Several Puerto Ricans interviewed by Fox News Digital in San Juan, Puerto Rico voiced opposition to becoming America’s 51st state, arguing that it would send the economy into turmoil and strip the island of its cultural identity.
“I don’t think it should be a state,” Carly, who grew up in Puerto Rico and now lives in Connecticut, told Fox News Digital. “I don’t want them to do PR how they did with Hawaii. I don’t want taxes to spike. People’s wages here are really low to maintain life here.”
Statehood for Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory since the United States acquired it from Spain in 1898, has long been debated among both the U.S. government and Puerto Rico’s local government.
CARIBBEAN HOT SPOT GRIPPED BY WATER CRISIS, AND TOURISTS SCRAMBLE TO RESCHEDULE PLANS
The statehood debate carries significant economic implications for the island, including potential changes to how Puerto Rican residents and businesses are taxed. Puerto Rico operates under a different federal tax structure than the states — statehood would bring the island more fully into the federal tax system.
“Everything would become more expensive than it already is and locals [have] already been struggling for a while now,” Alejandra from San Juan, Puerto Rico, said. She continued, “It would make stuff even worse.”
Puerto Rican Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, a member of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party and ally of President Donald Trump, is an advocate of the push for Puerto Rico to become the 51st state. She argues that achieving statehood goes hand-in-hand with achieving equality, as her party has claimed unequal treatment in numerous federal programs.
PUERTO RICO GOVERNOR SIGNS LAW RECOGNIZING UNBORN BABIES AS HUMAN BEINGS
One Puerto Rican resident who spoke with Fox News Digital cited the public scrutiny of Trump as a reason for not wanting to gain statehood. Although Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, residents of the territory cannot vote in the general election for president.
“There’s a lot of controversy with the… especially the president right now,” a woman from Puerto Rico who referred to herself as “Boo” said. “We don’t want to be a part of that, for sure.”
A nonbinding referendum on the issue held in November 2024 asked Puerto Rican voters to choose between statehood, independence, or associated independence — which leaves certain issues to be negotiated individually. The vote found that 59% of those voting were in favor of statehood, with 29% favoring independence and 12% for associated independence.
“I believe that we can be our own independent country,” Angelie, another Puerto Rican resident, said. “I think that we have the full potential to become an independent country since we have been colonized for so, so many years.”
She continued, “We had the chance to be a country then the United States, no hate though, colonized us and promised us something and then it was another stuff.”
Another resident expressed his support for Puerto Rico gaining independence, but said it’s “not ready for that.”
“I truly believe that Puerto Rico should be part of the nations around the world as an independent nation like the U.S. is,” Luis from Puerto Rico said.
Luis also cited Puerto Rico’s economic relationship with the federal government as one reason he questions whether the island is prepared for independence.
“The reality is that we have been… tailored to the U.S. — not citizens, the U.S. government, federal government — to their liking,” Luis said. “In other words, they have been feeding us with a lot of federal funding and people are used to that.”
He continued, “A lot of people do not work just because they are used to get the federal funds. So that’s a shame.”
In addition to the economic concerns presented, “Boo” pointed to her fear that Puerto Rico would lose its culture if it joined the U.S. as a state.
“Puerto Rico is already being very Americanized,” she said. “I wouldn’t like that to keep going on if we become a state because it will lose the heart and soul.”
SEE IT: Puerto Ricans reject 51st state push as residents fear taxes could skyrocket 2026
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-08-23 10:51:09
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
