History of Puerto Rico |
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The first person to officially occupy the position was Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León in 1509. [1] At the time, the Spanish monarchy was responsible for appointing the functionary who would perform this office. The first native Puerto Rican to perform the function was Juan Ponce de León II, as interim governor in 1579. During this administration, all of those appointed to take the position had served another function within the empire's government or the Roman Catholic Church. In 1898, the United States invaded Puerto Rico and the Spanish government ceded control of the island to the United States. During the first two years, the entire government in Puerto Rico was appointed by the president of the United States. In 1900, the American government approved the establishment of the Foraker Act as a federal law, this act established a civilian government in the island. In 1947, the federal Elective Governor Act was enacted, which created a new system where, since 1948, the governor is elected through a democratic process every four years. The governor is in charge of Puerto Rico's executive branch and is responsible for appointing executive branch agency heads, including the Secretary of State, who fulfills the role of lieutenant governor, the legislative branch's ombudsman and comptroller and all judges in the judicial branch.
In the governor's absence, or if the governor dies or is unable to perform the executive duties, the Secretary of State of Puerto Rico takes control of the executive position, as acting governor during a temporary absence or inability, and as governor in case of death, resignation or impeachment and conviction. [2] The elected governor must designate a number of secretaries and other agency heads that will control the individual administrative agencies during his time in office, the selected secretaries are in charge of the island's health, natural resources, economy, correctional and judicial agencies and the department of consumer concerns, among others. The Governor's four-year term begins on January 2, the day after the New Year's Day holiday.
On July 24, 2019, Ricardo Rosselló became the first governor to resign his office. This happened after more than a week of protests due to a chain of corruption arrests and a leaked Telegram chat which contained offensive remarks made by the governor.
Century 16th – 17th – 18th – 19th – 20th – 21st ![]() ![]() |
No. | Portrait | Governor (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Captain General Don Juan Ponce de León (1st time) | June 15, 1508 | October 28, 1509 | [3] [4] |
2 | Juan Cerón | October 28, 1509 | March 2, 1510 | [5] | |
3 | ![]() | Captain General Don Juan Ponce de León (2nd time) | March 2, 1510 | November 28, 1511 | [3] |
4 | Juan Cerón | November 28, 1511 | June 2, 1512 | [5] [4] | |
5 | Rodrigo Moscoso | June 2, 1512 | 1513 | [6] | |
6 | Captain General Cristóbal de Mendoza | 1513 | 1515 | [7] [4] | |
7 | ![]() | Captain General Don Juan Ponce de León (3rd time) | July 15, 1515 | September 12, 1519 | [6] |
8 | Sánchez Velázquez | 1514 | 1519 | [7] [4] | |
9 | Antonio de la Gama | 1519 | 1521 | [7] [4] | |
10 | Pedro Moreno | 1521 | 1523 | [7] [4] | |
11 | Bishop | 1523 | 1524 | [7] | |
12 | Pedro Moreno | 1524 | 1528 | [7] [4] | |
13 | Antonio de la Gama | 1528 | 1530 | [7] [4] | |
14 | Lieutenant General Francisco Manuel de Landó | 1530 | 1536 | [7] [4] | |
15 | Vasco de Tiedra | 1536 | 1537 | [7] [4] | |
16 | Vasco de Tiedra | 1537 | 1544 | [7] | |
17 | Jerónimo Lebrón de Quiñones | 1544 | 1544 | [7] [4] | |
18 | Lcdo. Iñigo López Cervantes y Loayza | 1544 | 1546 | [7] | |
19 | Lcdo. Diego de Caraza | 1546 | 1548 | [7] | |
20 | Diego de Caraza | 1548 | 1550 | [7] | |
21 | Luis de Vallejo | 1550 | 1555 | [7] [4] | |
22 | Lcdo. Alonso Esteves | 1555 | 1555 | [7] | |
23 | Lcdo. Diego de Caraza | 1555 | 1561 | [7] | |
24 | Antonio de la Llama Vallejo | 1561 | 1564 | [7] | |
25 | 1564 | 1568 | [7] | ||
26 | Francisco de Solís Osorio | 1568 | 1574 | [7] | |
27 | Francisco de Obando y Mexia | 1575 | 1579 | [7] | |
28 | | Juan Ponce de León II | 1579 | 1579 | [8] |
29 | Jerónimo de Agüero Campuzano | 1580 | 1580 | [7] | |
30 | Captain General Juan de Céspedes | 1580 | 1581 | [7] [4] | |
31 | Captain General Juan López Melgarejo | 1581 | 1582 | [7] [9] | |
32 | Captain General Diego Menéndez de Valdés | June 12, 1582 | May 11, 1593 | [7] [4] [10] | |
33 | Colonel Pedro Suárez de Coronel (1st time) | May 11, 1593 | December 18, 1597 | [7] [4] | |
34 | Captain General Antonio de Mosquera | December 18, 1597 | August 13, 1598 | [7] | |
35 | Colonel Pedro Suárez de Coronel (2nd time) | November 23, 1598 | March 22, 1599 | [7] | |
36 | Captain General Alonso de Mercado | March 22, 1599 | July 15, 1601 | [7] [4] | |
37 | Captain General | July 15, 1601 | July 22, 1608 | [7] [4] | |
38 | Gabriel de Rojas Párano | July 22, 1608 | September 14, 1614 | [7] | |
39 | Captain General Felipe de Beaumont y Navarra [4] | September 14, 1614 | June 1, 1619 | [7] | |
40 | Juan de Vargas | June 1, 1619 | August 29, 1625 | [7] [4] | |
41 | Captain General Juan de Haro y Sanvítores | August 29, 1625 | January 24, 1631 | [7] [4] | |
42 | Captain General Enrique Enriquez de Sotomayor | January 24, 1631 | February 23, 1635 | [7] | |
43 | Captain General Iñigo de la Mota Sarmiento | February 23, 1635 | May 16, 1640 | [7] [4] | |
44 | Captain General Agustín de Silva y Figueroa | May 16, 1640 | December 2, 1641 | [7] | |
45 | Captain General Juan de Bolaños | December 2, 1641 | July 9, 1643 | [7] | |
46 | Fernando de la Riva Agüero y Setien | July 9, 1643 | May 24, 1649 | [7] [4] | |
47 | Diego de Aguilera y Gamboa | May 24, 1649 | 1655 | [7] | |
48 | José Novoa y Moscoso Pérez y Buitron | 1655 | August 15, 1660 | [7] | |
49 | Captain General Juan Pérez de Guzmán y Chagoyen | August 15, 1660 | November 23, 1664 | [7] [4] | |
50 | Jerónimo de Velasco | November 23, 1664 | June 23, 1670 | [7] [4] | |
51 | Gaspar de Arteaga y Aunoavidao | June 23, 1670 | March 17, 1674 | [11] [4] | |
52 | Diego Roblandillo | March 17, 1674 | August 20, 1674 | [11] [4] | |
53 | Captain General Baltazar Figueroa y Castilla | August 20, 1674 | April 6, 1675 | [11] [4] | |
54 | Alonso de Campos y Espinosa | April 6, 1675 | August 22, 1678 | [11] [4] | |
55 | Juan de Robles Lorenzana | August 22, 1678 | July 18, 1683 | [11] [4] | |
56 | Captain General Gaspar Martínez de Andino | July 18, 1683 | 1685 | [11] [4] | |
57 | Juan Francisco Medina | 1685 | 1690 | [11] | |
58 | Gaspar de Arredondo y Valle | 1690 | 1695 | [11] [4] | |
59 | Juan Francisco Medina | 1695 | 1697 | [11] | |
60 | Tomás Franco | 1697 | 1698 | [11] [4] | |
61 | Antonio de Robles Silva | 1698 | 1699 | [11] [4] | |
62 | Gabriel Suárez de Ribera | October 17, 1699 | July 23, 1703 | [11] | |
63 | Diego Jiménez de Villarán | 1703 | 1703 | [11] [4] | |
64 | Francisco Sánchez Calderón | 1703 | 1703 | [11] [4] | |
65 | Pedro Arroyo y Guerrero | 1704 | 1705 | [11] [4] | |
66 | Juan Francisco López de Morla | 1706 | 1706 | [11] [4] | |
67 | Francisco Danío Granados | 1706 | 1708 | [11] [4] | |
68 | Colonel Juan de Ribera | July 18, 1711 | February 12, 1715 | [11] [4] | |
69 | José Francisco Carreño | February 12, 1715 | May 3, 1716 | [11] [4] | |
70 | Alfonso Bortodano | May 3, 1716 | April 7, 1720 | [11] | |
71 | Francisco Danio Granados | Arpril 7, 1720 | August 22, 1724 | [11] [4] | |
72 | Captain General José Antonio de Mendizabal y Azcue | August 22, 1724 | October 11, 1730 | [11] [4] | |
73 | Lieutenant Colonel Matías de Abadía | October 11, 1731 | June 28, 1743 | [11] [4] | |
74 | Domingo Pérez de Mandares | June 28, 1743 | October 29, 1744 | [11] | |
75 | Colonel Juan José Colomo | October 29, 1744 | August 11, 1750 | [11] [4] | |
76 | Colonel Agustín de Parejas | August 11, 1750 | July 8, 1751 | [11] [4] | |
77 | Lieutenant Colonel Esteban Bravo de Rivero | July 8, 1751 | May 1, 1753 | [11] [4] | |
78 | Captain General Felipe Ramírez de Estenos | May 1, 1753 | August 30, 1757 | [11] [4] | |
79 | Esteban Bravo de Rivero | August 30, 1757 | June 3, 1759 | [11] | |
80 | Mateo de Guaso Calderón | June 3, 1759 | March 7, 1760 | [11] [4] | |
81 | Esteban Bravo de Rivero | March 7, 1760 | April 20, 1761 | [11] | |
82 | ![]() | Lieutenant Colonel Ambrosio de Benavides | April 20, 1761 | March 12, 1766 | [11] |
83 | Colonel Marcos de Vergara | March 12, 1766 | October 28, 1766 | [11] [4] | |
84 | Lieutenant Colonel José Trentor | October 28, 1766 | July 31, 1770 | [11] [4] | |
85 | Colonel Miguel de Muesas | July 31, 1770 | June 2, 1776 | [11] [12] [4] | |
86 | ![]() | Colonel José Dufresne | June 2, 1776 | April 6, 1783 | [11] [4] |
87 | ![]() | Field Marshal Don Juan Andrés Daban y Busterino | April 6, 1783 | March 27, 1789 | [11] [4] |
88 | Coronel Francisco Torralbo y Robles | March 27, 1789 | July 8, 1789 | [11] | |
89 | ![]() | Brigadier General Miguel Antonio de Ustáriz | July 8, 1789 | May 19, 1792 | [6] [4] |
90 | Coronel Francisco Torralbo y Robles | May 19, 1792 | March 10, 1793 | [11] [4] | |
91 | Brigadier General Enrique Grimarest | March 10, 1793 | March 21, 1795 | [6] | |
92 | ![]() | Field Marshal Don Ramón de Castro y Gutiérrez | March 21, 1795 | November 12, 1804 | [11] [4] |
93 | ![]() | Toribio Montes | November 12, 1804 | June 3, 1809 | [11] |
94 | Salvador Meléndez Bruna | June 30, 1809 | March 22, 1820 | [11] [13] [4] | |
95 | Brigadier General Juan Vasco y Pascual | March 24, 1820 | August 7, 1820 | [11] [4] | |
96 | Brigadier General Gonzalo Arostegui y Herrera | August 7, 1820 | February 12, 1822 | [11] [4] | |
97 | Coronel José de Navarro | February 12, 1822 | May 30, 1822 | [11] [4] | |
98 | Francisco González de Linares | May 30, 1822 | December 4, 1823 | [11] | |
99 | ![]() | Lieutenant General Miguel Luciano de La Torre y Pando | December 4, 1823 | January 14, 1837 | [11] [4] |
100 | Francisco Javier de Moreda y Prieto | January 14, 1837 | December 15, 1837 | [11] | |
101 | ![]() | Field Marshal Miguel López de Baños | December 15, 1837 | October 2, 1840 | [11] [4] |
102 | ![]() | Lieutenant General Santiago Méndez de Vigo | October 2, 1840 | March 11, 1844 | [11] [4] |
103 | Lieutenant General Rafael de Aristegui y Vélez | March 11, 1844 | December 15, 1847 | [11] | |
104 | ![]() | Field Marshal Don Juan Prim de Prats y Gonzalez | December 15, 1847 | September 12, 1848 | [14] |
105 | ![]() | Lieutenant General Juan de la Pezuela y Cevallos | September 12, 1848 | April 23, 1851 | [15] [16] |
106 | Enrique de España y Taberner | April 23, 1851 | August 23, 1852 | [6] | |
107 | ![]() | Lieutenant General Fernándo Norzagaray y Escudero | August 23, 1852 | January 31, 1855 | [6] |
108 | ![]() | Lieutenant General Andrés García Camba | January 31, 1855 | August 23, 1855 | [6] |
109 | ![]() | Lieutenant General José Lemery Ibrarrola Ney y Gonzalez | August 23, 1855 | January 28, 1857 | [6] |
110 | ![]() | Lieutenant General Fernando Cotoner y Chacon | January 28, 1857 | July 31, 1860 | [6] |
111 | Sabino Gamir Maladen | July 31, 1860 | August 19, 1860 | [6] | |
112 | ![]() | Lieutenant General Rafael Echague y Bermingham | August 19, 1860 | February 17, 1862 | [6] |
113 | ![]() | Brigadier General Rafael Izquierdo y Gutierrez | February 17, 1862 | April 29, 1862 | [6] |
114 | ![]() | Lieutenant General Félix María de Messina Iglesias | April 29, 1862 | November 18, 1865 | [6] |
115 | ![]() | Lieutenant General José María Marchessi y Oleaga | November 18, 1865 | November 17, 1867 | [6] |
116 | General Julián Juan Pavia Lacy | November 17, 1867 | December 30, 1868 | [6] | |
117 | ![]() | General José Laureano Sanz y Posse | December 30, 1868 | May 21, 1870 | [6] [17] |
118 | ![]() | Lieutenant General Gabriel Baldrich | April 4, 1870 | September 13, 1871 | [6] |
119 | ![]() | General Ramón Gómez Pulido | September 13, 1871 | July 30, 1872 | [6] |
120 | ![]() | General Simón de la Torre Ormaza | July 30, 1872 | November 5, 1872 | [6] |
121 | Brigadier General Joaquín Eurile Hernan | November 5, 1872 | February 14, 1873 | [6] | |
122 | Lieutenant General Juan Martínez Plowes | February 14, 1873 | March 25, 1873 | [6] | |
123 | General Rafael Primo de Rivera y Sobremonte | March 25, 1873 | February 2, 1874 | [6] | |
124 | ![]() | General José Laureano Sanz y Posse | February 2, 1874 | December 16, 1875 | [6] [17] |
125 | General Segundo de la Portilla Gutierrez | December 16, 1875 | January 24, 1877 | [6] | |
126 | ![]() | General Manuel de la Serna Hernandez y Pinzón | January 24, 1877 | April 26, 1878 | [6] |
127 | ![]() | General José Gamir Maladen | April 26, 1878 | June 24, 1878 | [6] |
128 | ![]() | General Eulogio Despujols y Dussay | June 24, 1878 | July 7, 1881 | [6] |
129 | General Segundo de la Portilla Gutierrez | July 7, 1881 | November 23, 1883 | [6] | |
130 | ![]() | General Miguel de la Vega Inclán y Palma | November 23, 1883 | July 31, 1884 | [6] |
131 | General Don Carlos Suances Campos | July 31, 1884 | September 19, 1884 | [6] | |
132 | ![]() | General Ramón Fajardo Izquierdo | September 19, 1884 | November 25, 1884 | [6] |
133 | ![]() | General Luis Daban y Ramírez de Arellanó | November 25, 1884 | March 23, 1887 | [6] |
134 | ![]() | General Romualdo Palacios Gonzalez | March 23, 1887 | November 9, 1887 | [6] |
135 | ![]() | General Juan Contreras Martinez | November 9, 1887 | February 25, 1888 | [6] |
136 | General Pedro Ruiz Dana | February 25, 1888 | April 18, 1890 | [6] | |
137 | Brigadier General José Pascual Bonanza | 1890 | 1890 | [6] | |
138 | General José Lasso y Pérez | 1890 | 1893 | [6] | |
139 | ![]() | General Antonio Daban y Ramírez de Arrellanó | January 10, 1893 | June 22, 1895 | [6] |
140 | ![]() | General José Gamir Maladen | June 22, 1895 | January 17, 1896 | [6] |
141 | ![]() | General Emilio March | January 17, 1896 | February 15, 1896 | [6] |
142 | ![]() | General Sabas Marín González | February 15, 1896 | January 4, 1898 | [18] |
143 | ![]() | General Ricardo de Ortega y Diez | January 4, 1898 | January 11, 1898 | [19] |
144 | ![]() | General Andrés González Muñoz | January 11, 1898 | January 11, 1898 | [20] [21] |
145 | ![]() | General Ricardo de Ortega y Diez | January 11, 1898 | February 2, 1898 | [19] |
146 | ![]() | General Manuel Macías Casado | February 2, 1898 | October 14, 1898 | [22] |
147 | ![]() | General Ricardo de Ortega y Diez | October 14, 1898 | October 16, 1898 | [19] |
148 | ![]() | Captain Ángel Rivero Méndez | October 16, 1898 | October 18, 1898 | [23] |
No. | Image | Name | Took office | Left office | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
149 | ![]() | Commanding General Nelson A. Miles | July 25, 1898 | October 18, 1898 | |
150 | ![]() | Major General John R. Brooke | October 18, 1898 | December 6, 1898 | [24] |
151 | ![]() | Major General Guy Vernor Henry | December 6, 1898 | May 9, 1899 | |
152 | ![]() | Major General George Whitefield Davis | May 9, 1899 | May 1, 1900 | [6] |
No. | Image | Name | Took office | Left office | Notes | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
153 | ![]() | Charles Herbert Allen | May 1, 1900 | September 15, 1901 | First U.S. civil governor appointed by President William McKinley | [25] |
154 | ![]() | William Henry Hunt | September 15, 1901 | July 4, 1904 | [26] | |
155 | ![]() | Beekman Winthrop | July 4, 1904 | April 17, 1907 | [7] | |
156 | ![]() | Regis Henri Post | April 17, 1907 | November 6, 1909 | [7] | |
157 | ![]() | George Radcliffe Colton | November 6, 1909 | November 15, 1913 | [7] | |
158 | | Arthur Yager | November 15, 1913 | May 15, 1921 | Classmate of President Woodrow Wilson. With his support, the United States Congress adopted the Jones-Shafroth Act | [27] |
159 | José E. Benedicto | May 15, 1921 | July 30, 1921 | Interim governor | [7] | |
160 | ![]() | Emmet Montgomery Reily | July 30, 1921 | February 16, 1923 | [28] | |
161 | ![]() | Juan Bernardo Huyke | February 16, 1923 | April 1, 1923 | Interim governor | [7] |
162 | ![]() | Horace Mann Towner | April 1, 1923 | September 29, 1929 | [29] | |
163 | James R. Beverley | September 29, 1929 | September 9, 1929 | The only non-Puerto Rican appointee of 15 from 1900 to 1952 who could speak Spanish before going there. | [7] | |
164 | ![]() | Theodore Roosevelt Jr. | September 9, 1929 | January 30, 1932 | [30] | |
165 | James R. Beverley 2nd Term | January 30, 1932 | July 3, 1933 | [7] | ||
166 | Robert Hayes Gore | July 3, 1933 | January 11, 1934 | [31] | ||
167 | Benjamin Jason Horton | January 11, 1934 | February 5, 1934 | [7] | ||
168 | ![]() | Blanton C. Winship | February 5, 1934 | June 25, 1939 | Summarily removed by President Roosevelt on May 12, 1939. [32] [33] | [34] |
169 | José E. Colón | June 25, 1939 | September 11, 1939 | Interim governor | [6] | |
170 | ![]() | William D. Leahy | September 11, 1939 | November 28, 1940 | [35] | |
171 | ![]() | José Miguel Gallardo | November 28, 1940 | February 3, 1941 | Interim governor | [6] |
172 | Guy J. Swope | February 3, 1941 | July 24, 1941 | [36] | ||
173 | ![]() | José Miguel Gallardo | July 24, 1941 | September 19, 1941 | Interim governor | [6] |
174 | ![]() | Rexford Tugwell | September 19, 1941 | September 2, 1946 | [37] | |
175 | ![]() | Jesús T. Piñero | September 2, 1946 | January 2, 1949 | Only native Puerto Rican governor appointed under US colonial administration | [38] |
New Progressive Party (7)
Popular Democratic Party (7)
US party affiliation
Democratic Party (10)
Republican Party (3)
Independent (1)
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term | Duration | Party | Election | National Party Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
176 | ![]() | Luis Muñoz Marín (1898–1980) [39] | January 2, 1949 – January 2, 1965 | 16 years | Popular Democratic | 1948 | Independent [lower-alpha 1] | |
1952 | ||||||||
1956 | ||||||||
1960 | ||||||||
177 | ![]() | Roberto Sánchez Vilella (1913–1997) [41] | January 2, 1965 – January 2, 1969 | 4 years | Popular Democratic | 1964 | Democratic [lower-alpha 2] | |
178 | ![]() | Luis A. Ferré (1904–2003) [43] | January 2, 1969 – January 2, 1973 | 4 years | New Progressive | 1968 | Republican [lower-alpha 3] | |
179 | ![]() | Rafael Hernández Colón (1936–2019) [45] [46] | January 2, 1973 – January 2, 1977 | 4 years | Popular Democratic | 1972 | Democratic [lower-alpha 4] | |
180 | ![]() | Carlos Romero Barceló (1932–2021) [48] [49] | January 2, 1977 – January 2, 1985 | 8 years | New Progressive | 1976 | Democratic [lower-alpha 4] | |
1980 | ||||||||
181 | ![]() | Rafael Hernández Colón (1936–2019) [45] [46] | January 2, 1985 – January 2, 1993 | 8 years | Popular Democratic | 1984 | Democratic [lower-alpha 4] | |
1988 | ||||||||
182 | ![]() | Pedro Rosselló (b. 1944) [50] | January 2, 1993 – January 2, 2001 | 8 years | New Progressive | 1992 | Democratic [51] | |
1996 | ||||||||
183 | ![]() | Sila María Calderón (b. 1942) [52] | January 2, 2001 – January 2, 2005 | 4 years | Popular Democratic | 2000 | Democratic [lower-alpha 5] | |
184 | ![]() | Aníbal Acevedo Vilá (b. 1962) [54] | January 2, 2005 – January 2, 2009 | 4 years | Popular Democratic | 2004 | Democratic [lower-alpha 6] | |
185 | ![]() | Luis Fortuño (b. 1960) | January 2, 2009 – January 2, 2013 | 4 years | New Progressive | 2008 | Republican [56] | |
186 | ![]() | Alejandro García Padilla (b. 1971) | January 2, 2013 – January 2, 2017 | 4 years | Popular Democratic | 2012 | Democratic [lower-alpha 7] | |
187 | ![]() | Ricardo Rosselló (b. 1979) | January 2, 2017 – August 2, 2019 | 2 years, 212 days | New Progressive | 2016 | Democratic [58] | |
– | ![]() | Pedro Pierluisi (b. 1959) De facto | August 2, 2019 – August 7, 2019 | 5 days | New Progressive | None [lower-alpha 8] | Democratic [58] | |
188 | ![]() | Wanda Vázquez Garced (b. 1960) Constitutional appointment | August 7, 2019 – January 2, 2021 | 1 year, 148 days | New Progressive | None [lower-alpha 9] | Republican [60] | |
189 | ![]() | Pedro Pierluisi (b. 1959) | January 2, 2021 – present | 3 years, 220 days | New Progressive | 2020 | Democratic [58] |
The politics of Puerto Rico take place in the framework of a democratic republic form of government that is under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States Congress as an organized unincorporated territory. Since the 1898 invasion of Puerto Rico by the United States during the Spanish–American War, politics in Puerto Rico have been significantly shaped by its status as territory of the United States. The nature of Puerto Rico's political relationship with the United States is the subject of ongoing debate in Puerto Rico, in the United States, the United Nations and the international community, with all major political parties in the archipelago calling it a colonial relationship.
The University of Puerto Rico, often shortened to UPR, is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 44,200 students and approximately 4,450 faculty members. UPR has the largest and most diverse academic offerings in the commonwealth, with 472 academic programs of which 32 lead to a doctorate.
José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín was a Puerto Rican journalist, politician, statesman and was the first elected governor of Puerto Rico, regarded as the "Architect of the Puerto Rico Commonwealth."
Roberto Sánchez Vilella was the governor of Puerto Rico from 1965 to 1969. Sánchez Vilella successfully ran for governor in the 1964 elections for the Partido Popular Democrático. He is also the founder of the People's Party, "Partido del Pueblo", also known as el Partido del Sol.
Puerto Rico celebrates all official U.S. holidays, and other official holidays established by the Commonwealth government. Additionally, many municipalities celebrate their own Patron Saint Festivals, as well as festivals honoring cultural icons like bomba y plena, danza, salsa, hamacas (hammocks), and popular crops such as plantains and coffee.
The New Progressive Party is a political party in Puerto Rico that advocates statehood. The PNP is one of the two major parties in Puerto Rico with significant political strength and currently holds both the seat of the governor and of the resident commissioner.
The governor of Puerto Rico is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and commander-in-chief of the Puerto Rico National Guard.
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, from 2009 to 2013.
David Enrique "Quique" Bernier Rivera is a Puerto Rican dentist and politician that has served in various roles in public service in Puerto Rico. Bernier first served as executive director of the Office of Youth Affairs of Puerto Rico and was later confirmed as the youngest Secretary of Sports and Recreation of Puerto Rico in history. Four years later, he was unanimously confirmed as Secretary of State of Puerto Rico for the administration of Alejandro García Padilla. He was the 2016 candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico of the Popular Democratic Party.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Puerto Rico have most of the same protections and rights as non-LGBT individuals. Public discussion and debate about sexual orientation and gender identity issues has increased, and some legal changes have been made. Supporters and opponents of legislation protecting the rights of LGBT persons can be found in both of the major political parties. Public opposition still exists due, in large part, to the strong influence of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as socially conservative Protestants. Puerto Rico has a great influence on the legal rights of LGBT citizens. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the commonwealth since July 2015, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional.
Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer currently serving as governor of Puerto Rico since January 2, 2021. He has previously served as secretary of justice, resident commissioner, acting secretary of state, de facto governor of Puerto Rico and as private attorney for Puerto Rico's fiscal oversight board under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act. He is a member of the New Progressive Party and the Democratic Party of the United States.
The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the Ortoiroid people before 430 BC. At the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1493, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the Taínos. The Taíno people's numbers went dangerously low during the latter half of the 16th century because of new infectious diseases carried by Europeans, exploitation by Spanish settlers, and warfare.
José María Menéndez Monroig was a member of the Puerto Rico Senate serving from 1968 till 1976. After the 1972 Puerto Rican elections Carlos Romero Barcelo suggested that he be selected Minority Leader in the Senate instead of Justo Méndez who had occupied that position in the past four years. He was one of the founders of Estadistas Unidos. He was a member of Phi Sigma Alpha fraternity.
The Popular Democratic Party is a political party in Puerto Rico that advocates to continue as a Commonwealth of the United States with self-governance. The party was founded in 1938 by dissidents from the Puerto Rican Liberal Party and the Unionist Party and originally promoted policies on the center-left. In recent years, however, its leaders have described the party as centrist.
Ricardo Antonio Rosselló Nevares is a former governor of Puerto Rico who served from 2017 until his resignation in 2019 after overwhelming protests related to the Telegramgate scandal. He is the son of former governor of Puerto Rico and pediatric surgeon Pedro Rosselló.
Spanish settlement of Puerto Rico began in the early 1500s shortly after the formation of the Spanish state in 1493 and continues to the present day.
Wanda Emilia Vázquez Garced is a Puerto Rican politician and attorney who served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 2019 to 2021. Prior to her tenure as governor, she served as the 19th secretary of Justice, from 2017 to 2019. A member of the New Progressive Party and Republican Party of Puerto Rico, Vázquez is the second female governor in Puerto Rican history, after Sila María Calderón. She assumed the office following the resignation of Ricardo Roselló, and the judicial annulation of Pedro Pierluisi's short-lived government, in the aftermath of the Telegramgate Scandal. On August 16, 2020, she failed to secure the New Progressive Party nomination for Governor of Puerto Rico in the 2020 elections, losing to Pedro Pierluisi.
Telegramgate, also known as Chatgate or RickyLeaks, was a political scandal involving Ricardo Rosselló, then Governor of Puerto Rico, which began on July 8, 2019, with the leak of hundreds of pages of a group chat on the messaging application Telegram between Rosselló and members of his cabinet. The messages were considered vulgar, misogynistic, racist, and homophobic toward several individuals and groups, and discussed how they would use the media to target potential political opponents. The leak came in the midst of allegations by former Secretary of Treasury of Puerto Rico, Raúl Maldonado Gautier, that his department boasted an "institutional mafia" that Rosselló was involved in. The leaks also came a year after a previous scandal, dubbed WhatsApp Gate, involving other members of Rosselló's cabinet.
The 2024 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of Puerto Rico, concurrently with the election of the Resident Commissioner, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the mayors of the 78 municipalities. Incumbent New Progressive Party Governor Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia ran for re-election to a second term in office, but lost the PNP primary to Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon.
This fourth and last government of Luis Muñoz Marín followed his third reelection. In many ways it was a continuation of the previous government, with one change in positions, the Secretary of Labor, and the same amount of supermajoritarian control of the Senate of Puerto Rico and House of Representatives of Puerto Rico.
Although he served only two days, Rivero was credited with being the last Spanish governor of Porto Rico. He was born here and educated in Spain. He served in the Spanish army until the end of the Spanish-American war and later became an American citizen. Rivero was credited with doing much to create friendly understanding among Spaniards, Porto Ricans and Americans.
[Rosselló es] Vicepresidente de la Asociación de Gobernadores Demócratas.