José Ramón "Chemo" Soto Rivera (December 17, 1943 – December 27, 2021) was a Puerto Rican politician who was the mayor of Canóvanas from 1993 to 2014,

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

and a member of the New Progressive Party.

Early years and work

Soto was born in Loíza,

to Ramón Soto Segarra and Rosa Rivera Carrión. He was the sixth of eleven children born to the couple. Soto began his studies at the Cambalache elementary school, and then attended the Eugenio María de Hostos Junior High School and Andrés Flores López High School in Canóvanas,

. Soto served with the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. After his military service, he became a police officer in the Puerto Rico Police Department. Soto also studied at Puerto Rico Junior College, completing a degree in

Criminology Criminology (from Latin , "accusation", and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'' meaning: "word, reason") is the study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in both the behavioural and so ...

. He also completed an associate degree in Economy and Physical Education from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. In 1978, Soto started working as a private investigator for various banking institutions like First Federal Savings Bank,

Banco de Ponce Banco de Ponce was the Puerto Rican bank with the largest number of branches in the United States and second largest bank in deposits and number of branches in Puerto Rico during the twentieth century. Founded in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in the e ...

, and Best Finance. He also became involved in the sports field in the town, and eventually became a leader in the community. This prompted him to seek public office in 1992.

Political career

Soto began his tenure as mayor of Canóvanas when he was elected at the 1992 Puerto Rican general election. He beat candidates Estéban Meléndez ( PPD) and Eduardo Betancourt ( PIP) to win the seat. He was reelected five consecutive times (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012) making him one of the longest tenured mayors in the island. During his time in office, Soto became known for his fervent belief in the existence of the

Chupacabra The chupacabra or chupacabras (, literally 'goat-sucker'; from es, chupar, 'to suck', and , 'goats') is a legendary creature in the folklore of parts of the Americas, with its first purported sightings reported in Puerto Rico in 1995. The na ...

. Since the 1990s, Soto claimed that the mythical creature roamed the terrains of Canóvanas. Ever since, he organized various expeditions to search for it, without success. In 2014, Soto announced his intention to retire from politics. He was succeeded as mayor by his daughter,

Lornna Soto Lornna J. Soto Villanueva (born May 27, 1970) is a Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the New Progressive Party (PNP). She is the current mayor of Canóvanas, succeeding her father, José "Chemo" Soto in 2014. Before being mayor, Soto wa ...

. However, the next year, Soto announced he would aspire to a seat in the

Senate of Puerto Rico The Senate of Puerto Rico ( es, Senado de Puerto Rico) is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate, together with the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, control th ...

, but he was defeated in the 2016 primaries.

Personal life and death

Soto has nine children from several relationships. One of his daughters,

, was a Puerto Rican Senator and eventually succeeded him as mayor of Canóvanas. She is his daughter with Delia "Niní" Villanueva. His other children include Cristal and Christian "Chemito" Soto Mujica. In 2012, Christian pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in US Federal Court. As of 2021, "Chemo" Soto was in a relationship with Crucita Rentas. Soto died on December 27, 2021, at the age of 78 after having health issues for several months. He was inserted at the New Canóvanas Municipal Cemetery in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico.

Legacy

A high school at the San Isidro ward of Canóvanas, was named after him, as the "José Ramón Soto Rivera High School".

References

1943 births 2021 deaths Interamerican University of Puerto Rico alumni Mayors of places in Puerto Rico New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) politicians People from Canóvanas, Puerto Rico People from Loíza, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican Army personnel Puerto Rican police officers United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War United States Army soldiers {{PuertoRico-politician-stub