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Not really in terms of PR's wealth. PR is the richest place of Latin America by a long shot. The gap between PR and several Latin American countries is closing, but compared to most Latin American countries the gap is basically not changing. A few places are seeing an increase in the gap with PR and that's despite that PR has been in an economic crisis for many years. Perhaps the most noticeable change is the closing gap with neighboring Dominican Republic, but the gap with Venezuela to its south is widening. However, since the 1990's the DR isn't your typical Latin American country in terms of economic growth, in fact it's one of the few countries that surpasses the typical economic growth of Latin American countries (along with Chile and Panama). Since Nicolás Maduro took over Venezuela it also became an untypical Latin American country but in the complete opposite. The collapse of Venezuela would had been comical if it wasn't so sad. If Maduro remains in charge for many more years it will become the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere after being not too long ago one of the richest countries in Latin America, and Caracas was one of the leading cities of the region.
Puerto Rico $34,518
Panama $31,459
Chile $24,226
Argentina $22,064
Uruguay $21,561
Mexico $19,796
Costa Rica $19,642
Dominican Republic $18,413
Colombia $14,722
Brazil $14,652
Cuba $12,300
Ecuador $11,375
El Salvador $8,776
Bolivia $8,724
Guatemala $8,637
Venezuela $7,704
Honduras $5,728
Nicaragua $5,407
Haiti $2,905
It shows you that Puerto Rico's worst showing (crisis and hurricane) they are above the independent Latin countries and many by a mile and those countries have been independent for over 100 years (they have a long start). That shows everybody with facts that the United States is not this evil empire that sucks everything dry or exploits brown people. It's the reason why independence is rejected by over 95% of the electorate in P.R. They are not stupid. At the end of the day, they put patriotic symbolism on the side and pick economic freedom because like the Americans, they vote with their pocket. They love the American dollar (who doesn't?) As a worker and head of the household it's #1 to me to get paid for my work and the currency means something in the market so I get the things that are important to my family and me. The better you are economically it means more freedom to do the things you want for you and your love ones (that's all that matters). I have tried to explain that to Puerto Ricans in the island that wants independence and the Americans out but they are stubborn. They stick to poems and symbolism from another century.
That's why Operation Bootstrap in Puerto Rico going from an agriculture economy to industrial and developed one was key to where they at today and the United States government and American private sector investing heavily in the island was key. It's the reason their coffee production has been going down each decade and can't compete with Colombia, Brazil and other places. It was all in the making. It's sad on 1 side to see old things go and die but that's the trade off. You can't have both.
Puerto Rico is an island of 130 x 35 miles with limited resources and their main economy was agriculture and was the poorest country in the Caribbean when the U.S. landed in 1898. So Puerto Rico being on top of all Latin countries and "slightly" higher than countries that are 100+ times bigger that have more natural resources is saying a lot.
When you have a better economy and income than Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico (the top countries in Latin America) that is saying a lot from a tiny island of 130 x 35 miles that just 122 years ago was the poorest island in the Caribbean alone.
Argentina to take as 1 example used to be 4th highest per-capita gross domestic product in 1900 to 63rd today (that's a drop and a tragic one). Puerto Rico went from the poorest island in the Caribbean at the end of 1900 to the highest in Latin America. Again, that is saying a lot when Argentina is 305 times bigger than P.R. and have by far more natural resources. Socialism is bad and destroys economies and lives but that's another topic about Argentina.
Puerto Rico is not a state and is not in the mainland. Is not supposed to be higher than the 50 states. If territories were made to surpass states then 37 territories that are that are states today would never went in the Union. P.R. is #51 out of 51. That's a lot better than what the Latin countries are running. I rather be the tail of the lion than the head of a mouse and that's P.R., the tail of the lion.
The issue with Puerto Rico is they have to transition from an industrial economy to a technology economy and that's their challenge. All Latin countries have issues. I rather have P.R. issues than Venezuela, or Mexico or Brazil or Argentina. Those countries have issues and they don't have the chicken with the golden egg like the U.S. under their protection.
I look at P.R. as the glass is half full not half empty. If you look at the economy from P.R. from 1900 to 2020, it went up not down. You can't say the same for the big Latin Countries like Argentina, Brazil or Mexico. Every economy in their history goes through a transition even the U.S. Some just have a very though time adapting and transitioning.
Last edited by SanJuanStar; 01-27-2021 at 08:32 PM..
Whether, Puerto Rico is slightly wealthier than ALL of Latin America or on the same level, doesnt say much.
You are right, what you explain certainly doesn't say much. The thing is that Puerto Rico isn't "slightly wealthier than ALL of Latin America or on the same level," its wealthier than all Latin American countries by a lot and at the same level of none. As in you notice the difference almost immediately upon landing and leaving the airport in PR vs many other places in Latin America. There might be some regions of Latin American countries that may be wealthier than PR overall, but the key word is regions.
As a non-Latino whose visited both Mexico and Puerto Rico,Mexico makes Puerto Rico look like Gilligan's Island lol.
I visited both Mexicos. The tourist side (nice) and the "real" Mexico. Stay on the tourist side. My bother was robbed twice. The local police are corrupt and they will shake you down. My friend from H.S. was sexually assaulted (she was grabbed multiple private parts) in the day time and a crowded city. It has been years and she hasn't been over it. It's a mix bag that she was sexually assaulted in the first place and the crowd just kept walking and didn't help her. I told her they have a problem with sexual harassment and sexual assaults and violence on women and how they treat women overall like a property. Mexico was the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country with the highest teenage pregnancy rate, with 64 cases per 1,000 girls. Each Mexican state has its own penal code to prosecute sexual abuses, but none mentions an age of consent, nor explicitly prohibits intimate relationships between adults and minors under 18 years of age. Each state legislation is specific in how it prosecutes those guilty of engaging in sexual relations with minors under 12 who are considered unable to fully understand the meaning of the act. (under 12 years old) Anything above 12 years old is fair game if the child consents. Crazy. I have a friend that is from Mexico and she told me her father was 20 years old when he married her mother at 12 (pregnancy) and she had 4 children at age 18 and 12 overall. I told her that's crazy at 12. She told me that's a culture down there away from the city.
It's a culture thing that they are fighting to change. I have Mexicans female friends and they tell me it's a struggle to change the mentality and culture down there. They make Puerto Ricans look tame and I thought in Puerto Rico was bad in that department but Mexico is at another level.
Somebody here wrote that Mexico is the Taliban of Latinos. I thought it was a joke but looking at it closely they have a point.
What kind of Puerto Rico do people who advocate Puerto Rican independence desire?
a Left wing socialism like the other Latin countries. Most independentistas I met in the island and in schools (most of them are teachers) are left wing socialists. Sad thing is I have met pro capitalists and pro USA independentistas in the island that are in the private sector creating wealth, jobs and economy but they are shut out of the movement by the people that are in government and public education for life because they have the bullhorn and hijacked the independence movement.
I know a big business man in the island that is pro capitalist, low taxes and limited government and creates jobs and believes in the private sector and market that is for independence but dislikes the socialism that has hijacked the movement for decades in politics and schools.
When the leaders in the island of the independence party find people like Chavez, Castro, Maduro and Iran better options than the U.S.A. and support them, then Houston We have a problem.
It is sad that those socialists are brainwashing the kids with that pap, but it seems to be the norm here on the mainland too - especially in the college level.
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