By V.S. Santoni
Over three million Americans currently reside in a situation where they lack the ability to elect their representatives, vote for the resident of the United States, and witness all local leaders’ decisions subject to approval by an unelected board holding veto power over enacted laws. Although this might evoke memories of Jim Crow America, it is, in fact, the current situation in the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico. The history of Puerto Rico throughout the 20th century is intricately tied to a series of U.S. Supreme Court cases known as the Insular Cases, which solidified Puerto Rico’s status as a territory “inhabited by alien races.”
In the early 20th century, the U.S. initiated a program aimed at eradicating Spanish as the island’s language, and practices of forced sterilization of Puerto Rican women were widespread.
Notably, Dr. Cornelius Rhoads, a renowned cancer researcher, was discovered to be injecting cancer cells into Puerto Rican patients, and a letter he authored contained shockingly racist language, even by the standards of the time. Until the 2000s, the United States routinely conducted bomb testing in Puerto Rico.
During the second term of the Obama administration, Puerto Rico, much like Detroit, Mississippi, and Flint, faced financial turmoil, yet it was not permitted to file for bankruptcy. Consequently, the US Congress enacted a law called PROMESA, requiring that all financial decisions of the Puerto Rican government be subject to approval by an unelected board endowed with complete veto authority. The path to breaking free from what is locally known in Puerto Rico as “La Junta” remains unclear, as the US Congress did not establish a sunset date for Puerto Rico to regain its financial autonomy. The decisions made by this board have reversed worker rights and blocked minimum wage increases on the island.
In 2017, Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, leaving behind enduring images of President Donald Trump distributing rolls of paper towels to the suffering population. Power restoration took over six months to complete throughout the island, and to this day, recurrent power outages continue to plague the island, a situation deemed unacceptable by any American citizen.
President after President, from both political parties, has acknowledged the necessity of resolving Puerto Rico’s colonial-era status, but no meaningful political initiative has been undertaken to address it. In 2023, three million Americans persist in a colonial state with no means of escape. It is imperative for the U.S. government to address the status of Puerto Rico and for the will of the Puerto Rican people to be acknowledged and respected.
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