Why is Puerto Rico a US colony?

Question

Residents of Puerto Rico get US citizenship which gives them many rights. The US also provides military and economic support, but what does the USA get from PR being a colony? By the way, I don't yet know enough about the situation to have an opinion on this, but I became curious after hearing that Clinton won the primary there. I knew that it is a colony, but I was surprised when I read about this because I didn't even think they could vote in our presidential elections. This just got me wondering about why PR is still a colony. Also, if you are from PR, what are your thoughts on PR remaining a colony, being independent, or being a new state? By the way, I am aware that many Puerto Ricans have honorably served in the US Armed Forces for many years. Thanks for your answers.

Answer 1

Hello. We are a colony becaue that is what we want to be. Given a chance to vote for other choices, we still vote to remain a colony.   we became us citizens just prior to WWI.  

the thing is that here the colony party, otherwise known as 'commonwealth' in the U.S., or ELA here in PR, tells people that they will no longer be puerto ricans, will loose their language, culture, and traditions, if they want to become a state.   and most people dont want that.

Answer 2

i dont now but ask it in www.google.com

Answer 3

We are a territory of the USA.

Which type of territory?

* An organized territory.  This means we have an "organic act" that establish a local goverment.  It is our (PR's) Constitution written by a assembly of PR's polithicians in 1951-1952 and accepted by the US Congress in 1952. In our Constitution our goverment is called in english Commonwealth and in spanish Estado Libre Asociado (literally "Associated Free State").  However, we are still a territory not an state. We are not free to do whatever we want to do, we are subject to the laws the US goverment unilaterarily decides are applicable to PR, we can not enter in negotiations with another country if we do not ask permission first to the USA, we can not contract a cargo ship from another country to bring any goods to our ports; it have to be done through US cargo companies (which are expensier than any other cargo company in the world). And last our association with the USA is not as two equal partners doing a contract.

* We are also classified as an un-incorporated territory of the USA.  This means (according to the US Supreme Court)we "belongs" to the USA but are not "part" of the USA.  Also implies that the benefits we have as US citizens are limited to those the US Congress decides are applicable to PR.  for example, we do not vote for the president in November (just in party primaries).

With this limitations by our territorial status, for all practical means we are a colony (although many people on the island and in the US object the use of the term).  

Anyone that object the use of the term must reply: If we are US citizens, why we have "many" but not "ALL" the benefits / rights the rest of the US citizens do?  Why do we receive more benefits if we move to an state, and then lose them if we move back to the island?  Because we are what the rest of the world know as a colony.  Semantics? Maybe, the american term for colony is just "territitory".

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We can not vote in the Presidential elections in November, just in party primaries.  However Hillary promised she will work to gives us that right even without becoming an state.  Funny, she did not explained how she pretends to achieve that.

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Thoughts?  I favor PR to become a state.

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What USA obtain from us while keeping us in the colonial (I mean "territory") status?

* Cannonball meat without paying the same benefits as to states US citizens.

* military geographical position in the caribbean (maybe this is decreasing in importance due to new technology, but in 1898 when this started it was more important in the US polithics).

Another factor is that the people in PR have not reached a mayority vote to ask the congress to change the current status.  Right now:

* 42 to 45% of residents wants to maintain the commonwealth or just changing it a little.

* 42 - 45% of us wants the statehood for PR

* 3 - 5% of boricuas want independence from PR

* and whatever % left do not have a decision made and shift their support from time to time.

Answer 4

Puerto Rico is NOT A COLONY... it is a U.S. PROTECTORATE with a COMMONWEALTH government... and the U.S. got it as a spoil of the Spanish American war... along with Cuba, the Philipines, and the Domenican Republic.  All but Puerto Rico have been granted independence

Answer 5

Puerto Rico is still a Colony becuase the USA has decided so..when they No longer need Puerto Rico..then and only then they will give us a Choice...

Answer 6

Yes according to US termanology, Puerto Rico is a commonwealth or unassociated territory. They can call it whatever they want,  but many people still know it is a colony becuase it is controlled by the US. Here are some reasons that some people are unaware of.

Puerto Ricans are US citizens. But what most people dont know is that we really dont have any rights. Puerto Rico vs Balzac was a case where a man was arrested & sentenced without given a trial. He claimed that it was against his right as a US citizen to not have a trial. The US supreme court ruled that Puerto Ricans are US citizens but do Not have constitutional rights & his sentence stood.

Also we are not allowed to vote for president in the general election, although the president can control PR. The reason for this according to the US is becuase we do not pay federal income tax, which is true. However; we do pay all other federal taxes like medicaid, SSI, etc. But these benefits are capped in Puerto Rico so although we pay in full, we get less benefits which therefore has the US govt making a surplus amount of money from these taxes. This extra money is almost enough to cover the un-paid income tax. So why can't we vote?

The US Navy took over most of Vieques, PR. They pushed inhabitants into a small area while they occupied most of the island. For 60 years the Navy used the island as bombing practice & even used Napalm. Finally after 1 civillian was killed by a bomb, protest became worse & reached the mainland US media. The US Navy stopped bombing. Now over 30% of people in Vieques have cancer, but the Navy claims no part. They still havent cleaned up the land.

The FBI on many occasions has come into PR without letting the PR govt know about it & has raided homes & even killed people.

The US also implemented a Mass Sterilization of women in Puerto Rico after WWI. They sterilized over 1/3 of women & also tested potent birth control pills on women living in government housing.

I have nothing against the US, I like the US, I just do Not like the way they treat PR & how it gets covered up.

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Roger- yes you got it. Really most people want to continue being a commonwealth becuase they are scared. Scared to be independent becuase they fear we might end up being a poor nation like many other caribbean & hispanic countries & if we cut the US ties we may never get it back if we need too. Also many people dont want statehood because we will loose some of our culture over time. We will be forced to make english the first language & change some of our ways. Also many more people from the US will move to our all ready way overcrowded island(4 million ppl on 100 x 35 miles). That in return will raise housing & cost of living prices. Look at Hawaii- only 20% of their population is native Hawaiian. Some people feel commonwealth is a win/win situation although we loose so many rights.

Answer 7

They cannot vote in the general election, but can vote for delegates to go to the convention.