The Explanation
Aug 23, 2023
As a US territory, Puerto Rico uses the dollar, its people are US citizens and they can move freely back and forth. However, it isn’t a US state, and its residents can’t vote in presidential elections or for members of Congress.
The country has a deep debt crisis, high unemployment and has experienced devastating hurricanes and earthquakes. As a result, migration to the US is common, with almost a million more Puerto Ricans in the US than on the island. In 2020, a non-binding referendum resulted in Puerto Rico voting again to become a US state. But will it ever happen?
BBC Mundo’s Ronald Avila-Claudio tells us more about his homeland and what the future might hold.
Presented by Claire Graham and produced by Owen McFadden for the BBC World Service.
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