Question: Before the country where Nilmaris Santini is a citizen was a commonwealth it was a what?

full_context: Document 1: History of Puerto Rico: Located in the northeastern Caribbean, Puerto Rico formed a key part of the Spanish Empire from the early years of the exploration, conquest and colonization of the New World. The island was a major military post during many wars between Spain and other European powers for control of the region in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The smallest of the Greater Antilles, Puerto Rico was a stepping - stone in the passage from Europe to Cuba, Mexico, Central America, and the northern territories of South America. Throughout most of the 19th century until the conclusion of the Spanish -- American War, Puerto Rico and Cuba were the last two Spanish colonies in the New World; they served as Spain's final outposts in a strategy to regain control of the American continents. Realizing that it was in danger of losing its two remaining Caribbean territories, the Spanish Crown revived the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815. The decree was printed in Spanish, English and French in order to attract Europeans, with the hope that the independence movements would lose their popularity and strength with the arrival of new settlers. Free land was offered to those who wanted to populate the islands on the condition that they swear their loyalty to the Spanish Crown and allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church.
Document 2: Asunción Ocasio: Asunción Ocasio Rodríguez (born June 6, 1987) is a Puerto Rican taekwondo practitioner. Ocasio qualified for the women's 67 kg class at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, after placing third from the Pan American Qualification Tournament in Cali, Colombia. She defeated Greece's Elisavet Mystakidou and Germany's Helena Fromm in the first two rounds, before losing out the semi-final match by a unanimous decision to Canada's Karine Sergerie, with a score of 0–2. Ocasio automatically qualified for the bronze medal bout, where she narrowly lost Puerto Rico's first ever medal at these Olympic games by Croatia's Sandra Šarić, with a final score of 1–5.
Document 3: Spanish West Indies: The islands that later became the Spanish West Indies were the focus of the voyages of the Spanish expedition of Christopher Columbus in America. Largely due to the familiarity that Spaniards gained from Columbus's voyages, the islands were also the first lands to be permanently colonized by Spanish in the Americas. The Spanish West Indies were also the most enduring part of Spain's American Empire, only being surrendered in 1898 at the end of the Spanish–American War. For over three centuries, Spain controlled a network of ports in the Caribbean including Havana (Cuba), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), Veracruz (Mexico), and Portobelo, Panama, which were connected by galleon routes.
Document 4: Nilmaris Santini: Nilmaris "Nilmari" Santini Martin (May 25, 1959 – March 25, 2006) was a female judoka from Puerto Rico. She competed for her native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where she was defeated in the second round of the repêchage.
Document 5: History of Puerto Rico: On August 10, 1815, the Royal Decree of Grace was issued, allowing foreigners to enter Puerto Rico (including French refugees from Hispaniola), and opening the port to trade with nations other than Spain. This was the beginning of agriculture-based economic growth, with sugar, tobacco, and coffee being the main products. The Decree also gave free land to anyone who swore their loyalty to the Spanish Crown and their allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church. Thousands of families from all regions of Spain (particularly Asturias, Catalonia, Majorca and Galicia), Germany, Corsica, Ireland, France, Portugal, the Canary Islands and other locations, escaping from harsh economic times in Europe and lured by the offer of free land, soon immigrated to Puerto Rico. However, these small gains in autonomy and rights were short lived. After the fall of Napoleon, absolute power returned to Spain, which revoked the Cádiz Constitution and reinstated Puerto Rico to its former condition as a colony, subject to the unrestricted power of the Spanish monarch.
Document 6: Puerto Rico: Originally populated by the indigenous Taíno people, the island was claimed in 1493 by Christopher Columbus for Spain during his second voyage. Later it endured invasion attempts from the French, Dutch, and British. Four centuries of Spanish colonial government influenced the island's cultural landscapes with waves of African slaves, Canarian, and Andalusian settlers. In the Spanish Empire, Puerto Rico played a secondary, but strategic role when compared to wealthier colonies like Peru and the mainland parts of New Spain. Spain's distant administrative control continued up to the end of the 19th century, helping to produce a distinctive creole Hispanic culture and language that combined elements from the Native Americans, Africans, and Iberians. In 1898, following the Spanish -- American War, the United States acquired Puerto Rico under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. The treaty took effect on April 11, 1899.
Document 7: Dignelis Jiménez: Dignelis Taymí Jiménez Hernández (born 1984 in Arecibo, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican beauty pageant titleholder, who currently holds the title of Miss Puerto Rico Earth 2009.
Document 8: Ineabelle Díaz: Ineabelle Díaz Santana (born January 4, 1974 in Río Piedras) is a Puerto Rican taekwondo practitioner, who competed in the women's welterweight category. She picked up a total of ten medals in her career, including two from the World Taekwondo Championships and a bronze from the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Diaz also competed for Puerto Rico in a demonstration event at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, and later attained a fifth-place finish in the 67-kg division at the 2004 Summer Olympics, narrowly missing out the nation's first Olympic medal since 1996.
Document 9: Puerto Rico: Originally populated by the indigenous Taíno people, the island was claimed in 1493 by Christopher Columbus for the Crown of Castile during his second voyage. Later it endured invasion attempts from the French, Dutch, and British. Four centuries of Spanish colonial government transformed the island's ethnic, cultural and physical landscapes primarily with waves of African slaves, and Canarian, and Andalusian settlers. In the Spanish imperial imagination, Puerto Rico played a secondary, but strategic role when compared to wealthier colonies like Peru and the mainland parts of New Spain. Spain's distant administrative control continued up to the end of the 19th century, helping to produce a distinctive creole Hispanic culture and language that combined elements from the Native Americans, Africans, and Iberians. In 1898, following the Spanish -- American War, the United States acquired Puerto Rico along with other Spanish colonies under the terms of the Treaty of Paris.
Document 10: Independence movement in Puerto Rico: After four hundred years of colonial rule by the Spanish Empire, Puerto Rico finally received its sovereignty in 1897 through a Carta de Autonomía (Charter of Autonomy). It was signed by Spanish Prime Minister Práxedes Mateo Sagasta and ratified by the Spanish Cortes.
Document 11: Miguel Nido: Miguel Nido (born March 8, 1963 in Carolina, Puerto Rico) is a former tennis player from Puerto Rico, who represented his native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Partnering Juan Rios, the pair was defeated in the first round by Italy's Diego Nargiso and Omar Camporese. The right-hander reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on April 23, 1990, when he became the number 120 of the world.
Document 12: Puerto Rico: Originally populated by the indigenous Taíno people, the island was claimed in 1493 by Christopher Columbus for the Crown of Castile during his second voyage. Later it endured invasion attempts from the French, Dutch, and British. Four centuries of Spanish colonial government transformed the island's ethnic, cultural and physical landscapes primarily with waves of African slaves, Canarian, and Andalusian settlers. In the Spanish imperial imagination, Puerto Rico played a secondary, but strategic role when compared to wealthier colonies like Peru and the mainland parts of New Spain. Spain's distant administrative control continued up to the end of the 19th century, helping to produce a distinctive creole Hispanic culture and language that combined elements from the Native Americans, Africans, and Iberians. In 1898, following the Spanish -- American War, the United States acquired Puerto Rico under the terms of the Treaty of Paris.
Document 13: Márcio Wenceslau: At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Wenceslau defeated Iran's Reza Naderian by hitting a frontal blow in the first preliminary round match, with a score of 2–1. He reached the quarterfinal round, before losing to world champion Juan Antonio Ramos of Spain, by a defensive kick in the first two periods, with a decisive score of 2–3.
Document 14: Puerto Rico: Originally populated by the indigenous Taíno people, the island was claimed in 1493 by Christopher Columbus for Spain during his second voyage. Later it endured invasion attempts from the French, Dutch, and British. Four centuries of Spanish colonial government influenced the island's cultural landscapes with waves of African slaves, Canarian, and Andalusian settlers. In the Spanish Empire, Puerto Rico played a secondary, but strategic role when compared to wealthier colonies like Peru and the mainland parts of New Spain. Spain's distant administrative control continued up to the end of the 19th century, helping to produce a distinctive creole Hispanic culture and language that combined elements from the Native Americans, Africans, and Iberians. In 1898, following the Spanish -- American War, the United States acquired Puerto Rico under the terms of the Treaty of Paris.
Document 15: Inés Remersaro: She also competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Women's 100 metre backstroke, finishing in 43rd place in the heats, failing to qualify for the semifinals.
ground_truth: a key part of the Spanish Empire
sub_queries: Nilmaris Santini >> country of citizenship Answer: Puerto Rico
what was Puerto Rico before it was a commonwealth Answer: a key part of the Spanish Empire