puerto rico: Puerto Ricans have repeatedly rejected independence from the United States, and neither does it seem like PR will be admitted into statehood any time soon. Can the US unilaterally decide that it is severing its ties to Puerto Rico and making it an independent state?|||Good question! I never thought about it, but sure we could. We took it from the Spanish and declared it a Commonwealth. They have refused statehood and independence and have a huge tax advantage as a commonwealth (exempt from most of our taxes). We could cut them loose.|||Just a note to Paul Ding - the US didn't force the Philippines to be independent. They wanted to be independent long before the US let it go. Report Abuse |||Puerto Ricans has the choice and not the Americans whether or not to be independent.|||Why not? It forced the Philippines to be independent in 1935.|||I wish we would cut them loose No one works the sugar fields I mean no one They don't get welfare checks they get cash it's a toilet|||The US can do what ever it wants with it's territory. We give them the ability to choose. We should get rid of that tax money leach.