paragraph_text: The Washington Post, The New York Times and the Boston Herald have published opinion pieces expressing support for the statehood of Puerto Rico. On November 8, 2012, Washington, D.C. newspaper The Hill published an article saying that Congress will likely ignore the results of the referendum due to the circumstances behind the votes. and U.S. Congressman Luis Gutiérrez U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, both of Puerto Rican ancestry, agreed with the The Hill 's statements. Shortly after the results were published Puerto Rico-born U.S. Congressman José Enrique Serrano commented "I was particularly impressed with the outcome of the 'status' referendum in Puerto Rico. A majority of those voting signaled the desire to change the current territorial status. In a second question an even larger majority asked to become a state. This is an earthquake in Puerto Rican politics. It will demand the attention of Congress, and a definitive answer to the Puerto Rican request for change. This is a history-making moment where voters asked to move forward."

paragraph_text: Carlos Antonio Romero Barceló (born September 4, 1932) is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the fifth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the second governor to be elected from the New Progressive Party (PNP) and also Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001.

paragraph_text: Luis Daniel Rivera Filomeno is a Puerto Rican politician from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Rivera was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico in 2012.

paragraph_text: Félix Rigau Carrera (August 30, 1894 – October 13, 1954), known as "El Águila de Sabana Grande" (The Eagle from Sabana Grande), was the first Puerto Rican pilot and the first Puerto Rican pilot to fly on air mail carrying duties in Puerto Rico.

paragraph_text: Puerto Rico (Spanish for ``Rich Port ''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit.`` Free Associated State of Puerto Rico'') and briefly called Porto Rico, is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Miami, Florida.

paragraph_text: Washington Lloréns Lloréns (28 November 1899 – 21 June 1989) was a Puerto Rican writer, linguist, lexicographer, and journalist. He was also a literature critic. Lloréns trained as a pharmacist and applied his knowledge of science to vocabulary, for which he had a passion. He was one of 50 Puerto Ricans included in the nineteenth edition of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language Dictionary.

paragraph_text: Puerto Ricans have both immigrated and migrated to New York City. The first group of Puerto Ricans immigrated to New York City in the mid-19th century when Puerto Rico was a Spanish Province and its people Spanish citizens. The following wave of Puerto Ricans to move to New York City did so after the Spanish -- American War in 1898. Puerto Ricans were no longer Spanish subjects and citizens of Spain, they were now Puerto Rican citizens of an American possession and needed passports to travel to the mainland of the United States.

paragraph_text: Rubén Adorno (born 3 August 1941) in Corozal, Puerto Rico is a Puerto Rican former basketball player who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics and in the 1968 Summer Olympics.

paragraph_text: Jorge Suárez Cáceres (born August 24, 1976, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican politician and Senator. He has been a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico since 2006.

paragraph_text: 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.

paragraph_text: The Puerto Rican Volunteers Corps ("Instituto de Voluntarios de Puerto Rico" in Spanish) was a militia composed of private citizens, principally instituted for the defense of Puerto Rico's periphery from pirate incursions and foreign invasion. In principle, the volunteers were characterized by their unwavering loyalty to the Spanish Crown and Empire, and as such were subject to compulsory membership in the "Partido Incondicionalmente Español" (The Spanish Unconditional Party). However, upon its creation in 1812 the "Partido Incondicional" was exclusive to all but peninsular-born Spaniards (peninsulares), and it was only towards the second half of the century that its rolls were opened to insular-born subjects of European descent (criollos).

paragraph_text: Residents of Puerto Rico pay U.S. federal taxes: import/export taxes, federal commodity taxes, social security taxes, therefore contributing to the American Government. Most Puerto Rico residents do not pay federal income tax but do pay federal payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare). However, federal employees, those who do business with the federal government, Puerto Rico–based corporations that intend to send funds to the U.S. and others do pay federal income taxes. Puerto Ricans may enlist in the U.S. military. Puerto Ricans have participated in all American wars since 1898; 52 Puerto Ricans had been killed in the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan by November 2012.

paragraph_text: Luis Villafañe (born June 21, 1981 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player who plays with Caciques de Humacao of the Puerto Rican Baloncesto Superior Nacional. He also is a member of the Puerto Rico National Basketball Team.

paragraph_text: Nadyalee Torres López (born May 8, 1988) is a Puerto Rican model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World Puerto Rico 2013. she represented Puerto Rico at Miss World 2013 but unplaced.

paragraph_text: Puerto Rico (Spanish for ``Rich Port ''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit.`` Free Associated State of Puerto Rico'') and briefly called Porto Rico, is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeast Caribbean Sea.

paragraph_text: In 1950, the U.S. Congress granted Puerto Ricans the right to organize a constitutional convention via a referendum that gave them the option of voting their preference, ``yes ''or`` no'', on a proposed U.S. law that would organize Puerto Rico as a ``commonwealth ''that would continue United States sovereignty over Puerto Rico and its people. Puerto Rico's electorate expressed its support for this measure in 1951 with a second referendum to ratify the constitution. The Constitution of Puerto Rico was formally adopted on July 3, 1952. The Constitutional Convention specified the name by which the body politic would be known.

paragraph_text: Much of Puerto Rican culture centers on the influence of music and has been shaped by other cultures combining with local and traditional rhythms. Early in the history of Puerto Rican music, the influences of Spanish and African traditions were most noticeable. The cultural movements across the Caribbean and North America have played a vital role in the more recent musical influences which have reached Puerto Rico.

paragraph_text: La Gran Fiesta (in English, The Great Party) is a 1985 Puerto Rican drama film, written and directed by Marcos Zurinaga, based on a story by Ana Lydia Vega. The film was selected as the Puerto Rican entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 59th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

paragraph_text: 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.

paragraph_text: Captain Ramón Power y Giralt (October 7, 1775 – June 10, 1813), commonly known as Ramón Power, was, according to Puerto Rican historian Lidio Cruz Monclova, among the first native-born Puerto Ricans to refer to himself as a "Puerto Rican" and to fight for the equal representation of Puerto Rico in front of the parliamentary government of Spain.

Question: What was the country headquartering Puerto Rican Volunteers Corps before it was a commonwealth?
Answer: a key part of the Spanish Empire