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The 2020 referendum - less than 6 months ago - was pretty clearly aligned with statehood [1]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Puerto_Rican_status_refer...

Article points out that referendum had less than a 25% turnout.

That was 2017 - 2020 had more than 50%

The last 3 out of 6 total (every one since 2012) have had > 50% of the votes for statehood: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico_political_status_p.... A fourth, in 1998, lost by only a couple percentage points to a 'none of the above' option.

> had > 50% of the votes for statehood

And how many people voted?

Compare the people that voted on the referendum with the general elections held and you’ll see people boycott it.

An aspect of the low turnout in these referendums is Peurto Ricans choosing to boycott them. In this case, they don't necessarily mean that there is a lack of engagement.

Why are they boycotting it? Is it because they don't want statehood or because they keep voting but nothing happens?

Well, seeing how a couple of the votes are shrouded in deep controversy, even allegations of rigging the results, I can see why people would just blow it off as yet another attempt to re-invent their society by a very vocal minority.

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