Why is Puerto Rico not considered a nation-state?

Answer 1

Puerto Rico is not considered a nation-state because it does not meet the criteria. It is a dependent territory of the United States. The people of Puerto Rico have been citizens of the United States since 1917.

Answer 2

In 2008, Puerto Rican voters elected Pedro Pierluisi, who was elected to succeed the governor-elect Luis G. Fortuño in representing Puerto Rico in the United States House of Representatives as Resident Commissioner. As a member of the 111th Congress, Pierluisi introduced the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009 (H.R. 2499), which proposes a two-stage plebiscite to be held in Puerto Rico to reconsider its political status. In the first stage of the plebiscite voters would be asked to choose between two options (1) continuing "its present form of political status;" or (2) "a different political status." If a majority of voters chose "a different political status" in the first plebiscite, H.R. 2499 proposes a second plebiscite in which voters would be asked to choose from one of three options in a second plebiscite: (1) independence; (2) "sovereignty in association with the United States," and (3) statehood. The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on H.R. 2499 on June 24, 2009, and held a markup on July 22, 2009. At the markup, an amended version of the bill was ordered to be reported favorably (by a vote of 30-8). The amended version of the bill would retain the provisions of the original bill and add two additional components-one requiring Puerto Rico to cover all expenses associated with the plebiscites, and another requiring that plebiscite ballots to be made available in English and Spanish.

According to a CRS report, the recent activity regarding Puerto Rico's political status-in Congress and on the island-suggests that action may be taken in the 111th Congress. The reports issued in 2007 and 2005 by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status may be the basis for reconsideration of the existing commonwealth status, as legislative developments during the 109th and 110th Congresses suggested. Agreement on the process to be used in considering the status proposals has been as elusive as agreement on the end result. Congress would have a determinative role in any resolution of the issue. The four options that appear to be most frequently discussed include continuation of the commonwealth, modification of the current commonwealth agreement, statehood, or independence. If independence, or separate national sovereignty, were selected, Puerto Rican officials might seek to negotiate a compact of free association with the United States.

On June 15, 2009, the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization approved a draft resolution calling on the Government of the United States to expedite a process that would allow the Puerto Rican people to exercise fully their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.

Answer 3

Because it was one of the 3 territories that the USA claimed after the Spanish-American War, and has never had a referendum favoring Statehood or Independence by a majority and therefore retains its Territorial status.

Answer 4

We are a commonwealth (ONU version). In truth we are the last colony in the world and the USA owns us.

Answer 5

Because they would become dirt poor with our taxes and starve.