Cuba will compete with Puerto Rico...

​Recently, the United States declared that it was "normalizing" relations with Cuba. According to Fox’s article, Puerto Rico: U.S. shift on Cuba will have impact on Caribbean trade, tourism, the lift on Cuba’s economic embargo will have a direct impact on Puerto Rico's tourism, a major part of the island's economy. I see this action by the United States as the backdrop for a series of events that will thrust Puerto Rico to becoming the 51st State. The United States' sudden change in policy towards Cuba proves that it is still willing to change major positions with its Caribbean neighbors. Almost without warning and seemingly with no (apparent) major catalyst to provoke such a change, the president makes a T.V. appearance, and in a short broadcast announces a major policy change towards Cuba. I speculate that as a result of the policy change towards Cuba, a major policy change towards Puerto Rico will soon come particularly for the three following reasons:

1) As Cuba becomes a major player in the tourism industry, Puerto Rico's, already struggling economy will have to strengthen its value proposition in order to compete. If Cuba will open up to American tourists looking for the newest hot travel destination, then Puerto Rico will also need to re-invent itself so that it too could attract tourists enticed by Puerto Rico's new formed status as the 51st State.

2) It will not be in the United States' interest to have two Caribbean islands, with some shared history and close proximity to each other, one a Communist dictatorship that will have a flourishing economy, as a result of its markets being opened up and having the potential of becoming the "China of the west"; the other, a free market democratic government, a Commonwealth of the United States that is failing both economically and politically, in part due to its current antiquated and limiting political status. To strengthen its democratic and free market ideals in the Caribbean and compete ideologically and economically with a flourishing Cuba, the United States' best political play will be to annex Puerto Rico and secure its interests in the Caribbean . By making Puerto Rico a State, the United States can deliver the policy and resources necessary to compete with a flourishing Cuba.

3) This reason is closely related to my second reason except that, this one explains why Puerto Rico will become a state sooner rather than later. As Cuba's socialist ideology will seemingly be more acceptable, it's economic success will be more apparent and undoubtedly their propaganda machine will be turned on to full blast, it will be very easy for a strong Cuba to win the hearts and minds of a weak Puerto Rico weary of financial turmoil and a culture of political corruption. Cuba can reignite the Separatist movement in Puerto Rico and create an upset that can completely break apart U.S and Puerto Rico relations all together. Before we get anywhere near this worse-case scenario, the United States will want to take action now while the majority of people in Puerto Rico still want statehood.

Just to recap; the sudden policy change between the United States and Cuba demonstrates that the United States is willing to make sweeping changes in long held policy. As Cuba will undoubtedly flourish, the United States will have a strong interest in ensuring that Puerto Rico succeeds in the Caribbean. if the current economic crisis in Puerto Rico highlights the failure of keeping things status quo, then as Cuba begins to flex its economic muscles and competes directly with Puerto Rico, it will become that much more apparent that a drastic change will also be needed in U.S and Puerto Rico policy.