What would need to change for Puerto Rico to no longer be classified as a
colony of the United States?

Puerto Rico is a political paradox: part of the United States but distinct from it, enjoying citizenship but lacking full political representation, and infused with its own brand of nationalism despite not being a sovereign state. More than a century after being acquired by the United States from Spain, the island continues to grapple with its status as a U.S. territory and the legacy of colonialism in the Caribbean.

That debate remains as relevant as ever, with Puerto Rico struggling with the combined effects of economic depression, debt crisis and bankruptcy, natural disasters, the coronavirus pandemic, and government mismanagement. Absent a solution, migration to the U.S. mainland could continue to surge. At the same time, a resolution of Puerto Rico’s debt woes could serve as a template for debt-saddled U.S. states.

uhh idk for sure but i think it makes it difficult to pump the oil through the oil rigs

the technology changed agriculture in an impacting manner since many people left the field work by a cellular or other technological appliances