Puerto Rico is having its own election, on the same day as the rest of the U.S.

Last summer, Puerto Rico went through a political reckoning. On the streets you heard a common theme: the people were tired ... tired of corruption, empty promises and a political system that had let them down. Is that spirit still alive? Real America with Jorge Ramos went to Puerto Rico to find out.

Univision

23 Oct 2020 – 12:14 PM EDT

At a time when different social movements are reshaping the political landscape across the island, will their voices, and their vote, create lasting change?

Real America spoke to Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar - better known as ‘Ile’ - one of the voices in the song that became the anthem of the protests: 'Afilando los cuchillos’, (Sharpening the Knives).

Ile is part of a generation of artists whose activism plays out in their music. from the island’s independence movement to the growing femicide rates. It’s something the Grammy winner has continued since her days with 'Calle 13,’ one of Latin America’s most popular and controversial groups known for their politically charged messages.

It was Ile’s music - alongside Reggaeton stars Residente and Bad Bunny - that gave the Puerto Rican people the words to express their rage and their pain.

But was it just a moment that passed?

"Because of our colonial status, we've been taught to just wait for someone else to do it or to deal with it," says Ile. "But no one has. So now I think it's that moment when we finally realize that it's up to ourselves to make that change happen," she adds.

Watch this week's episode of Real Life:

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