How many puerto ricans want statehood

Actually statehood for Puerto Rican has been in the Republican platform since the s. There has been there. So those personal prejudices that many have, I'll be trying to educate, and provide facts for the reality of the island.

How would statehood affect almost the twin crises that Puerto Rico has struggled with over the past few years, not just recovering from Hurricane Maria and the other storms since then, but also the financial crisis and the debt that you're in?

What would statehood do for those? First of all statehood is not going to be a magic wand to resolve all problems, but it will provide opportunities.

It will provide equal footing in many of the decisions, right? Right now, Congress decides the regulations of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and we do not have participation. I mean, I'm the only member representing the island and we don't have senators. We should be having at least four members of the House. So how the most democratic country in the whole world going to fight for democracy in all corners and then in your backyard, you still have a territory, you still have a colony?

So I, I truly believe that statehood will provide the same resources Hawaii and Alaska received at that time. And that was the property value will go up dramatically during the first ten years of statehood in those two former territories. The economy grew more than percent because of the American flag for investments in property.

How much do you think the long term and the large debt that Puerto Rico's in, is inhibiting Congress from taking steps? Well, you know, that now is going to be our fourth year of Fiscal Oversight Board for the island. And instead of trying to correct and help those fiscal situations on the island, they're just trying to manage all federal funds.

Actually, their expenditures are higher and higher. And who pays that? The government of Puerto Rico. Section Section… Read more ». By Howard Hills In the U. Supreme Court ruled in Balzac v.

Puerto Rico that statutory U. Puerto Rico has been under the U. But the Commonwealth is still an unincorporated territory. What does this mean? Federal officials have said Puerto Rico should have the status its people want from among all legally possible options.

Both have Democratic- and Republican-aligned members. Some , Puerto Ricans who voted for statehood voted against its pro-statehood gubernatorial candidate, Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia , who won his race very narrowly. House of Representatives — received , fewer votes than statehood did. All these split tickets reflect a broader political upheaval taking place in Puerto Rico after a rocky half-decade. Discontent with Puerto Rican leadership, aggravated by the fiscal austerity imposed by a Washington-controlled federal board, culminated last year in massive protests.

A chaotic primary pitted its Republican- and Democrat-aligned factions against each other. All the drama and corruption seems to have left many statehood supporters in Puerto Rico fed up with the New Progressive Party, and politics in general. By the election, new parties with clearer ideological offerings — like the progressive, populist Citizen Victory Movement and the right-wing, religiously based Dignity Project — had cropped up.