A crucial, clear-eyed accounting of Puerto Rico's 122 years as a colony of the US. Since its acquisition by the US in 1898, Puerto Rico has served as a testing ground for the most aggressive and exploitative US economic, political, and social policies. The devastation that ensued finally grew impossible to ignore in 2017, in the wake of Hurricane María, as the physical destruction compounded the infrastructure collapse and trauma inflicted by the debt crisis. In Fantasy Island, Ed Morales traces how, over the years, Puerto Rico has served as a colonial satellite, a Cold War Caribbean showcase, a dumping ground for US manufactured goods, and a corporate tax shelter. He also shows how it has become a blank canvas for mercenary experiments in disaster capitalism on the frontlines of climate change, hamstrung by internal political corruption and the US federal government's prioritization of outside financial interests. Taking readers from San Juan to New York City and back to his family's home in the Luquillo Mountains, Morales shows us the machinations of financial and political interests in both the US and Puerto Rico, and the resistance efforts of Puerto Rican artists and activists. Through it all, he emphasizes that the only way to stop Puerto Rico from being bled is to let Puerto Ricans take control of their own destiny, going beyond the statehood-commonwealth-independence debate to complete decolonization.

An examination of the legal relationship between U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Seminar paper from the year 2020 in the subject Politics - Region: USA, grade: 1,7, University of Marburg (Politikwissenschaft), course: American Military Interventions Abroad, language: English, abstract: The research question of this work is "Why has Puerto Rico never become either independent or an incorporated state of the United States of America?" and focuses on making visible the reasons for the absence of a decision for a clear status of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The first part of the paper will briefly outline the history of the Caribbean island before the main part will examine historical speeches, documents, status referenda, special events and monographs concerning Puerto Rico and the reasons for the lack of incorporation or independence from both the Puerto Rican and the United States point of view. One of the main points of interest will be to uncover possible racism as a motive for the USA to keep the colony in possession, since it has always been prevalent in the pejorative treatment of non-white minorities. In addition, it will be clarified why the inhabitants of Puerto Rico have long supported or endured the unclear status of the Commonwealth.

This essay on Puerto Rico analyzes the deepening crisis in American capitalism and how it inevitably affects Puerto Rico. Essentially, Lewis asks and seeks to answer three questions: What is the nature of Puerto Rican society after a decade of dramatic and traumatic change? What should be the strategy of freedom? What can be, ought to be, the nature of the new Puerto Rican society, once it is released from American rule?

A Bold Decolonial Argument and Interrogation of Puerto Rico's Future Within the American Nation When Colonialism Wins, The Case Against American Statehood for Puerto Rico, by former U.S. Marine, DIA, and CIA officer Torres Pabon, seamlessly blends military expertise with insights from psychology, economics, and intelligence operations to decisively assert that Puerto Rico's current state of affairs is incompatible within the construct of the United States of America. In this thought-provoking book, Torres Pabon invokes the works of prominent scholars such as Anibal Quijano, Jack Brehm, and Robert Lupton to analyze 500 years of Spanish and U.S. colonialism on Puerto Rico. He highlights the island's ongoing societal collapse and dependency mindset challenging Puerto Rico's future and cultural preservation. Drawing on his experiences-from Marine Corps recruit training to operational assignments in Lebanon, Israel, Afghanistan, and Colombia-Torres Pabon weaves a compelling and touching narrative that resonates deeply with readers as he explores his own coloniality. His moving personal accounts embody allegories in Puerto Rico's struggle for self-determination. Including a preface by Dr. Migna L. Rivera García, past president of the Puerto Rico Psychological Association, this book underlines the need for Puerto Ricans to exercise personal agency to control their political destiny. More than just a geopolitical analysis, "When Colonialism Wins" is a call to action-a roadmap towards Puerto Rico's decolonization and a powerful discourse on identity and freedom. With all net proceeds dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico, this impactful work transcends boundaries, inspiring readers.