Jenniffer González formally requests Trump and Congress to admit Puerto Rico as a state

Governor Jenniffer González signed a resolution this Friday, October 16, formally requesting that United States President Donald Trump and the U.S. Congress admit Puerto Rico as a state of the Union, an initiative that seeks to advance the process of Puerto Rican statehood.

The president explained that the measure responds to a commitment in her Government program and to the results of the non-binding referendums previously held on the island.

“With this signature, we fulfill the commitment of our Government program to prioritize statehood and honor the will of our people expressed at the polls,” stated González.

The governor leads the New Progressive Party (NPP), a political organization that promotes the incorporation of Puerto Rico as a full state of the United States.

Currently, the island maintains the status of Commonwealth, a political relationship that has generated debates about its autonomy and its link to the U.S. federal government.

Other political organizations defend different alternatives. The Popular Democratic Party (PPD) advocates for maintaining the current status, while the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) promotes independence.

Puerto Rico statehood: official request

According to González, House Joint Resolution 391 represents a different mechanism from those used in previous administrations to promote the incorporation of Puerto Rico into the United States.

The president explained that, until now, the results of the plebiscites had been communicated, but no approved legislation had been sent officially requesting the island’s admission as a state.

“In the framework of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, we are taking our petition for full equality before those who have the power to act. We will continue working in Puerto Rico and in Washington to advance it,” the governor emphasized.

González asserted that the resolution seeks to turn the aspiration of statehood into a formal petition from the Puerto Rican Government to federal authorities.

“This is the moment to define ourselves. The moment for decolonization has already arrived,” he added.

The governor also maintained that this is the same mechanism used previously by other states to join the United States.

Puerto Rican statehood and Congress

Accompanied by legislators, PNP senators, and officials from her administration, González stated that the request responds to what she considers the will expressed by citizens in electoral consultations.

However, the proposal does not have the backing of all political and social sectors in Puerto Rico, where different positions on the island’s future status persist.

“We Puerto Ricans have contributed to the development of our nation, we have defended its freedoms, and we have fulfilled the responsibilities of American citizenship. It is now up to Congress to address that will and exercise its constitutional authority to admit Puerto Rico as a state of the Union,” he stated.

The final decision regarding a potential admission rests with the United States Congress.

In previous years, initiatives were promoted to hold a binding referendum that would allow Puerto Ricans to decide between different political status alternatives.

However, those projects were not approved and contemplated options such as statehood, sovereignty in free association, and independence.

The resolution signed by González differs from those proposals because it specifically requests the incorporation of Puerto Rico as a full-fledged state.

Debate on Puerto Rican statehood

The change of status continues to be one of the main topics of Puerto Rican politics.

While the PNP defends statehood as a path to achieve equal conditions with the other states, other political forces maintain their proposals for the continuity of the Commonwealth or independence.

Up to the time indicated in the information, President Donald Trump had not commented on Puerto Rico’s request for admission.

The signing of the resolution constitutes a new political effort before Washington, but it does not in itself modify the island’s status nor does it guarantee its incorporation into the United States.