Posted on 06/11/2017 3:58:08 PM PDT by SkyPilot
Puerto Rico's governor announced that the U.S. territory has overwhelmingly chosen statehood in a nonbinding referendum Sunday held amid a deep economic crisis that has sparked an exodus of islanders to the U.S. mainland.
Nearly half a million votes were cast for statehood, more than 7,600 for free association/independence and nearly 6,700 for the current territorial status, according to preliminary results. The participation rate was just 23 percent with roughly 2.26 million registered voters, leading opponents to question the validity of a vote that several parties had boycotted.
Gov. Ricardo Rossello shows his ballot at the San Jose Academy during the fifth referendum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday, June 11, 2017. Puerto Ricans are getting the chance to tell U.S. Congress on Sunday which political status they believe best benefits the U.S. territory as it remains mired in a deep economic crisis that has triggered an exodus of islanders to the U.S mainland. Congress ultimately has to approve the outcome of Sunday's referendum that offers voters three choices: statehood, free association/independence or current territorial status.
"From today going forward, the federal government will no longer be able to ignore the voice of the majority of the American citizens in Puerto Rico," Gov. Ricardo Rossello said, announcing the victory. "It would be highly contradictory for Washington to demand democracy in other parts of the world, and not respond to the legitimate right to self-determination that was exercised today in the American territory of Puerto Rico."
U.S. Congress, however, has final say in any changes to the island's political status.
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Statehood. Not exactly, but how about you become your own state - the country of puerto rico! Other Caribbean islands have done it, you can too!
leech not leach, heh heh
If Puerto Rico becomes a State, it will put Spanish on equal footing with English, in an official capacity. Just like French and English in Canada, because of Quebec.
Make New England 1 state, THEN go for statehood. 6 states become 1, add 1.
Make Connecticut and Rhode Island merge.
“why can’t we just dump them?”
Because they would all move to Florida.
One of many reasons PR must not be allowed to become a state.
I have no interest in PR becoming a state. We need to cut them off now.
They can be their own country, with their own drug culture, their own language, and their own debt.
I like the suggestion an FR poster (name forgotten, sadly) made a while ago: “If we apologize for the Spanish-American War, can we give Puerto Rico back?” :)
Why don’t we Americans get to vote?
Sorry Amigos. But that train left the station years ago.
Where do the rest of us sign up to vote “Hell NO!”
A Veces.
(sometimes)
Give PR back to Spain.
I need a billion-dollar bailout. When is my check coming from the U.S. Gov’t? As long as folks are asking hey why not.....
At least the island won't tip over.
I'm voting dodecagon.
Or Nueva York.
Thank goodness that vote doesn’t make it a state! Don’t need two more Dem senators and a few more Dem congresspersons.
Newton Gingrich c. 1995 was one of the first to seek Puerto Rican statehood. He is still wrong. Puerto Ricans want Pelosi back as Speaker too.
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