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The Puerto Rico Department of State today celebrated the 108th anniversary of the Advent of American Citizenship in Puerto Rico with an official ceremony at the Old City Hall Building in Old San Juan.
The event was attended by Governor Jenniffer González Colón, Secretary of State Veronica Ferraiuoli Hornedo, as well as agency heads, mayors, legislators and representatives of pro-statehood organizations.
During the ceremony, Governor González Colón presented an official proclamation highlighting the importance of this anniversary in the history of Puerto Rico and reaffirming her administration’s commitment to equal rights for American citizens residing on the island.
“We are American citizens with 108 years of loyalty to our nation. We have served in every war, we have contributed to the economy, we have built a historical and cultural legacy. There is no more room for constitutional tests or legal excuses. Being citizens on equal terms – which only statehood guarantees – is the great challenge of our generation. And we will achieve it, as the United States has always done: with determination, with perseverance, without deviating from the goal despite the detractors. …and we chose this path not because it is easy, but because it is the right one, because it is fair, because it is what we deserve. Because after 108 years, it is time,” said the governor.
For her part, Secretary of State Veronica Ferraiuoli Hornedo presented a proclamation to various organizations that have contributed to strengthening democratic and civic values in Puerto Rico.
“American citizenship has been a fundamental pillar in the development and growth of Puerto Rico. This anniversary reminds us of the importance of continuing to work for full equality and the strengthening of our relationship with the United States, thereby guaranteeing greater opportunities for all Puerto Ricans,” said Ferraiuoli Hornedo.
The commemoration of this anniversary reaffirms this administration’s commitment to equal rights and opportunities for all American citizens on the island.
Additionally, the event marks the beginning of the Equality and Statehood Summit that, by Executive Order (OE-2025-007) of the Governor, the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) will hold in Washington, DC as the main event of the Government of Puerto Rico for the advocacy and defense of statehood in the federal capital. The OE declares as public policy that all agencies will defend and implement the mandate in favor of statehood, as expressed by the majority and consistently of Puerto Rico’s voters in the 2012, 2017, 2020 and 2024 plebiscites.
“Each plebiscite has represented progress. Each vote has reflected greater and more forceful support than the previous one. Our voice has been raised with each generation, with each election, saying with more strength and clarity: we want statehood! This growing support is the result of our perseverance. It is the result of explaining, educating and, above all, working for a Puerto Rico with equal rights. Let’s keep working, let’s keep fighting. Towards full equality!” said the governor.
The Department of State will continue to promote initiatives that strengthen our integration with the United States, boosting the development and well-being of Puerto Rico.
