PR is not a country, independent or otherwise.They are all referring to sovereign states, as in independent countries. PR is a country, just not independent.
Puerto Rico is not an independent country, but an unincorporated US territory. In fact, the island has never been an independent nation. It was originally inhabited by the Indigenous Taíno people who greeted Christopher Columbus when he made landfall on the island in 1493. Shortly thereafter, the island became a Spanish colony.

Is Puerto Rico A Country?
Puerto Rico is a commonwealth in free association with the United States. In the territory, there is an intense debate over the island’s future.

Why do a few people still think Puerto Rico is a country?