Puerto Rican Independence Party
The Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) is a political party in Puerto Rico dedicated to achieving the island's independence from the United States. Founded on October 20, 1946, by Gilberto Concepción de Gracia, the PIP emerged in response to the perceived inadequacies of mainstream political parties in advocating for independence. Throughout its history, the party has faced challenges in garnering widespread popular support, often struggling to secure enough votes in gubernatorial elections to maintain its status as an official political entity. Despite these hurdles, the PIP has succeeded in obtaining seats in the Puerto Rican Senate and has remained the largest party focused on independence.
Historically, Puerto Rico has experienced multiple independence movements, influenced by its colonial past first under Spain and then as a U.S. territory following the Spanish-American War in 1898. The PIP, amidst government surveillance and the changing political landscape, continues to advocate for Puerto Rico’s self-determination, exploring options that may include transitioning to a freely associated state. The party's political platform also addresses social issues such as healthcare and government restructuring. Despite fluctuating electoral recognition, the PIP remains a significant voice in the ongoing discourse about Puerto Rico's political future.
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Puerto Rican Independence Party
The Puerto Rican Independence Party is a minor political party whose aim is to free Puerto Rico from the control of the United States and push for political independence. The party was founded on October 20, 1946, by Gilberto Concepción de Gracia out of frustration that Puerto Rico’s mainstream political parties had failed to actively pursue independence. The party, alongside other Puerto Rican independence movements, was placed under surveillance by the United States government during the twentieth century out of fear that party members might turn to socialism or communism.
Though the Puerto Rican Independence Party is the largest political party dedicated to the island’s independence, it has struggled to maintain enough popular support to earn a place in the Puerto Rican government. On several occasions, the party has failed to secure enough votes in the gubernatorial election to maintain its status as an official political party, forcing it to operate as an unofficial political entity. Despite this, the party has repeatedly secured a number of seats in the Puerto Rican Senate.
Background
Puerto Rico has been home to multiple independence movements throughout the history of the island. Prior to its colonization, Puerto Rico was occupied by the indigenous Taíno people. The explorer Christopher Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico in 1493 on his second western voyage. The island, which was home to about thirty thousand indigenous people, was renamed San Juan Bautista by Columbus.
In 1508, the government of Spain sent Ponce de León to settle the island. He founded Caparra, the first European city on the island, and was eventually named governor. In 1521, Caparra was renamed Puerto Rico, Spanish for “rich port.” Over time, the name became associated with the island itself and the city was renamed San Juan. In 1511, the Taíno rose up against the Spanish, staging the first true Puerto Rican independence movement. Although the Taíno managed to successfully carry out several attacks against the settlers, they were eventually defeated.
Following that failed rebellion, Puerto Rico remained a colony of Spain. They used the island as a source of cheap labor for farming through the encomienda system, a system by which Spain was able to exploit the forced labor of indigenous peoples under its control. However, as independence movements continued to grow, Spain gradually gave the native people of Puerto Rico more say in their government. In 1868, about six hundred people rebelled against the Spanish government, seeking to liberate Puerto Rico from its colonizers. However, the Spanish military quickly crushed the rebellion.
The Spanish government officially granted Puerto Rico self-rule in 1897, basing the new government on a form of constitutional monarchy. Although Spain retained control of the territory, it would be primarily governed by elected officials. However, a year later, war broke out between Spain and the United States.
The Spanish-American War lasted only a few months and quickly resulted in an American victory. On December 10, 1898, both nations signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the war. Spain was forced to cede all of its land claims to Cuba and transfer ownership of Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico to the United States. Since then, Puerto Rico has remained a territory of the United States.
Overview
Although Puerto Rico has been a territory of Spain or the United States for much of modern history, several independence movements have taken root on the island. Originally, the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), one of Puerto Rico’s mainstream political parties, had supported independence, but later changed its position to favor remaining a territory of the United States. When the PPD abandoned the push for independence, other political parties formed to take up that fight. One of these, the Puerto Rican Independence Party, was formed in October 1946 by Gilberto Concepción de Gracia.
It was later revealed that the US Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) had been monitoring the Puerto Rican Independence Party and the growing Puerto Rican independence movement from the 1940s to the 1960s. The FBI feared that the Puerto Rican nationalists were developing socialist or communist ideologies, and sought to limit their spread.
Since its inception, the Puerto Rican Independence Party has remained the largest of several political parties that have championed Puerto Rican independence. In 2008, the party lost official recognition, receiving just 2 percent of the gubernatorial vote in Puerto Rico’s elections. Under Puerto Rico’s governmental structure, a party must secure at least 3 percent of the vote in order to maintain status as an official party. This resulted in the party losing two seats in the Puerto Rican legislature. However, in May 2009, the party regained its status by delivering more than one hundred thousand signed petitions to the Puerto Rican Election Commission. In 2012, the party once again failed to secure recognition as a political party, obtaining just 2.5 percent of the vote in the gubernatorial election.
In 2016, the party nominated Senator Maria de Lourdes Santiago for governor. Santiago ran on a platform that included changing the status of Puerto Rico from a territory to a freely associated state, distancing the island from the United States without severing the relationship between the two. She also advocated for universal health care, increasing salaries, and restructuring the government. Santiago won 33,452 votes, coming in fifth place and securing 2.1 percent of the total votes. In 2020, Santiago was once again elected to the Puerto Rican Senate. That same year, the party again secured official status when gubernatorial candidate Juan Dalmau won about 13.5 percent of the vote.
In 2023, the party changed their strategy and formed an electoral alliance with the Citizens Victory Movement (MVC), a progressive coalition. The alliance shares a common goal, the decolonization of Puerto Rico. Going into the 2024 elections the party was able to maintain its official status with candidate Juan Dalmau winning 6.67 percent of the vote.
Bibliography
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