To: United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24)
United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York
From: The National Puerto Rico & Spain Initiative (TNPRSI)
8425 SW 152nd Place
Dunnellon, Florida 34432
United States
Email: tnprsi.2030@gmail.com
Honorable Members of the Special Committee on Decolonization,
On behalf of The National Puerto Rico & Spain Initiative, we respectfully submit this letter to formally request the attention, engagement, and moral support of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization regarding the unresolved political status of Puerto Rico and the restoration of its lawfully constituted autonomous government interrupted in 1898.
This communication is not an abstract political proposal, nor an attempt to reinvent history. It is grounded in documented constitutional developments, democratic elections, and internationally relevant principles of self-government.
Puerto Rico’s Constitutional Development Prior to 1898
Puerto Rico’s political status prior to United States intervention reflects a clear and continuous constitutional evolution within the Kingdom of Spain:
1809 – Puerto Rico was formally recognized as an integral part of the Spanish nation, with representation.
1812 – The Spanish Constitution of Cádiz declared that Spaniards of both hemispheres constituted one nation, granting Puerto Ricans full Spanish citizenship and parliamentary representation.
1876 – The Spanish Constitution reaffirmed Puerto Rico’s status as a province of Spain with representation in the Cortes.
1897 – By Royal Decree, Spain enacted the Constitución Autonómica de Puerto Rico, also known as the Carta Autonómica. This was not a mere administrative statute, but an Autonomic Constitution, subordinated to the 1876 Constitution, and legally alterable only by petition from Puerto Rico or Cuba.
Under this constitutional framework, Puerto Rico possessed internal self-government while remaining an integral part of the Spanish nation.
Democratic Elections and Legitimate Representation
In March 1898, Puerto Rico held island-wide democratic elections under its Autonomic Constitution. Among those elected were:
Luis Muñoz Rivera, Secretary of State of the Autonomous Government
Manuel Fernández Juncos
José Celso Barbosa
Antonio González
These officials constituted a legitimate government chosen by the Puerto Rican electorate.
Long before 1897, Puerto Ricans also served within Spain’s national institutions. Notably, Ramón Power y Giralt, a Puerto Rican, served as a deputy to the Spanish Cortes, demonstrating that Puerto Ricans were not subjects without voice, but active participants in Spain’s constitutional system.
This autonomous government functioned for only a few months before being forcibly interrupted by the United States military invasion in July 1898.
Overreach, Statelessness, and Structural Disenfranchisement
The Treaty of Paris (1898) was executed without Puerto Rican participation or consent. While Spanish nationals born in Spain were granted a one-year option regarding citizenship, no equivalent notice or choice was extended to Puerto Ricans. As a result, the population entered a prolonged period of statelessness from 1898 to 1917.
During this period, Puerto Ricans were described as “nationals,” a legally ambiguous status similar to that applied today to American Samoa. United States citizenship was later imposed by statute in 1917, without plebiscite or democratic consent.
125 Years of Non-Incorporation and Missed Opportunities
For more than 125 years, the United States Congress has had at least twenty-five clear opportunities to designate Puerto Rico as an incorporated territory, a prerequisite under U.S. constitutional law before any territory can pursue statehood.
At no point has this designation been granted.
This omission occurred repeatedly during periods when one political party controlled the Presidency, the House of Representatives, and the Senate simultaneously, including the present era. The absence of incorporation is therefore not accidental or the result of political deadlock, but a persistent structural condition.
By contrast, Hawaii and Puerto Rico were acquired during the same historical period, yet Hawaii was immediately designated an incorporated territory and later admitted as a state following a binding plebiscite. Puerto Rico was not.
As a result, Puerto Rico has held seven non-binding plebiscites (1967, 1993, 1998, 2012, 2017, 2020, and 2024), all legally ineffective from inception due to Puerto Rico’s continued unincorporated status. This represents a pattern of misdirection rather than self-determination.
Current Condition of Non-Self-Government
Federal laws such as PROMESA, the Jones Act, the absence of voting representation in Congress, and the inability of Puerto Ricans to vote for President confirm that Puerto Rico does not exercise genuine self-government. The United States Supreme Court has itself acknowledged that Puerto Rico “belongs to, but is not part of, the United States.”
Purpose of This Request
Our organization has formally petitioned United States courts and is actively communicating with elected officials in Congress, urging the U.S. Government to commence formal dialogue with the Kingdom of Spain, with Puerto Rican participation, to explore the restoration of Puerto Rico’s autonomous government, updated and harmonized with Spain’s 1978 Constitution, as enjoyed today by Spain’s autonomous communities, including the Canary Islands.
We respectfully request that the United Nations:
Acknowledge Puerto Rico’s historical status as a non-self-governing territory with a previously functioning autonomous government.
Recognize the interruption of that government in 1898 as a matter relevant to the Committee’s mandate.
Encourage transparent, peaceful dialogue among the United States, Spain, and Puerto Rico regarding lawful decolonization options consistent with international norms.
This is not a request for compensation, nor an appeal rooted in grievance. It is a request for restoration of democratic continuity.
We appreciate the Committee’s attention and stand ready to provide documentation, timelines, and further clarification as requested.
Respectfully submitted,
Edwin Obidio Ortiz Montañez
President
The National Puerto Rico & Spain Initiative