Puerto Rico’s governor said that he would travel to Washington, D.C., this week to lobby Congress to recognize the U.S. territory’s vote in favor of becoming the 51st state, even if it means surrendering its newfound debt-restructuring powers, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Despite boycotts by opposition parties that depressed voter turnout, Puerto Rican voters delivered “a clear rejection of the current colonial status and a path forward through statehood,” said Gov. Ricardo Rosselló. Voters opted for U.S. statehood by a 97 percent margin in Sunday’s vote, though turnout was just 23 percent as opponents of the governor urged their constituents to snub the vote. The last time Puerto Rico called a plebiscite on its political status, in 2012, 78 percent of voters turned out. The vote also took place without approval from the Justice Department, which had earlier raised objections to the governor’s proposed ballot language. He said he would attempt to convince members of Congress that the 3.4 million island residents had nonetheless supplied a mandate in favor of becoming the 51st state.
