Editing Politics of Puerto Rico (section)

==== 1968–1999 ====
The [[New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico|New Progressive Party]] (PNP) was founded in August 1967 by [[Luis A. Ferré]], a month after the July 23, 1967, local plebiscite and the year before the PNP won the 1968 elections. The party saw the ideology of annexation as a U.S. state as a [[civil rights]] issue. The creation of the New Progressive Party polarized the political arena to a great degree as radical independence groups were formed in the 1970s and the [[Puerto Rican Socialist Party]] (PSP), a [[Marxist]] and [[Cuba]]-friendly party, was created. Two of the radical groups were labeled as terrorist groups by the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. Government]], [[Los Macheteros]] and the [[Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional (Puerto Rico)|Armed Forces of National Liberation]] (FALN). These groups were viewed by many pro-independence followers as freedom fighters.

In 1972, the PNP lost to a reunified Popular Democratic Party (PPD). [[Rafael Hernández Colón]] became the undisputed leader of the PPD at age 36. He was, as the fourth elected [[Governor of Puerto Rico|governor]], in favor of adding more powers to the commonwealth status. One of his projects was the Puerto Rican owned marine transportation. In order to control the costs of marine transport in Puerto Rico, the marine company ''[[SeaLand|Sea Land]]'' was bought to form ''[[Navieras of Puerto Rico]]'' in 1974.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.joc.com/clouds-lift-navieras-line-after-first-profit-12-years_19880504.html|title=Clouds Lift for Navieras Line After First Profit in 12 Years|website=www.joc.com|access-date=2020-03-04}}</ref>

The fifth governor was [[Carlos Romero Barceló]], a supporter of annexation as the U.S. state of Puerto Rico. Under his administration, Section 936 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Tax Code ({{usc|26|936}}) was implemented as an economic incentive. This allowed American companies to profit in the island without paying taxes. His administration was shadowed by the [[Maravilla Hill case|Cerro Maravilla (Maravilla Hill)]] affair, where two independence activists were killed by police agents. This created a [[Watergate scandal|Watergate]]-like scandal that was later investigated by the Senate.

In 1980, Romero Barcelo was reelected Governor by a controversial 0.2% margin, but lost control of the Senate and, a year later, the House of Representatives to the PPD. Independence radical groups placed bombs on 11 jet fighters in 1981 in the Muñiz Base (a U.S. [[military base]]), and the U.S. removed all of its fighter aircraft from Puerto Rico. [[Rafael Hernández Colón]] became the head of government for the second time in 1984, was reelected in 1988 and remained in power until 1992.

[[Pedro Rosselló]] became the sixth elected Governor in 1992. He pushed the political status dilemma in [[Washington, D.C.]], and sponsored two local non-binding referendums, one in 1993 and another in 1998. While he was elected to a second term, his last four years were met with mounting allegations of corruption. After Rosselló's second term ended, former Speaker of the House [[Edison Misla Aldarondo]] (PNP) was jailed as well as many members of Rosselló's party. Most of the corruption allegations were based on extortion and appropriation of public funds.