AMERICA'S LAST FORTRESS

A former Puerto Rican resident warns of the costs of American inaction regarding Puerto Rico’s statehood.

A Holocaust survivor and U.S. Army veteran, Odishelidze spent decades in Puerto Rico as a businessman and political consultant. In this, his second book on contemporary Puerto Rican–American relations, he warns that “the people of Puerto Rico have had enough of the false promises made by those promoting statehood for the island.” American politicians, the book argues, consistently undervalue Puerto Rico. Even those who have rhetorically supported statehood seem to place the cause low on their agenda. Others oppose statehood for partisan reasons; while president, Donald Trump offered Denmark the island in exchange for Greenland. What Americans fail to realize, Odishelidze claims, is that, like it or not, “Puerto Rico’s current colonial status is on its way out,” and the U.S. must act now to maintain its influence on the island. Though America may not see Puerto Rico’s strategic value, China, which has been steadily expanding its influence in the Caribbean, certainly does. And, if the island’s citizens see America as a lost cause and vote to secede, or if America grants the island sovereignty without statehood, the U.S. will lose its “Last Fortress” of strategic defense in the Caribbean because China will solidify its influence in America’s backyard. Based on the author’s own conversations and experiences with Puerto Ricans, American politicians, and Chinese businessmen, this is a well-written, nuanced look at the myriad geopolitical forces at play. And while some of the book focuses too much on the author himself, such as a photo collection of Odishelidze with American celebrities and politicians, it’s nevertheless an important, timely book. Moreover, while the concise narrative is under 100 pages, the second half of the book contains useful appendix materials, such as graphs, charts, primary source documents, and detailed analytical studies of the Puerto Rican economy that effectively bolster Odishelidze’s cautionary assessment.

An impassioned, well-researched examination of Puerto Rico’s strategic importance to the U.S.