United Nations Resolutions on Puerto Rico's Colonial Status

Puerto Rico's colonial status has been a subject of international concern since the founding of the United Nations. The UN Charter (Chapter XI) requires member states to report on their non-self-governing territories and to develop self-governance.

1953 Removal: After the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1952, the U.S. lobbied to remove Puerto Rico from the UN's list of non-self-governing territories. The General Assembly approved the removal by a vote of 26-16 with 18 abstentions (Resolution 748). The U.S. argued that Puerto Rico had achieved self-governance through the Commonwealth; critics argued this was a fiction.

UN Decolonization Committee Resolutions: Since 1972, the UN Special Committee on Decolonization has passed over 40 resolutions calling on the United States to allow Puerto Rico to exercise its right to self-determination. These resolutions:
- Reaffirm Puerto Rico's inalienable right to self-determination and independence
- Call for the transfer of all powers to the people of Puerto Rico
- Request the release of Puerto Rican political prisoners
- Express concern about the military use of Puerto Rican territory (especially Vieques)
- Note the fiscal crisis and its colonial roots

The U.S. government has consistently disregarded these resolutions. The UN's position remains that Puerto Rico has not yet achieved full self-governance and retains the right to determine its own political status.

Puerto Rican independence organizations, led by figures like Rubén Berríos and the Puerto Rican Independence Party, have consistently presented testimony before the UN committee, keeping Puerto Rico's colonial status on the international agenda.