Trouble in Paradise: Should Puerto Ricans Be Eligible for COVID-19 Relief Checks?

According to the Library of Congress, Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since 1917, when the U.S. government offered a new legislative branch and citizenship to every Puerto Rican citizen. The economy shifted to an American capitalist system, and increasing numbers of mainland U.S. businesses began to invest in Puerto Rico’s thriving tobacco and sugar industry. However, this booming economy failed to bring about great social change, and increasing rates of illiteracy, poverty, malnutrition, and disease forced many Puerto Ricans into mainland U.S. immigration. While Puerto Ricans have representation in the House, that representative cannot vote on U.S. laws that would affect Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans are still unable to vote for president or have any form of voting representation in the U.S. Congress.

With the COVID-19 pandemic breaking out in Puerto Rico in early March of 2020, cases have been steadily rising. According to the New York Times, there have been 135,552 cases and over 2,000 deaths on the island. The territory has 193 new cases being reported each day as of March 9, 2021, and while the number of cases is going down, a pandemic breakout on an island with a severe poverty problem is already beginning to affect residents economically.

In July of 2020, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy institute, published a report on how badly COVID-19 is impacting Puerto Rico. Specifically, it states that without a boost in aid money, the territory will face severe food aid cuts. The report discusses how, because of Puerto Rico’s economic status and the many natural disasters it has faced over the last decade, COVID-19 was met with little preparation, especially for an especially vulnerable population. Hurricane Maria ravaged the territory, and according to NPR, many electrical lines, transportation systems, and buildings were completely destroyed. Former President Trump dragged his feet on giving Puerto Rico the promised 13 billion dollars in aid money until right before the election, rendering the rebuilding process to be set back by years. 

Keeping all of this in mind, Puerto Ricans were among the last Americans to receive stimulus checks for COVID relief, only receiving funds as recently as January 2021, according to The Weekly Journal. Should Puerto Ricans be included in the stimulus check disbursements, even though they are a territory and not a state? Absolutely. Puerto Rico is a territory that has a long and sordid history of being ignored by the U.S. government while exploited for its resources, leading to economic ruin and high rates of poverty. 

In addition, the toll natural disasters have wrought on the territory’s infrastructure, medical facilities, electrical systems, and transportation, have made it difficult to reach many remote areas or house many medical patients properly. With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands no longer have jobs or housing. 100,000 people in a territory with crumbling infrastructure have contracted a deadly disease, and it seems almost laughable to say that they don’t deserve help from their own government. Lest we forget, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory with no voting rights or ability to vote in Congress. Its government is our government, and denying Puerto Ricans aid when they have no other options is unjust. Puerto Rico is a part of the U.S., and it should be treated as such.