Legally Sufficient: The Compatibility of Puerto Rico's Post-1952 Status and Modern Principles of International Law [Article]

Abstract

Autonomy and sovereignty are typically associated with colonization issues. The alleged absence of both factors in Puerto Rico’s territorial condition raises the question of whether changing the island’s status is legally required to end a colonial arrangement that would otherwise allow the United States to defy normative standards of international law. To settle the colonial question, this article demonstrates how Puerto Rico has been a decolonized territory since the 1950s. The findings stemmed from a fact-based model set on five events advancing the evolution of Puerto Rico’s legal condition. To validate the results, the study tested the end product(s) of Puerto Rico’s legal evolution against decolonization standards established under international law. A confirmatory analysis of relevant jurisprudence enhanced validation with decisions resolving popularized misconceptions about the status quo. Consequently, changes to Puerto Rico’s legal condition are not mandatory because the status quo concurs with international law.