While Catalonia prepares for a vote which its separatist-minded forces see as the first step to independence, many Puerto Ricans are mulling their country’s return to Spain’s fold.
Established in 2012 the Association now has around 30,000 supporters, “both official and unofficial,” Ivan Arrache said.
“We want to become an autonomous community of Spain with a different system of taxation and trade. We want to be with Spain but not blend with it,” he added.
In August 2015 Puerto Rico defaulted on the full payment of its bonds for the first time in the commonwealth government's history.
Puerto Rico paid $628,000 out of a $58 million payment on its Public Finance Corp bonds which were due August 1st.
The government said it was no longer able to service its $73 billion debt.
Washington promised help in the form of several loans but said that no immediate financial bailout would be forthcoming any time soon.