Statehood supporters urge parties to abandon plebiscites, ask for territorial incorporation
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
By THE STAR STAFF
Pro‑statehood attorney Gregorio Igartúa is urging Puerto Rico to abandon plebiscites as a mechanism for resolving the island’s political status, arguing that they jeopardize long‑established rights of U.S. citizenship and distract from what he views as the territory’s long trajectory toward statehood.
Igartúa and 14 others recently wrote to Congress asking lawmakers to certify that Puerto Rico is an incorporated territory, which would put the U.S. territory on the path to statehood.
“We support the proposal demanding from Congress to certify Puerto Rico as an Incorporated Territory (which de facto it is) in official transit toward statehood,” the letter said. “Our request is in harmony with the special interest our Honorable Governor, Hon. Jenniffer González, has in demanding from the federal government statehood for Puerto Rico.”
The petition, which coincides with the United States’ 250th birthday, came amid reports that a U.S. lawmaker will be filing legislation to make Puerto Rico an independent country even though the bill has little chance of consideration. In March, the governor plans to visit Washington for a summit that seeks to promote statehood for Puerto Rico.
Igartúa also criticized political parties for relying on plebiscites to push their preferred status options. He argued that continuing to pursue plebiscites in 2026 is misguided and potentially harmful. In his view, the process could place at risk rights Puerto Ricans have held for decades as U.S. citizens. He likened the scenario to civil‑rights‑era African Americans having to vote on whether they deserved federal voting rights or continued segregation.
“For those of us who value U.S. citizenship,” he said, “this isn’t about being more democratic -- it’s about not being naïve.” He warned that a locally run or even a congressionally sanctioned plebiscite could create confusion both on the island and in Washington, undermining what he described as 128 years of political and legal advancement.
The island has been on a clear path of political integration with the United States since it was ceded by Spain in 1898 under the Treaty of Paris, Igartúa said. He pointed to a series of congressional actions -- including the granting of U.S. citizenship in 1917, the establishment of birthright citizenship in 1950, and the approval of Puerto Rico’s local Constitution in 1952 -- as evidence that Washington has already set Puerto Rico on a course similar to that of historical U.S. territories that eventually became states, he said.
Igartúa emphasized that both major local parties -- the pro‑statehood New Progressive Party and the autonomist Popular Democratic Party -- consist primarily of voters who support maintaining U.S. citizenship. He urged island residents to focus instead on defending their rights as citizens of an “incorporated territory,” including demanding federal voting rights, congressional representation, and participation in presidential elections.
“Say yes to American citizenship, no to the plebiscite,” Igartúa said, calling on Puerto Ricans to assert their place as part of the U.S. political family during the nation’s 250th anniversary.