U.S. military presence in Puerto Rico appears to be increasing, as the U.S. deploys warships in the Caribbean between Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Puerto Rico was used for training exercises, according to The War Zone. “The amphibious training exercise,” they reported,” involves Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The 22nd MEU, part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), left Norfolk Aug. 14, bound for the southern Caribbean. That force included more than 4,500 sailors and Marines on three ships: The Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, and San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships the USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale.”
The image below is widespread on social media with different sources named. This version credits Ian Ellis Jones.
Can the federal government legally use Puerto Rico for military exercises?
Short answer: yes. As a territory of the United States, Puerto Rico is under the U.S. Constitution’s Territory Clause, which says that Congress makes all the rules for territories.
In a state, the Supremacy Clause says that the federal government has broad leeway on federal lands, which includes military bases, but cannot make military use of state or privately owned land without cooperation from the owners. The federal government can also use Eminent Domain to buy land in states as well as territories, which it can then use as it pleases.
If Puerto Rico were an independent nation, the United States could not make military decisions, except on land bought or leased by the federal government, as is the case with U.S. military bases around the world. The exception is if the new Republic of Puerto Rico had a Compact of Free Association with the United States. The U.S. has three COFA partners, all independent nations, and the U.S. has broad military access and control in each case. Essentially, a COFA with the U.S. is an exchange of U.S. defense and financial support for free military access and authority to land and waterways which would otherwise be under the sovereign control of the COFA nation.
A Compact of Free Association can be terminated by either side, but the U.S. military has stated that they would continue to have unilateral rights over military decision-making in the freely associated states even if the COFAs ended.
Puerto Rico’s participation in the U.S. military
Some observers decry the “militarization” of Puerto Rico, but this is to ignore Puerto Rico’s history.
Ever since the Revolutionary War, in which Puerto Rican soldiers were among those who fought under the command of General Bernardo de Gálvez, Governor of Louisiana, the men and women of Puerto Rico have been supporting and defending the United States. Puerto Rican soldiers fought in the Civil War, though they were listed as Spaniards, since Puerto Rico was a colony of Spain at the time.
The first military unit in Puerto Rico was the Battalion of Porto Rican Volunteers, established in 1899. This battalion later grew into the Borinqueneers, which was the foundation of the Puerto Rico National Guard.
Not only is Puerto Rico an important strategic location for the United States, as evidenced by the current training exercises, but the people of Puerto Rico are an important part of the United States military. As patriotic American citizens, Puerto Ricans deserve the equality and justice of statehood.
Tell your legislators that you want this equality for Puerto Rico.
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