U.S. imperial aspirations and diminished Spanish colonial power set the scene for the Spanish-American War in the late 1800s. The media helps frame the discussion. The fates of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines are in the balance, but none of these regions play a direct role in the final negotiations. The U.S. sets itself up to continue intervening in the futures of the former Spanish colonies. The post-war status of Puerto Rico, in particular, frames the island's continuing questions of political autonomy and the U.S.'s imperial actions are at conflict with its democratic ideals.