Disadvantages Of Statehood In Puerto Rico

In September of 2017, hurricane Maria made landfall on the island of Puerto Rico, causing what has been characterized as the worst devastation to hit the island in decades. While the people of Puerto Rico attempted to recover, the issue of statehood has remained in limbo since the June 2017 referendum held in Puerto Rico to vote on the island’s current territorial status. This current referendum resulted in 97% of the residents that voted, to cast their vote in favor of statehood. The governor of Puerto Rico has been promoting statehood in hopes that a change in Puerto Rico’s current political status would solve their crippling debt. Unfortunately, since Congress did not sanction the latest referendum, and the current focus is on repairing
Since 1967, Puerto Rico has previously held four referendums regarding Puerto Rico becoming a state and each time the island continued with its territorial status of a commonwealth. There are approximately 3.5 million residents on the island and with statehood that would mean significant representation in the government. As it stands now, Puerto Rican residents do not participate in the U.S. presidential elections. However, Puerto Ricans are eligible to vote if they live in any of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. With statehood, residents of the island would vote in all elections, effectively giving the people of Puerto Rico a political voice.

Congress has the power to grant statehood. Puerto Ricans are United States citizens but only have a nonvoting delegate in Congress. In today’s tumultuous political atmosphere, Puerto Rico’s request for statehood could possibly discourage the Republican dominated administration from taking any action regarding statehood, since Puerto Rico would likely vote
By keeping Puerto Rico in its current political status, the islanders are not afforded the basic human rights afforded to US citizens. Statehood would grant Puerto Rico more equality. In its current status, Puerto Rico is not allowed to vote in the presidential elections and their representative in Congress has limited voting powers. Additionally, United States’s colonization of Puerto Rico, has potentially contributed to Puerto Rico’s economic decline. The United States, while championing the right of freedoms for all colonized people in other countries, is denying the rights of the people that occupy their own territories, possibly influencing Puerto Rico to overwhelmingly vote for statehood in