A Movement for Justice and Identity
In a historic appeal, the Canarian Friendship Circle of Puerto Rico (Círculo de Amistad Canaria de Puerto Rico) has called on the Government of Spain to enact a Reparative Nationality Law — a law that would allow Puerto Ricans to recover the Spanish nationality unjustly taken from them after the U.S. invasion and annexation of 1898.
The organization argues that under the Treaty of Paris of 1898, which transferred Puerto Rico from Spain to the United States, the people of Puerto Rico were “denaturalized” — stripped of their Spanish citizenship without consent. This loss severed legal and cultural ties that had defined the island for centuries under Spanish rule.
More than a century later, this initiative seeks to right that historical wrong and restore a sense of belonging and justice to Puerto Ricans worldwide.
The Vision Behind the Proposal
The proposal urges Spain to create a special nationality process for descendants of Puerto Ricans who were Spanish citizens before December 10, 1898.
Those eligible would:
Prove their Puerto Rican descent from the pre-1898 population.
Demonstrate knowledge of the Spanish language, good civic conduct, and no criminal record.
Apply within a limited timeframe, proposed to be around three years.
Importantly, this measure would allow dual nationality, enabling Puerto Ricans to maintain their current citizenship while reclaiming their Spanish one — a symbolic and practical restoration of their European identity.
A Bridge Between Puerto Rico and the Canary Islands
The Canarian Friendship Circle highlights the deep historical and cultural ties between Puerto Rico and the Canary Islands.
From the 17th through the 19th centuries, thousands of Canarian families migrated to Puerto Rico, helping to found towns, shape language, and influence traditions that remain alive today.
These bonds make the Canary Islands a natural advocate within Spain for this cause of reparative citizenship and historical justice.
The Legal Architect
The legal framework of the proposal was developed by Rafael Maldonado de Guevara Delgado, a Puerto Rican lawyer and researcher.
His draft law — to be presented to Spain’s Cortes Generales (Parliament) — is called the Law of Reparative Nationality.
It represents a call not only for citizenship restoration, but for historical recognition and moral reconciliation between Puerto Rico and Spain.
Why It Matters
For Puerto Ricans, this proposal goes far beyond symbolic gestures.
It recognizes that Puerto Rico’s separation from Spain was not voluntary, but the result of a foreign invasion and an imposed treaty.
By restoring Spanish nationality, Spain would take an essential step toward moral and historical justice, reaffirming that Puerto Ricans were — and continue to be — part of Spain’s extended national family.
Looking Forward
If enacted, this law could empower thousands of Puerto Ricans to:
Reclaim their Spanish and European identity.
Access educational, cultural, and work opportunities throughout the European Union.
Strengthen the historic bridge between Puerto Rico and Spain.
This is not just a legal proposal — it is a movement to heal history, to restore dignity, and to remind the world that the bond between Puerto Rico and Spain was never erased, only interrupted.
Source: El Adoquín Times – October 26, 2025
For inquiries or collaboration, contact The National Puerto Rico & Spain Initiative at tnprsi.2030@gmail.com