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Political status

This article lists political parties in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has a 'first past the post' electoral system, in which a voter can vote by party, by candidate or both. To qualify as an official political party (and thus be able to appear on the printed state electoral ballot), a party must meet the criteria set forth by the Puerto Rico Electoral Law.

This list sorts political parties either alphabetically or by date of founding.

Registered parties

Present

As of 2020, Puerto Rico has five registered electoral parties:

Party Initials Current leader Ideology Senate House
Popular Democratic Party
Partido Popular Democrático		 PPD Jesus Manuel Ortiz Pro-Commonwealth
Liberalism[1]
Social liberalism[2]
12 / 27
26 / 51
New Progressive Party
Partido Nuevo Progresista		 PNP Pedro Pierluisi Puerto Rico statehood[3]
10 / 27
21 / 51
Citizens' Victory Movement
Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana		 MVC Manuel Natal Albelo Progressivism[4]
Anti-corruption[5]
Anti-colonialism[6]
2 / 27
2 / 51
Puerto Rican Independence Party
Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño		 PIP Rubén Berríos Left-wing nationalism

Social democracy[7][8]
Puerto Rican independence[9]

1 / 27
1 / 51
Project Dignity
Proyecto Dignidad		 PD César Vázquez Muñiz Christian democracy[10]
Anti-corruption[11]
1 / 27
1 / 51

Past – under U.S. sovereignty

The existing parties in Puerto Rico at the time of change of sovereignty in 1898 reinvented themselves into parties with by-laws, platforms and ideologies consistent with the new political reality brought about by the change of sovereignty. The Barbosistas, followers of Jose Celso Barbosa and mostly aligned with Partido Autonomista Ortodoxo, formed the Partido Republicano Puertorriqueño, while the Muñocistas, followers of Luis Muñoz Rivera and mostly aligned with Partido Liberal Puertorriqueño, formed Partido Federal.[12]

Name (in English) Name (in Spanish) Abbreviation Ideology Existed
Federal Party Partido Federal - Pro-autonomy 1899–1900s[13]
Puerto Rican Republican Party Partido Republicano Puertorriqueño - Pro-statehood 1899–1924[14]
Union Party Partido Unión - Pro-independence 1900s – 1930s
Socialist Party Partido Socialista de Puerto Rico PSPR Socialism, Pro-statehood 1900s–1950s
Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico PNPR Pro-independence 1920s–present
Republican Union Unión Republicana - Pro-statehood 1930s–1960s
Puerto Rican Communist Party Partido Comunista Puertorriqueño PCP Marxism–Leninism, pro-independence 1930s–1990s
Liberal Party of Puerto Rico Partido Liberal de Puerto Rico - Pro-independence 1932–1948
Puerto Rican Reformist Party Partido Reformista Puertorriqueño PRP - 1948
Transparent, Authentic and Complete Liberal Party Partido Liberal Neto, Auténtico y Completo - - 1937–1948
Republican Statehood Party Partido Estadista Republicano PER Pro-statehood 1956–1968
Christian Action Party Partido Acción Cristiana PAC Christian politics 1960s
People's Party Partido del Pueblo PP - 1960s–1970s
Puerto Rican Union Party Partido Unión Puertorriqueña PUP - 1969–1972
Puerto Rican Socialist Party Partido Socialista Puertorriqueño PSP Socialism, pro-independence 1970s–1990s
Puerto Rican Renewal Party Partido Renovación Puertorriqueña PRP Pro-statehood 1983–1987
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party Partido Puertorriqueños Por Puerto Rico PPPR Green politics 2007–2012
Sovereign Union Movement Movimiento Unión Soberanista MUS Pro-independence 2012
Working People's Party Partido del Pueblo Trabajador PPT Left-wing populism, Democratic socialism 2012–2016

Past – under Spain sovereignty

There were no political parties in Puerto Rico until 1870.[15] Bolivar Pagan states the following were the political parties in Puerto Rico during the years of Spanish sovereignty.[a][16]

Name (in English) Name (in Spanish) Leader Platform / Ideology Existed
Unconditional Spanish Party Partido Incondicional Español Jose Ramon Fernandez Conservative 1870–1898[17]
Liberal Reformist Party Partido Liberal Reformista Pedro Geronimo Goyco Liberal 1870–1898
Puerto Rican Autonomist Party Partido Autonomista Puertorriqueño R. B de Castro. Later, Celso Barbosa and Muñoz Rivera[b] Regional Autonomy 1887–1898[18]
Orthodox Autonomist Party
(aka, "Pure and Radical Party")		 Partido Autonomista Ortodoxo
(aka, Partido Puro y Radical)[19]		 Jose Celso Barbosa Regional Autonomy 1897–1899
Puerto Rican Liberal Party Partido Liberal Puertorriqueño Luis Muñoz Rivera Autonomy via pact with Spain's Liberal Party 1897–1899

Unregistered parties

A number of unregistered political parties and organizations exist in Puerto Rico outside of the electoral arena. These organizations span the entire political spectrum:

Affiliates of federal-level United States parties

Unlike the political parties listed above, which are eligible for registration with the Comisión Estatal de Elecciones (CEE) upon fulfilling CEE requirements, the following parties exist as affiliates of American parties and participate in the U.S. primaries of the corresponding American parties at the federal level. Also, unlike the Puerto Rican political parties above, all of which are based in Puerto Rico, these parties are headquartered in mainland United States.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Bolivar Pagan also states the existence of Union Autonomista Liberal, a party that attempted to join again the Liberal and Autonomistas Ortodoxos, but this party had a fleeting existence.
  2. ^ Internal split on 13 February 1897

References

  1. ^ Rivas-Rodríguez, Maggie; Zamora, Emilio (2010). Beyond the Latino World War II Hero: The Social and Political Legacy of a Generation. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. p. 117. ISBN 9780292774520. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Low turnout in Puerto Rico status referendum, 97% of votes for US statehood". Nationalia. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  3. ^ Party Identification in Puerto Rico. Richard Manuel Blanco. Spring 1988. Florida State University Accessed 22 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Victoria Cuidadana". Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  5. ^ "Victoria Cuidadana". Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  6. ^ "Victoria Cuidadana". Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  7. ^ Lester McGrath-Andino (2005). "Intifada: Church–State Conflict in Vieques, Puerto Rico". In Gastón Espinosa; Virgilio P. Elizondo; Jesse Miranda (eds.). Latino Religions and Civic Activism in the United States. Oxford University Press. p. 266. ISBN 978-0-19-516228-8.
  8. ^ Alfredo Lopez (1987). Dona Licha's Island: Modern Colonialism in Puerto Rico. South End Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-89608-257-1.
  9. ^ National Performances: The Politics of Class, Race, and Space in Puerto Rican Chicago. Ana Y. Ramos-Zayas. University of Chicago Press. 2003. pp.21-22. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  10. ^ "Declaración de Principios". Proyecto Dignidad (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  11. ^ "Implementar un Gobierno de Integridad, Confiabilidad y Honestidad". Proyecto Dignidad (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  12. ^ Bolivar Pagan. Historia de los Partidos Políticos Puertorriqueños (1898–1956). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Litografía Real Hermanos, Inc. 1959. Tomo I. p. 15.
  13. ^ Bolivar Pagan. Historia de los Partidos Políticos Puertorriqueños (1898–1956). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Litografía Real Hermanos, Inc. 1959. Tomo I. p. 15.
  14. ^ Bolivar Pagan. Historia de los Partidos Políticos Puertorriqueños (1898–1956). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Litografía Real Hermanos, Inc. 1959. Tomo I. p. 15.
  15. ^ See, Socorro Giron. Ramon Marin y su Tiempo. In, Ramon Marin's Las Fiestas Populares de Ponce. Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. 1994. p. 16.
  16. ^ Bolivar Pagan. Historia de los Partidos Políticos Puertorriqueños (1898–1956). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Litografía Real Hermanos, Inc. 1959. Tomo I. pp. 11–15.
  17. ^ Bolivar Pagan. Historia de los Partidos Políticos Puertorriqueños (1898–1956). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Litografía Real Hermanos, Inc. 1959. Tomo I. p. 11.
  18. ^ Bolivar Pagan. Historia de los Partidos Políticos Puertorriqueños (1898–1956). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Litografía Real Hermanos, Inc. 1959. Tomo I. p. 44.
  19. ^ Bolivar Pagan. Historia de los Partidos Políticos Puertorriqueños (1898–1956). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Litografía Real Hermanos, Inc. 1959. Tomo I. p. 15.

External links

Party sites

Miscellaneous links

Political parties in Puerto Rico
List of political parties in North America
Puerto Rico articles
Categories