Puerto Rico

The island of Puerto Rico was originally inhabited by a group of Arawak Indians known as Tainos. European discovery was made by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. It was the main stronghold of the Spanish empire in the Caribbean during the first years of the colonization of the Americas. As the Spanish government became more liberal at home, its policies in the New World also became more liberal. Early in the 19th century Puerto Rico sent its first representative to the Spanish Cortes, Ramón Power y Giralt. Power was an outstanding speaker, and he achieved important improvements in internal government and trade regulations for Puerto Rico. But when politics in Spain went back to absolutism, some of the old repressive policies were again imposed on the Spanish colonies.

There was a desire for freedom in Puerto Rico, too, but with two distinguishing characteristics. Puerto Ricans wanted change but rejected violence. There was never a revolution on the island; the only attempted uprising, in 1868 in the small mountain town of Lares, collapsed almost immediately because of lack of support from the people. The second difference was that Puerto Ricans wanted freedom but not independence from Spain. The Puerto Rican goal was to achieve personal freedom, the abolition of slavery, and full self-government, but without breaking the bonds with Spain. Champions of this autonomist movement were such political leaders as Ramon Baldorioty de Castro, and towards the end of the century, Luis Muñoz Rivera. Finally, in 1897, Muñoz Rivera got a liberal Spanish government to agree to an Autonomic Charter for the island. The following year Puerto Rico's first autonomous government was organized with Muñoz Rivera as leader. But there was to occur, within a year, an abrupt and unexpected change in the entire course of Puerto Rican history.

Puerto Rico was invaded by the United States in the Spanish-American War on July 25, 1898 with a landing at Guánica Bay. After the war, Spain was forced to cede Puerto Rico to the victorious Americans under the Treaty of Paris (1898). Strangely enough, the Americans were welcomed warmly by the Puerto Rican people, who saw in the United States flag a symbol of freedom and prosperity. Under the new sovereignty, however, Puerto Rico due to the US Foraker Act, reverted back to a purely colonial government rejected by the great majority of Puerto Ricans.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Puerto Rico

A year later after the invasion, Dr. Jose Celso Barbosa embraced the idea of annexation to the US as a solution to the colonial situation and founded the Puerto Rican Republican Party in 1899. As early as 1904, Luis Muñoz Rivera and José de Diego founded the Unionist Party of Puerto Rico. The party was against the colonial government established under the Foraker Act. Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón, Manuel Zeno Gandía, Luis Llorens Torres, Eugenio Benítez Castaño, and Pedro Franceschi started to organize the Independence Party in 1912 which paved the path to similar movements. The Nationalist Party (NP)was founded in the year 1922, it strongly criticized the American colonial regime for its menace to the Spanish and Latin American roots of the Puerto Rican culture, it also advocated for complete independence. The NP began to grow with the leadership of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos which was later sentenced to jail as a subversive leader by the colonial regime. In an unauthorized march by the NP in the city of Ponce 18 nationalists were killed by the police, this would be known later as the Ponce Massacre.

Luis Muñoz Marín founded the Popular Democratic Party in 1940. Their slogan was "Pan, Tierra y Libertad" (Bread, Land and Liberty). The party favored independence for the country in its initial stages but social and economic reform were the priority in their political agenda.

The Puerto Rico Independence Party was formed six years later by dissidents who saw the PPD moving away from the ideal of independence. During that period, the colonial regime appointed the first Puerto Rican governor, Jesús T. Piñero, until 1948 when the people elected Luis Muñoz Marín as the first elected governor.

Constitution of Puerto Rico

The US Government approved the Law 600 authorizing Puerto Rico to draft its own constitution, 52 years after the invasion. The constitution was approved by the majority of the people, later it was approved by the US Congress which maintains ultimate sovereignty although gives self government to Puerto Rico. Under this constitution, Puerto Rico is a commonwealth associated with the United States.

The government is composed of 3 branches; the Executive branch, the Legislative branch with a bicameral Legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives and the Judicial branch. The legal system is based on the Spanish civil code.

Puerto Ricans have been american citizens since 1917 by a statutory law called Jones Act, this statutory law can be modified at any time by the US Congress, they are free to live anywhere without a visa in the US; similarly, all Americans have the right to migrate to Puerto Rico without a visa. However, Puerto Ricans have no voting representation in the Congress, do not vote for the US president, and pay no federal income tax or US sales tax. Puerto Rico has an elected Resident Commissioner, who sits in Congress as ambassador of the people of Puerto Rico, has voice but cannot vote.

The NP denounced the constitution and Muños Marín support as a sham and attacked the Governor's mansion(1950), the US Blair House and the US House of Representatives(1954), 23 people were killed and more than 50 were injured. Governor Muñoz Marín inagurated the new status called Estado Libre Asociado(commonwealth) and raised the Puerto Rican flag along with the national anthem of Puerto Rico for the first time on July 25, 1952. Resolution 748 (VIII) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1953 recognized Puerto Rico's self government.

The New Progressive Party was founded in 1968 by Luis A. Ferre, that same year they won the elections. This party saw the ideology of annexation (to the US) as a civil rights issue. This event polarized the political arena to a great degree as radical independence groups were formed in the 1970s and the Puerto Rico Socialist Party (PSP), a Marxist and Cuban friendly party, was created. Two of the radical groups were labeled as terrorist groups by the US government, Los Macheteros and the FALN. These groups were viewed by many pro independence followers as freedom fighters.

In 1972 the PNP lost to the PPD. Rafael Hernández Colón became the undisputed leader of the PPD at age 36. He was, as the fourth elected governor, in favor of adding more powers to the commonwealth status. One of his projects was the Puerto Rican owned marine transportation, in order to control the costs of the marine transport in Puerto Rico, the marine company Is Land was bought to form "Navieras de Puerto Rico" in 1974.

The fifth governor was Carlos Romero Barceló, he was a fierce supporter of the pro us-annexation ideology. He was beloved by the PNP and strongly disliked by the opposition. Under his administration, section 936 of the US Internal Revenue Tax Code was implemented as an economic incentive. This allowed American companies to create profit in the island without paying taxes. His administration was shadowed by the Cerro Maravilla affair were two independence activists were killed by undercover police agents. This created a Watergate like scandal that was later investigated by the Senate.

In 1980 Romero Barcelo won by a controversial 0.2% margin and lost the Senate and House of Representatives to the PPD. Independence radical groups were active again and in 1981 blew up 11 jet fighters in the US base Muñiz.

Rafael Hernández Colón became the head of government for the second time in 1984 and stayed in power until 1991. Pedro Rosselló became the sixth governor in 1992. He pushed the political status dilema in Washington D.C. and sponsored two referendums but these became non-binding. He implemented a new health care system similar to Canada which was widely accepted by the population.

Current issues

When asked to choose between independence, statehood, or continuation of the present status with enhanced powers as proposed by the Popular Democratic Party, Puerto Ricans have voted to remain a commonwealth, but dissatisfaction with the current status is evident. The issue is still being debated and is in the agenda of all the political parties and civil society groups. Many pro commonwealth leaders within the PPD are proposing an Associated Republic or Free Association like the one in Marshall Islands or Palau. This left wing of the PPD has achieved some success in driving the party to less conservative and more nationalistic stands.

On April 19, 1999 two US Marine jets in training exercises dropped bombs over the military range at the US base in the island of Vieques and missed their targets. David Sanes, a civilian was killed. Later in the month protestors began occupying the US Navy range at Vieques and civil disobedience became a widespread movement inside the US base. Gov. Pedro Rosselló denounced the Sanes incident, which the Navy had use for over 60 years, and supported the end of the military exercises. 100,000 people marched on spring of 2000 in San Juan to demand the end of the military exercises and the use of the base for military purposes.

Sila María Calderón became the seventh head of government on 2001 and the first woman to lead the country. She supported the exit of the US Navy and permitted the continuation of the civil disobedience camps inside the bombing range while the press reported wide ecological damage to the environment of the island, and presented studies that showed a higher cancer rate in residents of Vieques, compared to the main island.

Later that year the US government suspended military exercises in Vieques and in May of 2003 closed the base. The land is expected to return back to the Vieques municipality. More than 1,500 people were arrested for civil disobedience including leaders of the three political parties and members of the Catholic Church from 1999 to 2003. On July 25, 2003, Governor Calderón announced her support for a new process outside the political parties that would deal with the status dilema in 2004.

Municipalities

Main article: List of municipalities in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico being a commonwealth associated with the US, there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order:

Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas (Puerto Rico), San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rican archipelago consists of the main island of Puerto Rico and various smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, and Mona.

The mainland measures some 170 km by 60 km (105 miles by 35 miles). It has a population of approximately 4 million. The capital city, San Juan, is located on the main island's north coast and has a population of approximately 430,000.

Puerto Rico has 78 municipalities and major cities include San Juan, Ponce, Mayagüez, Caguas, and Humacao. The metropolitan area consists of San Juan, Bayamón, Carolina and Guaynabo with a total population of over 1.6 million.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Puerto Rico

The economic conditions in Puerto Rico have improved dramatically since the Great Depression due to external investment in capital-intensive industry such as petrochemicals pharmaceuticals and technology. Once the beneficiary of special tax treatment from the US government, today local industries must compete with those in more economically depressed parts of the world were wages are not subject to US minimum wage legislation.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Puerto Rico

With the exception of pre-Castro Cuba, Puerto Rico is the only island in the Caribbean with a "white" majority. On the whole, the people of Puerto Rico represent a racially diverse population of mainly Spanish, Taino Indian and African strains. Throughout five centuries, the islanders have developed a harmonious blend of Spanish, African and Taino Indian traditions, however, the dominant culture has always been that of the Spanish settlers.

Of the European population, the most obvious are those descended from the families established by the colonizing Spaniards who mainly came from southern Spain and the Canary Islands. During the early period of colonization, intermarriage between the Spanish settlers and the native Tainos existed, but the Indian population was soon wiped out. Today the Tainos are an extinct people, however their contribution to the culture of the island can still be seen in the local cuisine, arts, and place names. With the indigenous population exterminated, many African slaves were imported to the island and today there are numerous Puerto Ricans with visible African features.

Later, Corsican, Italian, and French immigrants as well as French arrived along with numerous Spanish loyalists from Spain's former colonies in South America. Other settlers have included Irish, Germans and in recent times, immigrants from Cuba and Dominican Republic but represent less than 2% of the population. According to the 2000 census 96% of the population consider themselves Puerto Rican descent, making Puerto Rico one of the most homogeneous societies in the world.

Spanish is the primary language on Puerto Rico; estimates are that less than a quarter of the population is fully bilingual in English and Spanish. English is taught in public schools as a foreign language.

The Roman Catholic is the main religion, 85% of Puerto Ricans are Roman Catholics (census 2000). Puerto Rico has its own Olympic team and has international representation in many events including the Summer World Olympics, Winter Olympics, Panamerican Games, and Central American Games among many others.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Puerto Rico

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