Washington, D.C. (January 21, 2025)– Yesterday, Hon. Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. The Puerto Rico Statehood Council released the following statement celebrating the inauguration and looking forward to advancing statehood for Puerto Rico.
“The Puerto Rico Statehood Council congratulates and welcomes President Trump and his new administration. We stand ready to collaborate with them on the issues most vital to the success of the 3.2 million U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico, which includes the urgent need to resolve the island’s current territory status. For far too long tentative congressional action on resolving territory status has kept Puerto Rico weak and led to its bankruptcy and terrible population loss. Yet, Puerto Rico is a valuable and powerful asset for America that cannot remain underutilized while America’s enemies continue advancing in Latin America and the Caribbean, right up to our homeland.
“President Donald Trump stands for making all of the United States better and stronger and for improving our national security and economy. That vision inevitably includes the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico, who have voted for statehood four times in the last decade and are ready to participate and contribute fully to America’s strength and success.
“Yesterday, President Trump stated that, ‘The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation, one that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations and carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons.’ By listening to Puerto Rico’s voters and offering the island admission as America’s 51st state, President Trump can take a concrete and historic step toward his vision of growing America for the first time in over 65 years.
“Statehood would unleash Puerto Rico’s economic and productive potential by attracting investment to the island, creating jobs and increasing the approximately $70 billion in interstate commerce already happening each year between the island and the states. It would also be very beneficial to the rest of the U.S. because statehood for Puerto Rico would strengthen and secure America’s Caribbean border at a time when illegal immigration is running unchecked, and the drug cartels wield far too much power. Statehood will also strengthen U.S. commerce at home and abroad, positioning Puerto Rico to be a vital economic hub between the mainland U.S., Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Africa.
“The bottom line is that a stronger Puerto Rico means a stronger America.
“We look forward to working together with the Trump administration on these important issues and welcome any efforts and opportunities to advance the will of Puerto Rican voters, who chose statehood again last November, this time by a victory approaching 60%.”