08/21/2024

Puerto Rico's DNC Delegates Called for the Island to Become a U.S. State

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Delegates from Puerto Rico referred to the island territory as "the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the next state of the United States" before casting their votes for Kamala Harris during Tuesday night's roll call.

Puerto Rico's relations with the U.S. have been fraught ever since the U.S. acquired the island in 1898 following the Spanish-American War.

In recent years, there's been a growing movement for Puerto Rico to become a state, especially after Hurricane Maria's disastrous impact on the island — including destroying huge portions of the food supply. Additionally, Puerto Ricans have a limited voice in the federal government, they don't have full voting representation in Congress and cannot vote in the presidential elections.

Please select this link to read the complete article from NPR.