Let Puerto Rico Decide: Status Choices

Let Puerto Rico Decide is all about choices for Puerto Rico. What are some of the Pros and Cons of the current territorial status? What about the Pros and Cons of the other possible options? The following is a general compilation of Pros and Cons for each status options. CEFUS is a non-partisan organization and does not advocate any particular status option. Our quest is focused on promoting a fair and effective congressional process offering clearly defined and viable options, so that the UP.SO. citizens in Puerto Rico can finally enjoy a full representative democracy.

STATEHOOD

Pros	Cons
*Permanent and guaranteed US citizenship	*Possibility of English only requirements (loss of cultural/national identity)
*The island would receive federal money to build the infrastructure	*An increased standard of livingcould result in greater economic deterioration due to the current muddled economic situation
*The island would be able to enjoy an open market trade with U.S. allies	*Businesses that take advantage of certain tax benefits could pull out of island and future businesses might not consider working there
*The island would acquire 6 seats in the House of Representatives and two seats in the Senate (all with voting rights) enabling the island to have more political clout and the right to vote in presidential elections	*The Constitution may have to be amended or other states may have to loose seats due to the constitutional stipulation which allows a maximum of 435 reps.
*End US colonial rule over the island	*Island would loose representation in the Miss Universe Pageant and Olympic Games

COMMONWEALTH (Status Quo)

*Pros*	Cons
*Island is under US protection	*US has ultimate authority over island matters
*Islanders enjoy statutory US citizenship with a distinct national identity	US citizenship may be revoked any time Congress decides
*Residents don’t pay federal income taxes	*Residents who work for any company/organization that is funded by the US must pay federal income taxes
*US provides the island federal funds in the sum of 22 billion annually	*Although Puerto Rico has a higher standard of living compared to other Caribbean islands, it languishes behind the poorest US states
*Island has a tax advantage status (Section 936; Free Trade Area of Americas)	*Island cannot enter into free trade agreements
*Island can write its own constitution	*Congress must approve the constitution and can amend/change any aspect of it whenever it desires
*Island has a non-voting delegate who represents it in Congress	*Although the island has someone to represent it in Congress he has no right to vote on legislation which affects the island
*Island would retain representation representation in the Miss Universe Pageant and Olympic games	*Cannot vote for president
	*Island residents must follow a [national] constitution they cannot amend
	* The current status of Puerto Rico is best described as substantial but incomplete integration. This means that the decolonization process that commenced in 1952 has not been fulfilled (it is still a colony).

ENHANCED COMMONEWEALTH
The essential transaction between Congress and the Puerto Rico, as proposed by the PDP, is to mix-and-match the most beneficial features of statehood and separate nationality, make it binding on the U.S. forever, and label it as a non-territorial and therefore non-colonial status.

Pros	Cons
*Puerto Rico would be joined in a permanent union with the United States that could only be altered by mutual consent.	the idea behind the "Enhanced Commonwealth" proposal is to make a specific set of special rights for an unincorporated territory permanent, rather than resolving the status of the territory through independence or statehood (it is still a colony).
Island would be an autonomous body politic with its own character and culture, not incorporated* into the US, and sovereign over matters governed by the Constitution of Puerto Rico, consistent with the Constitution of the US
*US citizenship of persons born in Puerto Rico would he guaranteed and secured as provided by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and equal to that of citizens born in the several states (including full parity in federal benefits and entitlements)
*Island residents would continue to be exempt from federal income taxes
To enable Puerto Rico to govern matters necessary to its economic, social and cultural development under its constitution: the Commonwealth* would be authorized to submit proposals for the entry of Puerto Rico into international agreements or the exemption of Puerto Rico from specific Federal laws and provisions thereof to the United States.

INDEPENDENCE

Pros	Cons
*Island would retain language and culture	*Loose US citizenship
*Island would be able to participate in the global economy	*Loose US protection
*End US colonial rule over the island	*Loose federal funds

FREE ASSOCIATION

Pros	Cons
*Would remove Puerto Rico from its present existence within the sphere of sovereignty of the United States and establish a separate Puerto Rican sovereignty outside the political union and federal constitutional system of the United States.	*US citizenship would be terminated
*A special close relationship would be established that involves delegations of the sovereign powers of the associated to the United States in such areas as defense and other governmental functions to the extent both parties to the treaty-based relationship agree to continue such arrangements.	*the special & close bilateral relationship created by a free association treaty or pact can be be terminated in favor of conventional independence at any time by either party (can a pro as well)
	* free association is consistent with independence (which may be an undesired factor)
*Island residents would be entitled to obtain a distinct national citizenship (which could be undesirable for many)	* there can be no permanent mass dual nationality because this would be inconsistent with the preservation of the underlying separate sovereignty. In other words, the major power may grant to people of the free associated nation special rights normally associated with the major power's own citizenship classifications. However, these arrangements are subject to the same terminality as the overall relationship. All in all the loose of US citizenship.