Independence movement in Puerto Rico

The independence movement in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the U.S., involves all activities seeking the political independence of the archipelago and island as a sovereign state. Since the 19th century, several entities have advocated independence through peaceful political, violent revolutionary, and terrorist extremist actions. Under the administration of the Spanish Empire (1508–1898), the Revolutionary Committee demanded independence in the revolts of Grito de Lares (Cry of Lares) in 1868 and Intentona de Yauco (Attempted Coup of Yauco) in 1897. Under the administration of the U.S. (1898–present), the Nationalist Party called for independence using violence and terrorism, while the Independence Party continues to promote independence via the electoral process.

The political status of Puerto Rico is an ongoing debate centered around various options: statehood as a U.S. state, commonwealth as an unincorporated U.S. territory, free association as a sovereign freely associated state with the U.S., and independence as a sovereign state from the U.S.

Since the establishment of an elected government in Puerto Rico in 1900, the independence movement has trailed significantly behind the pro-commonwealth and pro-statehood movements at the polls. The movement has received the least support in all referendums held on the political status. In the first three plebiscites, it amassed less than 4.5% of the vote, receiving 0.60% in 1967, 4.47% in 1993, 2.6% in 1998. A fourth referendum took place in 2012, with 61.16% voting for statehood against 33.34% for free association and 5.49% for independence. The fifth plebiscite was held in 2017, with a voter turnout of 23%, the lowest turnout of any referendum held, 97.13% of voters chose statehood, while 1.50% favored independence, which was linked to free association. A sixth referendum took place in 2020, with 52.52% voting for in favor of statehood and 47.48% voting against. A seventh referendum was held in 2024, with 58.61% choosing statehood, 29.57% free association, and 11.81% independence.

In the 2020 Puerto Rican general election, the Puerto Rican Independence Party received 13.6% of the vote for governor, a significant increase in support from the 2016 Puerto Rican general election, where it only amassed 2.1% of votes. With 30.73% of the vote in the 2024 Puerto Rican general election, the party surpassed for the first time in history one of the two major parties in Puerto Rico in the race for governor, beating the 21.44.% of votes received by the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party, and finishing second to the 41.22% of votes received by the pro-statehood New Progressive Party. While the pro-independence party won its largest vote share for governor in electoral history, on the status referendum, only 11.81%, a small minority of voters, favored independence, while a 29.57% strong minority favored free association, and a 58.61% majority favored statehood.