Puerto Rico: The Trials of the Oldest Colony in the WorldThe island of Puerto Rico has a severely distressed economy, is one of the most densely populated places on earth, and enjoys only limited political freedom. As a United States commonwealth, it is still treated by Congress as one of the last remaining colonies in the world. In this book a distinguished Puerto Rican legal scholar and former government official discusses the island's century-old relationship with the United States and argues that the process of decolonization should begin immediately. José Trías Monge first describes the Spanish rule over Puerto Rico and then traces the impact of American colonial policies there, comparing them with those in the Pacific and the British, French, and Dutch experiences in the Caribbean. He argues that the large amounts of money the United States has given to Puerto Rico have not been productive: not only has the island become frightfully dependent on United States munificence but more than 60 percent of Puerto Rican families still live below the poverty line. Politically, the situation is even worse. The United States has granted Puerto Rico limited self-government but has ignored the wishes of the Puerto Rican people--as expressed in two plebiscites--for greater autonomy, since it cannot make up its mind which decolonization option best serves American interests. Trías Monge discusses the various options of Puerto Rican independence, statehood, and an enhanced commonwealth status and urges the United States to end its present policy of inattention and inaction. |
Other editions - View all
Puerto Rico: The Trials of the Oldest Colony in the World José Trías Monge No preview available - 1997 |
Puerto Rico: The Trials of the Oldest Colony in the World José Trías Monge No preview available - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
1st Sess 2d Sess Albizu Alianza amendment American citizenship Antilles appointed approved Assembly Autonomic Charter autonomist autonomy Barbosa bill British Bureau Caribbean century citizens civil colonial commission Committee Commonwealth status compact Cong Congress consent Constitution Cuba cultural debate decolonization Democratic Department economic Ediciones Huracán established favor federal filed Foraker Act grant of American House Ibid Iglesias independence Insular Affairs Jones Act José later laws leaders legislation legislature Liberal Luis Muñoz Marín Luis Muñoz Rivera matters ment Micronesia military Nationalist negotiate Northern Mariana Islands Office organic act Partido percent Philippines plebiscite political parties Popular Democratic party Porto President provisions Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Press puertorriqueño referendum Republican Resident Commissioner resolution Rican Rico's Río Piedras Roosevelt San Juan Secretary self-determination self-government Senate sovereignty Spain Spanish suffrage Supreme Court taínos territory tion treaty Trías Unión unionistas United Nations University of Puerto vote Washington