Thousands march for Puerto Rico independence to music of Bad Bunny and Residente

Thousands marched through the historic streets of Old San Juan on Saturday, demanding self-determination and sovereignty for Puerto Rico. The annual 'March for Independence' saw participants calling for an end to the island's status as an associated free state of the United States, a relationship in place since 1952.

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You want to take away my river and my beach, you want my neighborhood and for grandma to leave. No, don't let go of the flag or forget the 'lelolai' because I don't want them to do to you what happened to Hawaii.

The procession, which began at Plaza Colón and moved towards the old federal courthouse, was accompanied by music from prominent artists like Bad Bunny and Residente, whose songs about resistance and identity resonated with the crowd. Street theater performances, including one by 'Colectivo Papel Machete,' amplified the calls for Puerto Rican sovereignty.

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We have to vindicate what we believe in, which is the freedom and decolonization of our homeland. We have been under the imperialist yoke of the United States for too many years, first Spain and then the United States. And here we are, firm, standing in struggle, resisting day after day the onslaughts of the violence that is the colonial system.

"We have to vindicate what we believe in, which is the freedom and decolonization of our homeland," said Suheily Rodríguez, a 48-year-old member of the theater group. "We have been under the imperialist yoke of the United States for too many years, first Spain and then the United States. And here we are, firm, standing in struggle, resisting day after day the onslaughts of the violence that is the colonial system."

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Only I know three words in English: Yankees go home.

Participants chanted slogans such as "Yankees go home" and "The people move forward, no empire can stop them." Many waved Puerto Rican flags featuring a light blue triangle, a symbol of independence mentioned by Bad Bunny in his song 'La Mudanza.' Ángel Rodríguez, co-president of the National Hostosian Independence Movement (MINH), one of over 20 organizations supporting the event, stated that Puerto Rico is one of the few remaining colonies globally and seeks to join the free world, free from colonial subordination. He also criticized the U.S.-imposed Fiscal Control Board overseeing the island's finances.

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When the people move forward, no empire can stop them.