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Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin

Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin.

Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin. Exploring the important questions about long-running stories and the latest global news. An honest, unvarnished, explanation of the world. Episodes from The Explanation, Unspun World and The Global Jigsaw.

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The Explanation: Could Puerto Rico become America's 51st state?

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26/08/2023 GMT

Could Puerto Rico become America's 51st state?

BBC World Service - The Explanation, Could Puerto Rico become America's 51st state?

BBC Mundo’s Ronald Avila-Claudio discusses what the future might hold for his homeland

Could Puerto Rico become America's 51st state? BBC Mundo’s Ronald Avila-Claudio tells us more about his homeland and what the future might hold.

As a US territory, Puerto Rico uses the dollar, its people are US citizens and they can move freely back and forth. However, it isn’t a US state, and its residents can’t vote in presidential elections or for members of Congress.

The country has a deep debt crisis, high unemployment and has experienced devastating hurricanes and earthquakes. As a result, migration to the US is common, with almost a million more Puerto Ricans in the US than on the island. In 2020, a non-binding referendum resulted in Puerto Rico voting again to become a US state. But will it ever happen?

BBC Mundo’s Ronald Avila-Claudio tells us more about his homeland and what the future might hold.

Presented by Claire Graham and produced by Owen McFadden for the BBC World Service.

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Could Puerto Rico become America's 51st state?

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