'Could Puerto Rico Become the 51st State of the U.S.?' and chupacabras for Piña Colada Day

Happy Piña Colada Day when I update the prospects for Puerto Rican statehood! I begin with EWTN, the Global Catholic Network, asking Could Puerto Rico Become the 51st State of the U.S.?

There is a renewed effort by Puerto Rican officials and citizens to make the change from territory to US state, and they're turning to Congress to make it happen. It took 6 decades and many attempts before Congress passed a statehood bill and admitted New Mexico to the union in 1912 as the 47th state. New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich, says that is cause for optimism. Now, he's introduced a bill designed to settle Puerto Rico's status once and for all. Senator Heinrich says, "This process would allow voters in Puerto Rico to make an informed choice between statehood, and independence, and sovereignty and free association with the United States." Puerto Rico became a US territory after the 1898 Spanish-American war, and in 1917 the island's residents were granted US citizenship. Most Senate Republicans say it's simply a ploy by Democrats to increase their voting power. Governor Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico says, "To think that a congressional delegation from Puerto Rico would be totally Democratic is not what I expect to happen. I'm a Democrat, I'm a proud Democrat, yet I tell you that in all likelihood it would be a split delegation." He added that the majority of people are Catholic and pro-life. Capitol Hill Correspondent, Erik Rosales reports.

The Puerto Rico Status Act passed in the House two years ago, but never got a vote in the Senate. It was reintroduced in the House last year, but went nowhere. At least it has been reintroduced in the Senate. Because of the filibuster and Republican opposition, it probably won't go anywhere in the Senate, either. Sigh, it's enough to drive one to change the subject and drink. Fortunately, I have exactly the subject to change to, which I foreshadowed in La Llorona and Malinche, two connected tales for Day of the Dead.

Monstrum also has a video about chupacabras, but those are originally Puerto Rican monsters, even though reports of them come from Mexico as well and the Mexican version is different. I'll save that for a future Piña Colada Day.

Without any further ado, I'm sharing El Chupacabras, a Modern Mystery from Monstrum on PBS Storied.

Did you know there are two different types of chupacabras? Or that these bloodsucking monsters only starting popping up 25 years ago? Sightings of el chupacabras, the “goatsucker,” began in Puerto Rico in 1994 for a very real reason—the unexplained deaths of many farm animals.

Dr. Zarka looks at why humans are afraid of a creature that doesn’t real[ly] prey on humans, and traces the journey of the chupacabras from island monster to popular folk legend.

It turns out that the story of the chupacabra isn't such a change of subject after all, as it ties into Puerto Rico's territorial status and its effects on the island's people.

Dr. Zarka mentioned a chupacabra cocktail and today celebrates Puerto Rico's national drink, so follow over the jump for videos showing both.


There are several chupacabra cocktail recipes, so I'm sharing one from my usual source, Tipsy Bartender.



Dude, there's jager and tequila in this one!
Now the most recent recipe from Tipsy Bartender for today's featured drink, Melon Piña Colada In A Pineapple.

 As Skyy says, drink responsibly and don't drink and drive.

Stay tuned for a double holiday celebration tomorrow,, National Mojito Day and World Population Day.