On October 16, 2025, BUDPR held a historic policy briefing in Washington, D.C., on Puerto Rican sovereignty. In front of a standing-room-only crowd that included political leaders, congressional staffers, Puerto Ricans from diverse communities, and allies from across the United States, our panelists and guest speakers provided expertise, insights, and inspiration:

• Congresswoman Delia Ramírez delivered powerful remarks in which she rejected statehood for Puerto Rico and connected fights for justice from Puerto Rico to Chicago to Palestine.
• Juan Dalmau Ramírez, leader of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, reminded us that Puerto Rico is a nation with an inalienable right to self-determination and sovereignty, and laid the kind of inclusive and democratic process could advance Puerto Rico's decolonization
• Renata Beca Barragán, legislative director in the office of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, took us behind the scenes of recent congressional efforts to change Puerto Rico's colonial status and shared what should be included in future legislation.
• Economist José Caraballo Cueto shared insights from his research on how Puerto Rico's colonial status limits its economic development and the island's potential to grow and thrive as a sovereign nation. He answered the question of whether Puerto Rico has the potential to thrive economically as an independent country with a resounding: yes!

As the only national political organization directly advocating for Puerto Rican independence, we're more motivated than ever to continue bringing these conversations to communities across the U.S., and to expanding our work at a time when Puerto Rico's crises make it increasingly urgent and necessary.