“As I watched TV coverage of the wildfires incinerating Maui… a single thought raged in my head: Colonialism is a brutal, never-ending story… The footage triggered memories of Hurricane María, which devastated Puerto Rico in 2017 and transformed the archipelago into a rich man’s paradise—and a no man’s land for many Puerto Ricans.”

With a generational shift against the status quo, a growing reluctance among Puerto Ricans to see their islands become part of an increasingly authoritarian nation, and now a battle between its two leading figures —Gov. Pedro Pierluisi and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, a Trump supporter— the ruling pro-statehood New Progressive Party’s days seem numbered.

The only practical way for Puerto Rico to decolonize, democratize, and safeguard its economic future and maintain its national identity is through national sovereignty—and trends indicate that support for sovereignty is growing.

During a recent “sermon,” the head pastor of an evangelical church in Puerto Rico denounced people of color as racist, slammed the LGBT community, and complained that the Black actress starring in Disney’s remake of ‘The Little Mermaid’ was ugly.

A Puerto Rican mayor is under investigation for allegedly requesting donations from trusted employees to pay off campaign debt.

Twenty-two mayors across Puerto Rico have delegated the process of declaring structures as public nuisances to a private firm, a practice that has led to many of the original property owners being deprived of fair compensation.

When looking at the proposals for the area that begins in Old San Juan and connects with Puerta de Tierra, Isla Grande, Miramar, Santurce and Condado, the creation of a corridor promoted by private companies for the rich and tourists is evident.

Last week a federal judge nullified Puerto Rico’s Labor Reform Law approved only months ago, saying that Gov. Pedro Pierluisi did not provide evidence that the law would not impact the oversight board’s fiscal plan.

A look at the battle over abortion rights in Puerto Rico following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of ‘Roe v. Wade’ in 2022, which undid nearly 50 years of reproductive rights protections in the United States

On Thursday the House passed the Puerto Rico Status Act, which received a floor vote after its approval by a House committee on Wednesday. Now, the race is on to get approval from the Senate before a new Republican-controlled House is sworn in on January 3.

The recent image of a car stuck in a massive pothole in Humacao, Puerto Rico makes a fine metaphor for the state of Puerto Rico today and the role played by the pro-statehood Gov. Pedro Pierluisi and his New Progressive Party in the deterioration of the island.

Three days before LUMA Energy’s contract is set to expire, the Public-Private Partnerships Authority requested authorization to extend LUMA’s provisional contract until the debt restructuring process for the publicly owned Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority is finalized.

On Tuesday, the Citizens’ Victory Movement and the Puerto Rican Independence Party announced a formal collaboration to address grievances against the 2020 electoral law and its proposed amendments, which were passed by the Puerto Rico House of Representatives later that day.

Since Hurricane Fiona swept over Puerto Rico on Sunday, residents along the southern coast have seen little state or federal aid in their communities, forcing them to survive mostly on their own.

The controversy surrounding a tiny park in a well-heeled San Juan neighborhood has become a symbol of the struggle against the Puerto Rican government and its ruling New Progressive Party, shedding light on the double-dealing and deception that is now business as usual in the archipelago.

LUMA Energy, the U.S.-Canadian company that manages Puerto Rico’s power system, won its government contract and remains in place — despite chronic outages — due to corruption within the island’s two main political parties.

Domingo García, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, told Latino Rebels that CEO Sindy Benavides has been “temporarily suspended pending an investigation by the personnel committee of LULAC.”

Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez was arrested Thursday in the U.S. territory on corruption charges, marking the first time that a former leader of the island faces federal charges, an official told the Associated Press.

Rep. Grijalva, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee which has jurisdiction over Puerto Rico, says the sudden increase in lobbying against the Puerto Rico Status Act is not about process but instead about maintaining the island’s current colonial status.

Fearing that one of the two other status options may win, specifically the “Free Association” option, members of the Puerto Rican statehood movement plan to pressure House Natural Resources Committee chair Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) to revise the language of a draft bill that looks to resolve Puerto Rico’s 100-plus status issue once and for all, according to a draft letter provided to Latino Rebels by an anonymous source directly familiar with the proceedings.

In the end, the congressional visit was Boricua political theater at its best, with a showy guest list.