Constitution Day of Puerto Rico

Today, Puerto Ricans celebrate Constitution Day.

Puerto Rico’s electorate ratified the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in a referendum held on March 3, 1952. On July 25, 1952, Governor Luis Muñoz Marín proclaimed that the constitution was in effect. On August 4 of that same year, the date July 25 was designated as Constitution Day to replace the July 25 Occupation Day, a holiday that commemorated the day in 1898 when American troops landed on the territory of Puerto Rico.

The Constitution, which is controlling government document of Puerto Rico, is composed of nine articles that detail the structure of the government and the functions of its various institutions. It contains an extensive and specific Bill of Rights. Since Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, the Puerto Rico Constitution is bound to adhere to the postulates of the US Constitution due to the Supremacy Clause, and of relevant Federal legislation due to the Territorial Clause.

Constitution Day (Dia de la Constitucion Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico) is marked annually with parades, political and patriotic speeches, fireworks, and social gatherings and merry-making.

Puerto Rico is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, which it faces to the north. To the south is the Caribbean Sea.

There are numerous interesting sites to see in Puerto Rico, including Toro Verde which features La Bestia, one of the longest zip lines in the world, and El Monstruo, the longest in the universe; the El Yunque, the only subtropical rainforest in the US National Forest Service, which normally features clouds covering its peak; and the three bioluminescent bays – Vieques, the brightest, commonly known to tourist as Mosquito Bay; the next brightest, Laguna Grande in Fajardo, and La Parguera in the town of Laias. San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital and largest city, is also famous for its white-sand and pristine beaches and coral reefs and is a favorite among people who like snorkeling, diving, surfing, and sailing.

We greet the People and Government of Puerto Rico led by Governor Dr. Ricardo Rosselló, on the occasion of its Constitution Day.

Constitution Day of Puerto Rico