of those casting votes saying they wished the island to become a U.S. state.
Becoming a state requires an act of Congress, which must pass both the House and Senate with a majority, then be signed by the President. The United States has not admitted a new state since Hawai’i in 1959.
If admitted, Puerto Rico would be the only majority Spanish-speaking state. It would also be the 33rd most populous state, narrowly beating out Arkansas, and coming in just behind Utah, Nevada, and Iowa.
