That single, white star in the triangle? That’s the star of Puerto Rico. It’s not shy. It’s the main character of the flag. It represents the Commonwealth itself, a little beacon of hope floating in the Caribbean. But here’s where it gets juicy: it’s also a direct shout-out to Cuba’s flag.
Yes, you heard that right. The Puerto Rican flag is basically the first draft of the Cuban flag, with the colors swapped. In the 19th century, Puerto Rican revolutionaries—who were hanging out with Cuban revolutionaries in New York City—decided, “Hey, let’s copy Cuba’s homework, but just change the colors a little.” They flipped the red and blue stripes. It’s the most polite sibling rivalry in flag history. Cuba got the red triangle; Puerto Rico got the blue one. They’re like the Gemini twins of Latin American vexillology.
