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Official name: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico (Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) Head of State: President of the US George W Bush Head of government: Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá (from 2 Jan 2005) Ruling party: Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) (Popular Democratic Party) Area: 8,897 square km (Puerto Rico comprises the main island plus two smaller islands (Vieques and Culebra) and numerous smaller islets.) Population: 3.98 million (2004) Capital: San Juan Official language: Spanish, English Currency: US dollar (US$) = 100 cents GDP per capita: US$11,500 (2003) GDP real growth: 0.50% (2003) Labour force: 1.30 million (2003) Unemployment: 12.00% (2003) Inflation: 5.00% (2003) Balance of trade: US$17.80 billion (2003)

 

Historical profile

1493 The island was inhabited by some 100,000 Taíno Indians (an Arawak culture that also occupied most of Hispaniola and part of Cuba) at the time of the first European sighting by Columbus. A member of the expedition, Juan Ponce de Léon, was given permission to settle the island, which he named San Juan.

1898 The island was ceded to the US by Spain at the end of the Spanish-American war. The US ruled it as an unincorporated territory.

1917 The inhabitants became citizens of the US.

1948 Puerto Rico elected Luis Muñoz Marín as its first governor.

1952 A new constitution designated Puerto Rico a self-governing commonwealth within the US.

1967 A plebiscite rejected the option of becoming a state of the US.

1993 The statehood option was rejected for a second time in a national referendum.

1998 Puerto Ricans again narrowly rejected the option of statehood in favour of maintaining the constitutional status quo.

2000 Sila Maria Calderón Serra became the first female governor. Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) (Popular Democratic Party) won the parliamentary elections.

2001 Governor Calderón announced the creation of the Blue Riband Commission to review all large transactions made by the previous (Rosselló) administration.

2002 In a move which angered Puerto Ricans, a US judge dismissed the lawsuit by Puerto Rico aimed at stoppng US naval training on the island. This allowed the US navy to continue their naval operations.

2003 In May, the US navy stopped holding military exercises on the island of Vieques and navy land was transferred to the US Department of the Interior. This was a heavy blow to the economy, as the navy spent some US$300 million per year. Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency in November, after flooding ousted hundreds of people from their homes.

2004 In 2 November gubernatorial elections, Aníbal Acevedo Vilá and former governor Pedro Rosselló won about 48 per cent each.

2005 On 2 January, Aníbal Acevedo Vilá took office as governor.

Political structure

Constitution

Effective from 25 July 1952. Voting: universal suffrage, 18 years of age.

The local government consists of executive, legislative and judicial branches. Puerto Rico has 78 municipal governments.

Detailed laws governing the status and relationship of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico with the US cover, among other aspects: military conscription, tax and trade, social security, citizenship, constitutional changes and internal autonomy.

There are differences between Puerto Rico and the other US states – its local taxation system and exemption from the internal revenue code, its lack of voting representation in either house of the US Congress and the ineligibility of Puerto Ricans to vote in US presidential elections.

Form of state

Both the constitution of Puerto Rico and the US constitution are applicable – Puerto Rico is an overseas commonwealth territory and freely associated state of the US. Puerto Ricans have US citizenship with local self-government but not full political rights as US citizens.

The executive

The head of state is the president of the US.

Executive power is exercised by the governor, elected by popular vote every four years, who leads a cabinet of 15 ministers.

National legislature

The Asamblea Legislativa (Legislative Assembly) has two chambers.

The Cámara de Representantes (Chamber of Representatives) has 51 members, elected for a four-year term, 40 elected in single-seat constituencies -- 11 at large by proportional representation. Up to an additional three seats can be allocated to allow the opposition to have one-third of the seats.

The Senado (Senate) has 28 members, elected for a four-year term <196> 16 members elected in two-seat constituencies and 11 at large by proportional representation and one additional seat to allow the opposition to have one-third of the seats.

The legislature convenes each year from January through April, but the sessions usually extend into May or June to complete pending legislation.

Legal system

The civil and commercial codes are modelled on Spanish law; penal, procedural, public (including constitutional) laws are fashioned after US models.

Last elections

2 November 2004 (gubernatorial); November 2000 (parliamentary).

Results
Gubernatorial: Aníbal Acevedo Vilá and former governor Pedro Rosselló won about 48 per cent each.

Parliamentary: the Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) (Popular Democratic Party) won with 30 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 18 seats in the Senate.

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