Puerto Rico’s Independence Getting Talked About In D.C.

Advocates are trying to make it a policy issue within official D.C. circles.

Javier A. Hernández | July 12, 2026

In 2025, Puerto Rican independence strategists circulated a memorandum and a draft executive order in Washington, which reportedly reached policymakers in Congress and the executive branch. This incident demonstrates that pro-independence advocates aim to evolve the debate from symbolic gestures to tangible federal policy proposals, and it’s working.

For the first time in decades, Puerto Rican independence advocates began to present independence as an executive-branch policy option. The initiative by Plan B Independencia significantly changed the discussion in San Juan and Washington. Instead of waiting endlessly for congressional action that never materialized, the proposal emphasized that the executive branch has substantial authority and influence over foreign affairs and territorial issues, and can initiate a structured decolonization process for Puerto Rico. The response was swift and telling.

Reports first published on March 7, 2025, by the Daily Mail exposed that a draft Executive Order was already circulating among Washington policymakers. Independence was often politically marginalized, despite Puerto Rico’s clear national identity, language, history, and cultural ties to the Caribbean and Latin America. Plan B Independencia broke that mold.

The proposed Executive Order called for the United States to begin a two-year transition process to transfer sovereign powers to the people of Puerto Rico in accordance with international principles of decolonization and democratic self-determination. A transition commission would oversee the orderly handover of authority, ensure continuity of essential public services, and manage federal transition logistics and assistance until the Republic of Puerto Rico is established.

Whether one supports the proposal or not, its strategic importance is undeniable. It compelled policymakers in Washington to confront questions they had long sidestepped: What if statehood is politically unfeasible or not desired by the United States? What if Puerto Rico’s territorial status can no longer be maintained? What if sovereignty becomes the most practical and beneficial solution for both Puerto Rico and the United States? That is precisely where we are now.

Representatives of Plan B Independencia and other groups reportedly met with staff and interlocutors linked to influential Republican senators, Democrats, and other members of Congress. This is significant as........

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