What's the Real Color? Inside the History of the Light Blue Puerto Rican Flag

Thanks to Bad Bunny’s amazing Super Bowl LX halftime show, Puerto Rico is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. After watching the talent give the world a look at the greatness of Boricua culture — from its focus on family to lively celebrations with salsa and reggaeton tunes — many people are excited to learn more about the Caribbean island.

Although Puerto Rico has not established statehood in the U.S., it remains a territory. That said, the country maintains its own flag, featuring red and white stripes and a white star in the middle of a dark blue triangle. However, many folks have noticed that the triangle on the original flag was light blue, a shade that is still sold and recognized by natives. So, what is the history behind the light blue in the Puerto Rican flag? Let’s dive in.

According to Welcome to Puerto Rico, the flag's blue has undergone several changes for several reasons. Initially, the light blue on the flag signified the sky and the sea. The star symbolizes the island, the three red stripes signify the blood of warriors, and the white stripes represent victory and peace after the country gained independence.

Puerto Rico was once under Spanish control from the 1500s to 1898. Although there was a failed rebellion led by exiled natives in 1868, Dr. Ramon Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis, the country was granted more political autonomy by Spain. As a result, the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Committee was founded in 1892 in New York City.

The group had ties to the Cuban Revolutionary Party, which supported freeing Cuba and Puerto Rico from Spanish rule. This is when the flag with the light blue triangle was created and adopted as the country’s symbol.

After mobilizing their forces in 1895 with the flag to promote Puerto Rican independence from Spain in 1895, the site shares that efforts grew into a final revolt known as the Intentona de Yauco (the Attempted Coup of Yauco) against Spain in 1897. It was created by the island’s pro-independence movement.

Later, the flag became known as the symbol of resistance against the U.S. invasion in 1898 and was officially adopted by the Nationalist Party in 1930. After Puerto Rico and Cuba’s successful revolts during the 1950s, Puerto Rico became a Commonwealth of the U.S. The flag was then deemed the country's official national flag, hence the appropriate meaning of the design.

Once Puerto Rico became a Commonwealth, the initial design was changed to make the flag more connected to that of the U.S. In other words, the goal was to strip the country of its true history to start anew. As a result, the light blue triangle many natives are familiar with was changed to a darker shade to emulate features of the U.S. flag.

Per the District of Puerto Rico, the flag’s symbolism explains the foundation of the American government. The white star now “represents the Commonwealth, the dark blue triangle symbolizes the three branches of government — executive, legislative, and judicial — the red stripes represent the blood that nourishes the three branches of government, the two white stripes represent individual liberty and the rights of man, which maintain the balance among the three branches of government.”

Interestingly, even though the initial flag had a light blue triangle, the government shares that there is “no official shade of blue.” Not to mention, they state that it’s common to see variations of the triangle on the flag, with some showing sky blue, dark blue, or royal blue.

Despite the official change, many Puerto Rican natives refuse to conform. Natives proudly wave the original flag and make a point of not forgetting the country’s rich and defiant history.