Context

 Puerto Rico’s rich cultural identity is rooted in the diverse number of historical influences that manifest in a shared culture, including Taino, Spanish, African, and North American roots. When Spanish Juan Ponce de Leon took possession of the island in the 1500’s, the predominant Taino inhabitants rebelled against the Spanish conquests, resulting in massive loss of Taino culture, language, and traditions and an influx of Spanish influence that permeates Puerto Rico’s current state. The island experienced an influx of African influence with the onset of slavery, followed by Caribbean and Latin American influences resulting from migration, and finally North American influence with the capture of Puerto Rico from Spain by the United States in 1898. The multiple influences have permeated Puerto Rico’s cultural space, notably seen through the development of music and performing arts. La bomba is one genre of music that developed in Puerto Rico sometime after the beginning of the Atlantic slave trade, a result of the blending of Afro-Taino practices, and is now a modern practice central to the Puerto Rican identity that carries traces of coloniality, gendered and racial divisions and history-silencing.

Since its acquisition, Puerto Rico has shared an ambiguous relationship with the United States. According to a 2022 report issued by the Congressional Research Service, it has possessed the official status of a Commonwealth of the United States since 1952. Yet, as the Territory Clause of the Constitution grants Congress “power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory...”, the supposed authority granted to Puerto Rico as a territory of the US is continually undermined and disregarded (CRS 3). Furthermore, its voice in the federal government is limited - it has a single representative in the House with no voting power. Puerto Ricans were granted citizenship in 1917 but cannot vote in U.S. general elections and are excluded entirely or partially from federal benefits including Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid. Despite its official status as a territory, Puerto Rico’s lack of authoritative recognition and political voice contribute to a precedent of manipulation, exploitation, and lack of both resources and poder (translated as: political power) — conditions which set the scene for turbulent internal social and political dynamics.

In recent times, Puerto Rico has undergone political corruption, economic collapse, and environmental disasters, exacerbated by the underlying issue of its status. For example, the US issued the 2016 Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) to counteract the economic crisis of the commonwealth. It created a process for re-structuring the territory’s debt and federally appointed an Oversight board to control Puerto Rico’s finances. At the time, it faced criticism from government leaders because it shifted power away from Puerto Rico and into the hands of the federal government, which many believed was both undemocratic and unsustainable for future growth.  

The repercussions of this Act have affected people of all ages, classes, and situations in Puerto Rico as the debt crisis is prioritized over the well-being of the people. According to protestors, gentrification has drastically increased. Certain tax benefits meant to attract the wealthy and alleviate economic deterioration result in the displacement of local families, the privatization of formerly communal spaces (ex. beaches), and the increase of living costs for the lower classes. Other major concerns include the significant cut in funding for healthcare and education, destruction of the environment through over-development, the exploitation of labor, a lack of clean and affordable housing, and much more. 

Looking ahead to the future, all solutions rely on institutional powers to create systematic change. According to Amaury J. Rijo Sanchez, the State is the problem and thus, cannot be relied upon to provide a solution. Although hesitant to admit it, the local Puerto Rican and the federal U.S. governments perpetuate a colonial state in which the people of Puerto Rico, particularly the women within the framework of the imposed European patriarchy, are mistreated. Disenchanted with institutional politics, Sanchez highlights the efforts of activists and community organizers who gathered on the International Working Women’s Day of March 8, 2023, to celebrate women in Puerto Rico, and advocate for vidas dignas, (translated: dignified lives) - a term that encompasses the social and environmental justice they are working toward. Likewise, theorists Aramburu and Hernandez accentuate the socio-cultural aspect of protest within the political sphere. Concerning the future of Puerto Rico, it is advisable to support and hope for recovery and regeneration through local community efforts, instead of the empty promises of institutional politics.