Crítica A critical space of political analysis, history and culture. From Puerto Rico, with an eye toward the international.
-
Colonización y la evolución consumidora de la carne en Puerto Rico
by Israel Melendez Ayala on May 27, 2026Colonization and the evolution of meat consumption in Puerto Rico
-
Esencia and Puerto Rico’s Old War Over Land
by Israel Melendez Ayala on May 20, 2026A new law limiting permit challenges makes the Cabo Rojo fight not only about a resort, but about whether communities can still defend land before it is transformed.
-
The Hidden Routes of the Puerto Rican Table
by Israel Melendez Ayala on May 6, 2026How various foodways shaped Puerto Rican cuisine—and how colonial memory learned to hide them
-
A War of Strategic Self-Sabotage
by Israel Melendez Ayala on April 22, 2026Trump’s conflict with Iran was sold as a show of strength. Instead, it has raised prices, strained alliances and exposed the limits of American power.
-
RaiNao, “La Borinqueña,” and Puerto Rico’s unresolved colonial memory
by Israel Melendez Ayala on April 8, 2026The Anthem They Still Fear
-
Puerto Rico’s Economy for Others
by Israel Melendez Ayala on March 25, 2026From the Real Cédula de Gracias to Act 60, the archipelago has repeatedly subsidized outsiders while neglecting the local production needed for real economic self-determination.
-
Selling the State
by Israel Melendez Ayala on March 11, 2026Privatization, Neoliberal Reform, and Populist Politics in Argentina and Puerto Rico in the 1990s
-
A History of Movement Part II
by Israel Melendez Ayala on February 25, 2026Puerto Ricans in the United States After 1898
-
A History of Movement
by Israel Melendez Ayala on February 11, 2026Puerto Ricans in the United States Before 1898
-
In Puerto Rico, Justice Bends to Power
by Israel Melendez Ayala on February 4, 2026For TIME, I wrote about the the corruption in Puerto Rico and the effects of Trump's pardon on former governor Wanda Vazquez, guilty of corruption charges.
-
Who Owns the Jíbaro?
by Israel Melendez Ayala on January 21, 2026A symbol once shaped by colonial elites, political branding, and cultural betrayal
-
Puerto Rico’s Energy Transition From Renewable to Fossil Fuel
by Israel Melendez Ayala on January 7, 2026How Politics and Privatization Pushed the Archipelago Backward
-
How the Christmas Tree Got to Puerto Rico
by Israel Melendez Ayala on December 17, 2025It’s not as clear-cut a story as you might assume.
-
The Thanksgiving Myth
by Israel Melendez Ayala on November 26, 2025And how Puerto Ricans made it our own.
-
Puerto Rico’s Old Military Wounds Are Being Reopened
by Israel Melendez Ayala on November 18, 2025For TIME, I wrote about the US remilitarization in Puerto Rico
-
The Federal Government Has Canceled Flights to Mexico From San Juan
by Israel Melendez Ayala on November 5, 2025Its economic consequences could be reminiscent of the Prohibition era.
-
A New Law Threatens Access to Information
by Israel Melendez Ayala on October 22, 2025It also enshrines governmental laziness.
-
The U.S. Military Footprint in Puerto Rico
by Israel Melendez Ayala on October 8, 2025Bases built for empire, not the archipelago.
-
U.S. Choices in Medicine Affect Puerto Rico
by Israel Melendez Ayala on September 24, 2025Our governor goes along with Trump.
-
ICE in Puerto Rico
by Israel Melendez Ayala on September 17, 2025For TIME, I wrote about raids and detentions in Puerto Rico.
