Are you the same person today as you were 20 years ago? Absolutely not.

The same goes for countries—especially Spain. Yet many people still cling to what Spain did to Puerto Rico over 500 years ago, ignoring the reality that Spain today is not the Spain of the past.

Spain has a completely different government structure. The king now has minimal power, and the country is a modern parliamentary democracy. Its economy has rebounded and, in many cases, is performing better than other major countries in the European Union—and even better than the U.S. in areas like healthcare, education, and public services.

Spain’s social safety net, healthcare system, and quality of life consistently rank higher than those in the United States.

The point is this: You can’t—and shouldn’t—judge a person or a country so ...