Puerto Rico Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! PreviewAdvancedSpecial charactersHelpHeadingLevel 2Level 3Level 4Level 5FormatInsertLatinLatin extendedIPASymbolsGreekGreek extendedCyrillicArabicArabic extendedHebrewBanglaTamilTeluguSinhalaDevanagariGujaratiThaiLaoKhmerCanadian AboriginalRunesÁáÀàÂâÄäÃãǍǎĀāĂ㥹ÅåĆćĈĉÇçČčĊċĐđĎďÉéÈèÊêËëĚěĒēĔĕĖėĘęĜĝĢģĞğĠġĤĥĦħÍíÌìÎîÏïĨĩǏǐĪīĬĭİıĮįĴĵĶķĹĺĻļĽľŁłŃńÑñŅņŇňÓóÒòÔôÖöÕõǑǒŌōŎŏǪǫŐőŔŕŖŗŘřŚśŜŝŞşŠšȘșȚțŤťÚúÙùÛûÜüŨũŮůǓǔŪūǖǘǚǜŬŭŲųŰűŴŵÝýŶŷŸÿȲȳŹźŽžŻżÆæǢǣØøŒœßÐðÞþƏəFormattingLinksHeadingsListsFilesDiscussionReferencesDescriptionWhat you typeWhat you getItalic''Italic text''Italic textBold'''Bold text'''Bold textBold & italic'''''Bold & italic text'''''Bold & italic textDescriptionWhat you typeWhat you getReferencePage text.<ref>[https://www.example.org/ Link text], additional text.</ref>Page text.[1]Named referencePage text.<ref name="test">[https://www.example.org/ Link text]</ref>Page text.[2]Additional use of the same referencePage text.<ref name="test" />Page text.[2]Display references<references />↑ Link text, additional text.↑ Link text==Government== {{Main|Government of Puerto Rico|Politics of Puerto Rico}} Puerto Rico has a [[Republic|republican form of government]] based on the [[Republicanism in the United States|American model]], with [[separation of powers]] subject to the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |url=http://www.oslpr.org/english/PDF/The%20Constitution%20of%20the%20Commonwealth%20of%20Puerto%20Rico.pdf |title=Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Article I, Section 2 |access-date=14 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229150849/http://www.oslpr.org/english/pdf/the%20constitution%20of%20the%20commonwealth%20of%20puerto%20rico.pdf |archive-date=29 December 2009}}</ref><ref name=ussd>{{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/inr/rls/10543.htm |title=U.S. Department of State. Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty |publisher=State.gov |access-date=14 August 2010 |archive-date=21 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621161149/https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/inr/rls/10543.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> All governmental powers are delegated by the [[United States Congress]], with the head of state being [[president of the United States]]. As an [[Unincorporated territories of the United States|unincorporated territory]], Puerto Rico lacks full protection under the [[United States Constitution]].<ref name="U.S. Department of State">{{cite web |url=https://fam.state.gov/FAM/07FAM/07FAM1120.html |title=U.S. Department of State. Foreign Affairs Manual: Volume 7 – Consular Affairs (7 FAM 1120), 'Acquisition of U.S. Nationality in U.S. Territories and Possessions', pp. 1–3. |format=PDF |access-date=13 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222081013/https://fam.state.gov/FAM/07FAM/07FAM1120.html |archive-date=22 December 2015 }}</ref> The government of Puerto Rico is composed of three branches. The executive is headed by the [[governor of Puerto Rico|governor]], currently [[Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia]]. The [[Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico|legislative branch]] consists of the [[bicameral]] [[Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico|Legislative Assembly]], made up of a [[Senate of Puerto Rico|Senate]] as its upper chamber and a [[House of Representatives of Puerto Rico|House of Representatives]] as its lower chamber; the Senate is headed by a [[President of the Senate of Puerto Rico|president]], currently [[José Luis Dalmau]], while the House is headed by the [[Speaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico|speaker of the House]], currently [[Tatito Hernández]]. The governor and legislators are elected by popular vote every four years, with [[Puerto Rican general election, 2020|the last election held in November 2020]]. The [[judiciary of Puerto Rico|judicial branch]] is headed by the [[Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico|chief justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico]], currently [[Maite Oronoz Rodríguez]]. Members of the judiciary are appointed by the governor with the [[advice and consent]] of the Senate. Puerto Rico is represented in the U.S. Congress by a nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives, the [[Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico|resident commissioner]], currently [[Jenniffer González]]. Current congressional rules have removed the commissioner's power to vote in the [[Committee of the Whole (United States House of Representatives)|Committee of the Whole]], but the commissioner can vote in committee.<ref name="rhg">[http://clerk.house.gov/legislative/house-rules.pdf Rules of the House of Representatives. Rule III] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005220012/http://clerk.house.gov/legislative/house-rules.pdf/ |date=5 October 2015 }}.</ref> Puerto Rican elections are governed by the [[Federal Election Commission]] and the [[State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico]].<ref>{{cite web|date=25 July 2018|title=Help America Vote Act (HAVA) 2018 ELECTION SECURITY GRANT|url=https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/5676842/Puerto-Rico-State-Elections-Commission-Help.pdf|access-date=30 October 2011|publisher=Puerto Rico State Elections Commission|archive-date=29 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729065604/https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/5676842/Puerto-Rico-State-Elections-Commission-Help.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2008pdates.pdf |title=2008 Presidential Primary Dates and Candidates Filling Datelines for Ballot Access |access-date=30 October 2011 |archive-date=28 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028170649/http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2008pdates.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Residents of Puerto Rico, including other U.S. citizens, cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections, but can vote in [[United States presidential primary|primaries]]. Puerto Ricans who become residents of a [[U.S. state]] or [[Washington, D.C.]] can vote in presidential elections. Puerto Rico has [[Puerto Rico senatorial districts|eight senatorial districts]], [[Puerto Rico representative districts|40 representative districts]], and [[Municipalities of Puerto Rico|78 municipalities]]; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the U.S. government. Municipalities are subdivided into wards or [[barrio]]s, and those into sectors. Each municipality has a [[Mayors of Puerto Rico|mayor]] and a municipal legislature elected for a four-year term. The municipality of [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]] is the oldest, founded in 1521;<ref name="linktopr.com">{{cite web|title=Consulados. ''Link to Puerto Rico''|url=http://www.linktopr.com/consulados.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040411192635/http://www.linktopr.com/consulados.html|archive-date=11 April 2004|access-date=3 February 2009}}</ref> the next earliest settlements are [[San Germán]] in 1570, [[Coamo]] in 1579, [[Arecibo]] in 1614, [[Aguada, Puerto Rico|Aguada]] in 1692 and [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]] in 1692. Increased settlement in the 18th century saw 30 more communities established, following 34 in the 19th century. Six were founded in the 20th century, the most recent being [[Florida, Puerto Rico|Florida]] in 1971.<ref name="fundacion">{{cite web |url=http://www.linktopr.com/fundacion.html |title=LinktoPR.com – Fundación de los Pueblos |access-date=21 April 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040421093959/http://www.linktopr.com/fundacion.html |archive-date=21 April 2004 }}</ref> ===Political parties and elections=== {{main|Political party strength in Puerto Rico}} [[File:Political-party-strength-in-puerto-rico-2012.png|thumb|right|The difference between the incumbent party, the PPD, and its opponent, the PNP, was a mere 0.6% in the last election. This difference is common as the political landscape experiences political cycles between both parties, with the PPD ruling all branches of government for 36 of the past 64 years. The PNP, on the other hand, has ruled both the executive and legislative branch concurrently for 16 years. The other 12 years experienced a [[Divided government in the United States|divided government]].]] Since 1952, Puerto Rico has had three main political parties: the [[Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico)|Popular Democratic Party]] (PPD in Spanish), the [[New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico)|New Progressive Party]] (PNP in Spanish) and the [[Puerto Rican Independence Party]] (PIP). The three parties stand for different political status. The PPD, for example, seeks [[status quo movement in Puerto Rico|to maintain the island's status with the U.S. as a commonwealth]], while the PNP, on the other hand, seeks [[statehood movement in Puerto Rico|to make Puerto Rico a state of the United States]]. The PIP, in contrast, seeks a complete separation from the United States by seeking [[independence movement in Puerto Rico|to make Puerto Rico a sovereign nation]]. In terms of party strength, the PPD and PNP usually hold about 47% of the vote each while the PIP holds about 5%. After 2007, other parties emerged on the island. The first, the [[Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party]] (PPR in Spanish) was registered that same year. The party claims that it seeks to address the islands' problems from a status-neutral platform. But it ceased to remain as a registered party when it failed to obtain the required number of votes in the 2008 general election. Four years later, the 2012 election saw the emergence of the [[Movimiento Unión Soberanista]] (MUS; English: ''Sovereign Union Movement'') and the [[Partido del Pueblo Trabajador]] (PPT; English: ''Working People's Party'') but none obtained more than 1% of the vote. Other non-registered parties include the [[Puerto Rican Nationalist Party]], the [[Socialist Workers Movement (Puerto Rico)|Socialist Workers Movement]], and the [[Hostosian National Independence Movement]]. ===Law=== {{main|Constitution of Puerto Rico|Law of Puerto Rico}} The insular legal system is a blend of [[Civil law (legal system)|civil law]] and the [[common law]] systems. Puerto Rico is the only current U.S. jurisdiction whose legal system operates primarily in a language other than American English: namely, [[Spanish language|Spanish]]. Because the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. federal government]] operates primarily in English, all Puerto Rican attorneys must be bilingual in order to litigate in English in [[United States federal courts|U.S. federal courts]], and litigate federal preemption issues in Puerto Rican courts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hunter |first=Britt |title=Research Guides: Commonwealth Caribbean Law Research Guide: Puerto Rico |url=https://guides.law.fsu.edu/caribbean/puertorico |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=guides.law.fsu.edu |language=en |archive-date=19 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119165910/https://guides.law.fsu.edu/caribbean/puertorico |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Original research inline|date=March 2021}} [[Title 48 of the United States Code]] outlines the role of the United States Code to United States territories and insular areas such as Puerto Rico. After the U.S. government assumed control of Puerto Rico in 1901, it initiated legal reforms resulting in the adoption of codes of criminal law, criminal procedure, and civil procedure modeled after those then in effect in [[California]]. Although Puerto Rico has since followed the federal example of transferring criminal and civil procedure from [[statutory law]] to rules promulgated by the judiciary, several portions of its criminal law still reflect the influence of the [[California Penal Code]]. The judicial branch is headed by the [[Chief Justice|chief justice]] of the [[Puerto Rico Supreme Court]], which is the only appellate court required by the Constitution. All other courts are created by the [[Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wilson|first=Steven H.|title=The U.S. Justice System An Encyclopedia |publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2021|isbn=978-1-59884-305-7}}</ref> There is also a [[United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico|Federal District Court for Puerto Rico]], and someone accused of a criminal act at the federal level may not be accused for the same act in a Commonwealth court, and vice versa, since Puerto Rico as an unincorporated territory lacks sovereignty separate from Congress as a state does.<ref name="Martínez Torres">{{cite web |url=http://www.ramajudicial.pr/ts/2015/2015tspr25.pdf |title=Opinión del Tribunal emitida por el Juez Asociado señor Martínez Torres |publisher=El Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico |work=Legal Document |date=20 March 2015 |access-date=7 February 2016 |author=Martínez Torres, Juez (Judge) |archive-date=22 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122145414/http://www.ramajudicial.pr/ts/2015/2015tspr25.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Such a parallel accusation would constitute [[double jeopardy]]. ===Political status=== {{Main|Political status of Puerto Rico|Proposed political status for Puerto Rico}} The nature of Puerto Rico's political relationship with the U.S. is the subject of [[Political status of Puerto Rico#Controversies|ongoing debate]] in Puerto Rico, the [[United States Congress]], and the [[United Nations]].<ref name="sdc">{{cite press release |title=Special committee on decolonization approves text calling on United States to expedite Puerto Rican self-determination process |date=13 June 2006 |publisher=Department of Public Information, United Nations General Assembly |url=https://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/gacol3138.doc.htm |access-date=1 October 2007 |archive-date=9 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409222103/https://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/gacol3138.doc.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Specifically, the basic question is whether Puerto Rico should remain an [[Territories of the United States|unincorporated territory of the U.S.]], become a [[U.S. state]], or become an independent country.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32933.pdf |title=Political Status of Puerto Rico: Background, Options, and Issues in the 109th Congress |date=25 May 2005 |author=Keith Bea |publisher=Congressional Research Service |access-date=1 October 2007 |archive-date=28 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928232129/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32933.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:PR Capitol, south side.JPG|thumb|The [[Capitol of Puerto Rico]], home of the Legislative Assembly in Puerto Rico|alt=|left]] Constitutionally, Puerto Rico is subject to the [[plenary powers]] of the [[United States Congress]] under the [[territorial clause]] of [[Article Four of the United States Constitution|Article IV of the U.S. Constitution]].<ref>U.S. Const. art. IV, § 3, cl. 2 ("The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States ...").</ref> [[U.S. federal law|Laws enacted at the federal level in the United States]] apply to Puerto Rico as well, regardless of its political status. Their residents [[Federal voting rights in Puerto Rico|do not have voting representation in the U.S. Congress]]. Puerto Rico lacks "the full sovereignty of an independent nation", for example, the power to manage its "external relations with other nations", which is held by the U.S. federal government. The Supreme Court of the United States has indicated that once the U.S. Constitution has been extended to an area (by Congress or the courts), its coverage is irrevocable. To hold that the political branches may switch the Constitution on or off at will would lead to a regime in which they, not this Court, say "what the law is".<ref>[[Downes v. Bidwell]], 182 U.S. 244, 261 (1901), commenting on an earlier Supreme Court decision, Loughborough v. Blake, 18 U.S. (5 Wheat.) 317 (1820); Rasmussen v. United States, 197 U.S. 516, 529–530, 536 (1905)(concurring opinions of Justices Harlan and Brown), that once the Constitution has been extended to an area, its coverage is irrevocable; [[Boumediene v. Bush]] – That where the Constitution has been once formally extended by Congress to territories, neither Congress nor the territorial legislature can enact laws inconsistent therewith. The Constitution grants Congress and the President the power to acquire, dispose of, and govern territory, not the power to decide when and where its terms apply.</ref> Puerto Ricans "were collectively made [[U.S. citizenship#Birthright citizenship|U.S. citizens]]" in 1917 as a result of the [[Jones-Shafroth Act]].<ref>''The Louisiana Purchase and American Expansion: 1803–1898''. By Sanford Levinson and Bartholomew H. Sparrow. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 2005. pp. 166, 178. "U.S. citizenship was extended to residents of Puerto Rico by virtue of the Jones Act, chap. 190, 39 Stat. 951 (1971)(codified at 48 U.S.C. § 731 (1987)")</ref> U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections, though both major parties, Republican and Democratic, hold primary elections in Puerto Rico to choose delegates to vote on the parties' presidential candidates. Since Puerto Rico is an [[Unincorporated territories of the United States|unincorporated territory]] (see above) and not a U.S. state, the [[United States Constitution]] does not fully [[enfranchise]] [[U.S. citizen]]s residing in Puerto Rico.<ref name="U.S. Department of State"/><ref name="Constitutional Topic: Citizenship">{{cite web |url=http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_citi.html |title=Constitutional Topic: Citizenship |publisher=U.S. Constitution Online |access-date=6 June 2009 |archive-date=11 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211130139/http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_citi.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Only [[fundamental right]]s under the American federal constitution and adjudications are applied to Puerto Ricans. Various other U.S. Supreme Court decisions have held which rights apply in Puerto Rico and which ones do not. Puerto Ricans have a long history of service in the U.S. Armed Forces and, since 1917, they have been included in the U.S. [[compulsory draft]] whensoever it has been in effect. Though the Commonwealth government has its own tax laws, residents of Puerto Rico, contrary to a popular misconception, do pay U.S. federal taxes: customs taxes (which are subsequently returned to the Puerto Rico Treasury), import/export taxes, federal commodity taxes, social security taxes, etc. Residents pay federal [[payroll tax]]es, such as [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]] and [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]], as well as Commonwealth of Puerto Rico income taxes. All federal employees, those who do business with the federal government, Puerto Rico-based corporations that intend to send funds to the U.S., and some others, such as Puerto Rican residents that are members of the U.S. military, and Puerto Rico residents who earned income from sources outside Puerto Rico also pay federal income taxes. In addition, because the cutoff point for income taxation is lower than that of the U.S. IRS code, and because the per-capita income in Puerto Rico is much lower than the average per-capita income on the mainland, more Puerto Rico residents pay income taxes to the local taxation authority than if the IRS code were applied to the island. This occurs because "the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico government has a wider set of responsibilities than do U.S. State and local governments."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stanford.wellsphere.com/healthcare-industry-policy-article/puerto-rico/267827 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401034052/http://stanford.wellsphere.com/healthcare-industry-policy-article/puerto-rico/267827 |archive-date=1 April 2010 |title=Puerto Ricans pay federal commodity taxes |publisher=Stanford.wellsphere.com |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc903.html |title=Internal Revenue Service. ', Topic 903 – Federal Employment Tax in Puerto Rico' |publisher=Irs.gov |date=18 December 2009 |access-date=14 August 2010 |archive-date=3 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703133155/https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc903.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=reuters2009-09-24>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE58N5X320090924 |title=Reuters, 'Puerto Rico hopes to gain from U.S. healthcare reform', 24 September 2009 |work=Reuters |date=24 September 2009 |access-date=14 August 2010 |archive-date=30 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130062125/https://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE58N5X320090924 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Schaefer |first=Brett |url=http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2009/03/dc-voting-rights-no-representation-no-taxation |title=The Heritage Foundation, 11 March 2009. "D.C. Voting Rights: No Representation? No Taxation!", By Robert A. Book, PhD |publisher=Heritage.org |access-date=16 October 2010 |archive-date=29 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429113102/http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2009/03/dc-voting-rights-no-representation-no-taxation |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mcvpr.com/CM/CurrentEvents/CEOsummitarticle.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515142411/http://www.mcvpr.com/CM/CurrentEvents/CEOsummitarticle.pdf |archive-date=15 May 2011 |title=Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association, CEO Summit, Federal and Local Incentives: Where we are, Where We Want to be. Amaya Iraolagoitia, Partner, Tax Dept. |access-date=14 August 2010 }}</ref><ref name=jct>{{cite web |url=http://www.jct.gov/x-24-06.pdf |title=Joint Committee on Taxation. ''An Overview of the Special Tax Rules Related to Puerto Rico and an Analysis of the Tax and Economic Policy Implications of Recent Legislative Options'' |access-date=14 August 2010 |archive-date=3 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903121058/http://www.jct.gov/x-24-06.pdf }}</ref>{{#Tag:Ref|Members of the military must pay federal income tax<ref name=reuters2009-09-24 /><ref name=jct />}} In 2009, Puerto Rico paid {{Nowrap|$3.742 billion}} into the [[U.S. Treasury]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/09db05co.xls |title=Table 5. Internal Revenue Gross Collections, by Type of Tax and State, Fiscal year 2009 |publisher=[[Internal Revenue Service]] |format=XLS |access-date=11 August 2017 |archive-date=9 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709062753/https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/09db05co.xls |url-status=live }}</ref> Residents of Puerto Rico pay into Social Security, and are thus eligible for Social Security benefits upon retirement. They are excluded from the [[Supplemental Security Income]] (SSI), and the island actually receives a smaller fraction of the [[Medicaid]] funding it would receive if it were a U.S. state.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-healthcare-puertorico-idUSTRE58N5X320090924 ''Puerto Rico hopes to gain from U.S. healthcare reform.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016022450/http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/24/us-healthcare-puertorico-idUSTRE58N5X320090924 |date=16 October 2015 }} Reuters. 24 September 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2012.</ref> Also, Medicare providers receive less-than-full state-like reimbursements for services rendered to beneficiaries in Puerto Rico, even though the latter paid fully into the system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prfaa.com/news/?p=252 |title=News & Media |publisher=PRFAA |date=6 July 2009 |access-date=30 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511054048/http://www.prfaa.com/news/?p=252 |archive-date=11 May 2011 }}</ref> Puerto Rico's authority to enact a criminal code derives from Congress and not from local sovereignty as with the states. Thus, individuals committing a crime can only be tried in federal or territorial court, otherwise it would constitute double jeopardy and is constitutionally impermissible.<ref name="Martínez Torres" /> In 1992, President [[George H. W. Bush]] issued a memorandum to heads of executive departments and agencies establishing the current administrative relationship between the federal government and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. This memorandum directs all federal departments, agencies, and officials to treat Puerto Rico administratively as if it were a state, insofar as doing so would not disrupt federal programs or operations. Many federal executive branch agencies have significant presence in Puerto Rico, just as in any state, including the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]], [[Transportation Security Administration]], [[Social Security Administration]], and others. While Puerto Rico has its own [[judiciary of Puerto Rico|Commonwealth judicial system]] similar to that of a U.S. state, there is also a U.S. federal district court in Puerto Rico, and Puerto Ricans have served as judges in that Court and in other federal courts on the U.S. mainland regardless of their residency status at the time of their appointment. [[Sonia Sotomayor]], a [[Nuyorican|New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent]], serves as an [[Associate Justice|associate justice]] of the [[Supreme Court of the United States]]. Puerto Ricans have also been frequently appointed to high-level federal positions, including serving as [[Ambassadors of the United States|United States ambassadors]] to other nations. ===Foreign and intergovernmental relations=== {{more citations needed section|date=November 2017}} {{main|Foreign and intergovernmental relations of Puerto Rico}} Puerto Rico is subject to the [[Commerce Clause|Commerce]] and [[Territorial Clause]] of the U.S. Constitution and is thus restricted on how it can engage with other nations, sharing the opportunities and limitations that state governments have albeit not being one. As is the case with state governments, it has established several trade agreements with other nations, particularly with Latin American countries such as Colombia and Panamá.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.elnuevodia.com/colombiaypuertoricosedanlamano-1556164.html |title=Colombia y Puerto Rico se dan la mano |date=20 July 2013 |access-date=11 August 2013 |language=es |newspaper=[[El Nuevo Día]] |archive-date=24 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824132404/http://www.elnuevodia.com/colombiaypuertoricosedanlamano-1556164.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.icesi.edu.co/blogs/paises/2013/07/23/puerto-rico/ |title=Relaciones comerciales entre Colombia y Puerto Rico |date=23 July 2013 |access-date=11 August 2013 |language=es |publisher=[[Universidad ICESI]] |archive-date=2 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002064317/http://www.icesi.edu.co/blogs/paises/2013/07/23/puerto-rico/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It has also established trade promotion offices in many foreign countries, all Spanish-speaking, and within the United States itself, which now include Spain, the Dominican Republic, [[Panama]], [[Colombia]], [[Washington, D.C.]], New York City and Florida, and has included in the past offices in [[Chile]], [[Costa Rica]], and [[Mexico]]. Such agreements require permission from the U.S. Department of State; most are simply allowed by existing laws or trade treaties between the United States and other nations which supersede trade agreements pursued by Puerto Rico and different U.S. states. Puerto Rico hosts [[Consul (representative)|consulates]] from 41 countries, mainly from the [[Americas]] and Europe, with most located in San Juan.<ref name="linktopr.com"/> At the local level, Puerto Rico established by law that the international relations which states and territories are allowed to engage must be handled by the [[Department of State of Puerto Rico]], an [[executive departments of the government of Puerto Rico|executive department]], headed by the [[Secretary of State of Puerto Rico|secretary of state of Puerto Rico]], who also serves as the unincorporated territory's lieutenant governor. It is also charged to liaise with general [[consul (representative)|consuls]] and [[honorary consul]]s based in Puerto Rico. The [[Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration]], along with the [[Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico|Office of the Resident Commissioner]], manages all its intergovernmental affairs before entities of or in the United States (including the federal government of the United States, local and state governments of the United States, and public or private entities in the United States). Both entities frequently assist the Department of State of Puerto Rico in engaging with Washington, D.C.-based ambassadors and federal agencies that handle Puerto Rico's foreign affairs, such as the U.S. Department of State, the [[Agency for International Development]], and others. The current secretary of state is [[Larry Seilhamer Rodríguez]] from the [[New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico)|New Progressive Party]], while the current [[List of Directors of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration|director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration]] is [[Jennifer M. Stopiran]] also from the NPP and a member of the Republican Party of the United States. The [[Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico|resident commissioner of Puerto Rico]], the [[delegate (United States Congress)|delegate]] elected by Puerto Ricans to represent them before the federal government, including the U.S. Congress, sits in the United States House of Representatives, serves and votes on congressional committees, and functions in every respect as a legislator except being denied a vote on the final disposition of legislation on the House floor. The current resident commissioner is [[Jenniffer González|Jenniffer González-Colón]], a Republican, elected in 2016. She received more votes than any other official elected in Puerto Rico that year.<ref name="wines19">{{cite news |last=Wines |first=Michael |title=She's Puerto Rico's Only Link to Washington. She Could Be Its Future Governor. |newspaper=New York Times |date=26 July 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/26/us/Jenniffer-Gonzalez-Colon-puerto-rico.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726173211/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/26/us/Jenniffer-Gonzalez-Colon-puerto-rico.html |archive-date=2019-07-26 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |quote=She noted that her campaign to become resident commissioner garnered more votes in 2016 than any other candidate for office in the unincorporated territory.}}</ref> Many Puerto Ricans have served as United States ambassadors to different nations and international organizations, such as the [[Organization of American States]], mostly but not exclusively in Latin America. For example, Maricarmen Aponte, a Puerto Rican and now an acting assistant secretary of state, previously served as [[List of ambassadors of the United States to El Salvador|U.S. ambassador to El Salvador]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/148343.htm |title=Mari Carmen Aponte |website=State.gov |access-date=21 May 2019 |archive-date=21 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521205719/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/148343.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Military=== {{main|Military of Puerto Rico}} [[File:Federal lands in Puerto Rico and VI.JPG|upright=2.00|thumb|U.S. military installations and other federal lands in Puerto Rico (including the United States Virgin Islands) throughout the 20th century|alt=]] As it is an unincorporated territory of the United States, the defense of Puerto Rico is provided by the United States as part of the [[Treaty of Paris (1898)|Treaty of Paris]] with the president of the United States as its [[commander-in-chief]]. Puerto Rico has its own [[Puerto Rico National Guard|National Guard]], and its own [[state defense force]], the [[Puerto Rico State Guard]], which by local law is under the authority of the Puerto Rico National Guard. The [[commander-in-chief]] of both local forces is the [[governor of Puerto Rico]] who delegates his authority to the [[Puerto Rico Adjutant General|Puerto Rico adjutant general]], currently [[Major General]] [[José J. Reyes]]. The Adjutant General, in turn, delegates the authority over the State Guard to another officer but retains the authority over the Puerto Rico National Guard as a whole. U.S. military installations in Puerto Rico were part of the [[United States Atlantic Command|U.S. Atlantic Command]] (LANTCOM after 1993 USACOM), which had authority over all U.S. military operations that took place throughout the Atlantic. Puerto Rico had been seen as crucial in supporting LANTCOM's mission until 1999, when U.S. Atlantic Command was renamed and given a new mission as [[United States Joint Forces Command]]. Puerto Rico is currently under the responsibility of [[United States Northern Command]]. Both the Naval Forces Caribbean (NFC) and the Fleet Air Caribbean (FAIR) were formerly based at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. The NFC had authority over all U.S. Naval activity in the waters of the Caribbean while FAIR had authority over all U.S. military flights and air operations over the Caribbean. With the closing of the Roosevelt Roads and Vieques Island training facilities, the U.S. Navy has basically exited from Puerto Rico, except for the ships that steam by, and the only significant military presence in the island is the [[U.S. Army]] at [[Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico|Ft Buchanan]], the [[Puerto Rican Army]] and Air National Guards, and the [[U.S. Coast Guard]]. Protests over the noise of bombing practice forced the closure of the naval base. This resulted in a loss of 6,000 jobs and an annual decrease in local income of $300 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/national/after-closing-of-navy-base-hard-times-in-puerto-rico.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003005620/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/national/after-closing-of-navy-base-hard-times-in-puerto-rico.html |archive-date=2017-10-03 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=After Closing of Navy Base, Hard Times in Puerto Rico |date=3 April 2005 |work=The New York Times| access-date=31 October 2017}}</ref> A branch of the [[United States Army National Guard|U.S. Army National Guard]] is stationed in Puerto Rico – known as the [[Puerto Rico Army National Guard]] – which performs missions equivalent to those of the Army National Guards of the different [[states of the United States]], including ground defense, disaster relief, and control of civil unrest. The local National Guard also incorporates a branch of the [[United States Air National Guard|U.S. Air National Guard]] – known as the [[Puerto Rico Air National Guard]] – which performs missions equivalent to those of the Air National Guards of each one of the U.S. states. [[File:USS Maryland (SSBN-738) 1997.jpg|thumb|{{sclass|Ohio|submarine|0}} [[ballistic missile submarine]] USS ''Maryland'', [[Roosevelt Roads Naval Station]], 1997|alt=]] At different times in the 20th century, the U.S. had about 25 military or naval installations in Puerto Rico, some very small ones,<ref name="WQS">OSD, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (DIOR); "Atlas/Data Abstract for the United States and Selected Areas – Fiscal Year 1997;" Department of Defense; 1998. Note: The count of 25 military installations included the branch component of the Roosevelt Roads Naval facility on the island of Vieques, as distinct from the Roosevelt Roads Naval station in Cieba</ref> as well as large installations. The largest of these installations were the former [[Roosevelt Roads Naval Station]] in [[Ceiba, Puerto Rico|Ceiba]], the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility (AFWTF) on [[Vieques]], the National Guard training facility at [[Camp Santiago]] in [[Salinas, Puerto Rico|Salinas]], [[Fort Allen, Puerto Rico|Fort Allen]] in [[Juana Diaz]], the Army's [[Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico|Fort Buchanan]] in San Juan, the former U.S. Air Force's Ramey Air Force Base in Aguadilla, and the Puerto Rico Air National Guard's [[Muñiz Air National Guard Base]] in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]].<ref name="CD">Meléndez, Edwin; Meléndez, Edgardo; Colonial Dilemma; [[South End Press]]; Boston; 1993</ref> The former U.S. Navy facilities at Roosevelt Roads, Vieques, and Sabana Seca have been deactivated and partially turned over to the local government. Other than [[U.S. Coast Guard]] and Puerto Rico National Guard facilities, there are only two remaining military installations in Puerto Rico: the U.S. Army's small Ft. Buchanan (supporting local veterans and reserve units) and the PRANG (Puerto Rico Air National Guard) Muñiz Air Base (the C-130 Fleet). In recent years, the [[U.S. Congress]] has considered their deactivations, but these have been opposed by diverse public and private entities in Puerto Rico – such as retired military who rely on Ft. Buchanan for the services available there. Puerto Ricans have participated in many United States military conflicts, including the [[American Revolution]], when volunteers from Puerto Rico, [[Cuba]], and [[Mexico]] fought the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] in 1779 under the command of General [[Bernardo de Gálvez]] (1746–1786).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mlis.state.md.us/1997rs/billfile/sj0002.htm |title=Participation of Hispanics in the American Revolution |work=SJR2 |author=Maryland General Assembly |date=8 April 1997 |access-date=9 August 2012 |archive-date=5 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105051722/http://mlis.state.md.us/1997rs/billfile/sj0002.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> They continue to be disproportionately represented in present-day conflicts in [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Danny Nieves |url=http://www.valerosos.com/anouncements.html |title=Special Announcements |publisher=Valerosos.com |access-date=18 April 2014 |archive-date=13 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713064457/http://www.valerosos.com/anouncements.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The most notable example is the [[65th Infantry Regiment]] of the [[United States Army]], nicknamed ''The Borinqueneers,'' from the original Taíno name of the island (Borinquen). The all-[[Puerto Rican people|Puerto Rican]] regiment participated in [[World War I]], [[World War II]], the [[Korean War]], and the [[War on Terror]]; in 2014, it was awarded the [[Congressional Gold Medal]] for its heroism during the Korean War. A significant number of Puerto Ricans serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, largely as [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]] members and civilian employees. The size of the overall military-related community is estimated to be 100,000, including retired personnel.<ref name="CD"/> Fort Buchanan has about 4,000 military and civilian personnel. In addition, approximately 17,000 people are members of the Puerto Rico Army and Air National Guards, or the U.S. Reserve forces.<ref name="OSD">Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Reserve Affairs; "Official Guard and Reserve Manpower Strengths and Statistics – Summary End Fiscal Year 1996;" 1996</ref> ===Administrative divisions=== [[File:USA Puerto Rico labeled.svg|thumb|A map of Puerto Rico showing its 78 municipalities; the islands of Vieques and Culebra have their own municipal governments.|alt=]] {{Main|Municipalities of Puerto Rico}} Unlike the vast majority of U.S. states, Puerto Rico has no first-order administrative divisions akin to [[County (United States)|counties]], but has 78 [[Municipality|municipalities]] or [[Municipio|''municipios'']] as the secondary unit of administration; for [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census]] purposes, the municipalities are considered [[County (United States)#County equivalents|county equivalents]]. Municipalities are subdivided into ''[[barrio]]s'', and those into sectors. Each municipality has a [[mayor]] and a municipal legislature elected for four-year terms, per the [[Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991]]. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page