SAN JUAN — Puerto Rico’s new governor was sworn in Monday, promising an immediate push for statehood in a commonwealth facing a deep economic crisis.

Governor Ricardo Rossello, 37, proposed several measures aimed at alleviating the crisis after he was sworn in at midnight. Among them is a proposal to hold a referendum that would ask voters whether they prefer statehood or independence. Many have argued that Puerto Rico’s political status has contributed to its decade-long crisis that has prompted about 200,000 people to flee to the US mainland in recent years.

‘‘The United States cannot pretend to be a model of democracy for the world while it discriminates against 3.5 million of its citizens in Puerto Rico,’’ Rossello said in his inaugural speech. He pledged to work closely with a federal control board that the US Congress created to oversee Puerto Rico’s finances.

Associated Press