Pedro Juan Rosselló González (; born April 5, 1944) is a
Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the
governor of Puerto Rico
The governor of Puerto Rico ( es, gobernador de Puerto Rico) is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and commander-in-chief of the Puerto Rico National Guard.
The governor has a duty ...
from 1993 to 2001. He was President of the
New Progressive Party from 1991 to 1999 and 2003 to 2008, and served as Senator for the District of Arecibo from 2005 to 2008. His son,
Ricardo
Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname.
People Given name
*Ricardo de Araújo Pereira, Portugue ...
, was also Governor of Puerto Rico from 2017 to 2019.
In 1988 Rosselló ran for
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
The resident commissioner of Puerto Rico () is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico every four years, the only member of the House of Representatives ...
, but lost to
Jaime Fuster
Jaime Benito Fuster Berlingeri (January 12, 1941 – December 3, 2007) was a politician who served as an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Justice Fuster, along with Justice Liana Fiol Matta, was considered the leading li ...
in the 1988 elections. From 1990 to 1991 he successfully challenged former Governor and then-NPP President
Carlos Romero Barceló
Carlos Antonio Romero Barceló (September 4, 1932 – May 2, 2021) was a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1977 to 1985. He was the second governor to be elected from the New Progressive Party (PNP). He al ...
for the NPP's presidency. He was thereafter elected Governor of Puerto Rico in 1992 and in 1996 was re-elected by the widest electoral margin up to that date. He also served as President of the
Council of State Governments
The Council of State Governments (CSG) is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization in the United States that serves all three branches of state government.
Founded in 1933 by Colorado state Sen. Henry W. Toll, CSG is a region-based forum that ...
as well as
Chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
of the
Southern Governors' Association
The Southern Governors' Association (SGA), formerly the Southern Governors Conference, was a United States association of governors founded in 1934. It was the oldest and historically the largest of the regional governors associations. Since its fi ...
, and
Democratic Governors Association
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization founded in 1983, consisting of U.S. state and territorial governors affiliated with the Democratic Party. The mission of the organization is to provide party ...
. He retired from active politics in 2001.
In 2003 Rosselló made a comeback, winning the NPP's 2004 gubernatorial nomination in primaries against then-NPP President
Carlos Pesquera
Carlos Ignacio Pesquera-Morales (born August 17, 1956) is a Puerto Rican civil engineer. He ran in the 2016 New Progressive Party primary to be Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner as Pedro Pierluisi's ballot running mate, but lost by over 70% of ...
. He then lost the 2004 gubernatorial race to Anibal Acevedo Vilá by an unprecedented and a vigorously disputed razor-thin margin. Soon after an elected NPP Senator from Arecibo resigned his seat and Rosselló filled the vacancy. From 2005 to 2006 Rosselló unsuccessfully sought to remove Senate President
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth Davison McClintock-Hernández (born January 19, 1957) is a politician who served as the twenty-second Secretary of State of Puerto Rico, one of the four longest serving in that post. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s Na ...
from that position and replace him. In 2008 Rosselló lost the NPP's 2008 gubernatorial nomination to then-Resident Commissioner and future Governor
Luis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset (born 31 October 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, from 2009 to 2013.
Fortuño served as the first secretary of econom ...
. Thereafter he completed his term as Senator and retired from electoral politics.
As of , Rossello is the most recent Governor of Puerto Rico to serve more than one term.
Early life and education
Rosselló González was born in
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to:
Places Argentina
* San Juan Province, Argentina
* San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province
* San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province
* San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
on April 5, 1944, to Juan Antonio Rosselló Matanzo (1913–2001) and Iris M. González Paz (1919–2012). Rosselló's paternal grandfather Pedro Juan Rosselló Batle migrated in 1902 at the age of 23 from
Lloseta
Lloseta (; ) is a small municipality in the district of Raiguer on Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto ...
,
Mallorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean.
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...
, in the
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...
, Spain; his brother Juan had also left for Puerto Rico a year earlier.
After completing his elementary and secondary education at Academia Santa Teresita and
Academia del Perpetuo Socorro
Academia del Perpetuo Socorro (English: "Academy of Our Lady of Perpetual Help") was founded in 1921 as a Catholic parochial school of the Perpetuo Socorro Parish at the Archdiocese of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The school is located in Miramar in Pu ...
, both located in San Juan, Rosselló moved to the mainland United States to attend college. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree,
magna cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...
at the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...
in 1966, as well as several academic and athletic distinctions. After graduation, he continued his studies in medicine at
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, which he completed in 1970, also graduating Magna Cum Laude. Later he specialized in general and pediatric surgery at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. Following his residency at Harvard, he practiced medicine in Puerto Rico while also attending the
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus
The University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus — Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas (UPR-RCM) in Spanish— is a public health sciences-oriented university in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is part of the Univ ...
where he earned a master's degree in Public Health (MPH) in 1981 (also graduating Magna Cum Laude). In 2011, he began studying toward a
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D. or D.Ed.; Latin ''Educationis Doctor'' or ''Doctor Educationis'') is (depending on region and university) a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for a ...
in Education Leadership from the
University of Turabo
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
, graduating in 2015. During his college years, Rosselló became an avid tennis player that led him to be named the captain of Notre Dame's Men's tennis team, a P.R. 5-time-Mens-Champion, and also to play for Puerto Rico's team in regional championships, including the Central American and Caribbean Games. He was inducted into the Puerto Rico Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004.
Early career
Rosselló started his professional career alternating as an instructor at
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...
and as an assistant professor at the
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus
The University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus — Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas (UPR-RCM) in Spanish— is a public health sciences-oriented university in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is part of the Univ ...
, where he would later become an
associate professor
Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''.
Overview
In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...
.
He became chief of pediatric surgery and later chief surgeon at the University of Puerto Rico Children's Hospital. In 1985, Rosselló was named Health Services Director for the city of San Juan by then Mayor
Baltasar Corrada del Río
Baltasar Corrada del Río (April 10, 1935 – March 11, 2018) was a Puerto Rican politician. He held various high political offices in the island, including President of the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission, Resident Commissioner (1977–19 ...
.
Political career
Run for resident commissioner
Rosselló began his political career in 1988 when he ran for the office of
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
The resident commissioner of Puerto Rico () is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico every four years, the only member of the House of Representatives ...
, (the island's non-voting observer/representative in the United States Congress) losing to incumbent
Jaime Fuster
Jaime Benito Fuster Berlingeri (January 12, 1941 – December 3, 2007) was a politician who served as an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Justice Fuster, along with Justice Liana Fiol Matta, was considered the leading li ...
of the
Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Nevertheless, he was the candidate from the
New Progressive Party (PNP) for whom the most votes were cast in the 1988 elections. This positioned him well to become the party's next leader.
After leading a "Statehood Crusade" throughout the islands of Puerto Rico, in 1991 he became president of the PNP, successfully leading an opposition to a
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
sponsored by the then Puerto Rico's Governor
Rafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón (October 24, 1936 – May 2, 2019) was a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1977 and 1985 to 1993 for a total of three terms. An experienced politician, Hernández held the ...
. In 1992 he successfully ran for
Governor of Puerto Rico
The governor of Puerto Rico ( es, gobernador de Puerto Rico) is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and commander-in-chief of the Puerto Rico National Guard.
The governor has a duty ...
, defeating
Victoria Muñoz Mendoza of the
PPD.
Governor (1993–2001)
As governor, Rosselló launched an anti-crime campaign known as ''"Mano Dura Contra el Crimen"'' (''literally, "Strong hand against crime"'') in which the
Puerto Rico National Guard
The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) – es, Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico– is the national guard of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and s ...
was used to assist state police in deterring the ever-increasing crime wave that had begun in the late 1980s. This crime-fighting initiative supposedly managed to reduce violent crimes in half by the time he left office in Jan. 2001, but the figures are disputed due to poor recordkeeping and extensive juking of crime statistics by Puerto Rican police. The U.S. Department of Justice would document these problems with Puerto Rico's police force in a 2011 report. There were also widespread incidents of police brutality, as Rosselló and Police Superintendent Pedro Toledo aggressively deployed riot police against political protests. These protests arose over litany of controversies that marred Rosselló's government, including the privatization of the island's utilities, massive cost overruns and contract disputes on development projects, and several corruption scandals involving top cabinet officials. After Rosselló left office, crime rates either returned to pre-Mano Dura levels or successive governments simply reported more accurate crime statistics. Violent crime declined by a similar extent across the US during that period, but Puerto Rico's crime rate blew past pre-Rosselló levels throughout the 2000s and 2010s. He also worked to eradicate drug traffic in Puerto Rico Publics School on his campaign "Zona Libre de Drogas" (Drug-Free Zone). The Rosselló government was never able to address the extensive penetration by narcotraffickers of the police and local government, and by 2010 Puerto Rico had one of the highest gun homicide rates in the world, a figure largely driven by drug crime. His administration was also characterized for investing in large-scale, controversial infrastructure projects which included a train system, dubbed
Tren Urbano
The ''Tren Urbano'' (English language, English: Urban Train) is a List of automated urban metro subway systems, fully-automated rapid transit system that serves the municipalities of San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Gua ...
, and a new convention center in San Juan, now officially named the
Pedro Rosselló Convention Center
The Dr. Pedro Rosselló González Puerto Rico Convention Center (PRCC) (or ''Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico Dr. Pedro Rosselló González'' in Spanish), or simply Puerto Rico Convention Center, is a convention center located in Isla Gr ...
. His policies also included a push towards reducing the size of government and taking government out of areas in which it should not act as a direct competitor of the private sector. His administration reduced the unemployment to less than 11% in 2000 creating thousands of jobs during his 8 years of government. Most of these government and private sector jobs disappeared in the 2000s as the island's debt problem, largely unaddressed during Rosselló's administration, spiraled out of control and forced later governments to purge civil service rolls and resort to regressive tax measures to raise revenue. Some other large-scale infrastructure projects were the
Coliseum of Puerto Rico
The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world t ...
, the
Museum of Art of Puerto Rico, Highway 66, and the SuperAcueducto.
Under his administration, a
healthcare reform bill was approved. Rosselló's Health Reform made Puerto Rico one of the few jurisdictions in the entire world to have had virtually 100% of its population covered by health insurance. Additionally, under this Reform, Puerto Rico became the only jurisdiction in the US to have nearly 100% of its infants under the age of 2 vaccinated. He led two campaigns for Puerto Rican statehood in 1993 and 1998 in which locally enacted
plebiscite
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
s were held to consult the Puerto Rican electorate on the political status with the United States. He supported the congressional
Young Bill, which sought to carry out a referendum in Puerto Rico to define the political status of the island. However, the bill died in committee in the
Senate of the United States
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
. Nevertheless, Rosselló carried out a non-binding plebiscite in 1998 which gave electors four options and a fifth ''
None of the Above
"None of the above" (NOTA), or none for short, also known as "against all" or a "scratch" vote, is a ballot option in some jurisdictions or organizations, designed to allow the voter to indicate disapproval of the candidates in a voting system. ...
'' column. The opposing Popular Democratic Party led a campaign to boycott the plebiscite and called the electorate to vote for the ''None of the Above'' column. The boycott was successful, as the ''None of the Above'' column – which did not represent any kind support for any status option – garnered 50.3% of the total votes.
In the 1996 elections he defeated rivals
Héctor Luis Acevedo
Héctor Luis Acevedo Pérez (born November 8, 1947) is a Puerto Rican politician from Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the son of Héctor N. Acevedo and Toñita Pérez, both public servants. Acevedo has been married to Carmen Roca Saav ...
(
PPD) who was mayor of San Juan at the time, and Representative
David Noriega
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
(
PIP), winning a second term after obtaining more than one million votes and the largest victory margin since 1964.
In 1998, a 45% stake of the state-owned
Puerto Rico Telephone Company
Claro Puerto Rico is one of the largest telecommunications services company in Puerto Rico. It is headquartered in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and has operated for almost a century offering voice, data, long distance, broadban ...
(PRTC) was sold to a consortium led by
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation (1955–1982), was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System. The company operated from 1926, with roots tracing furth ...
(now
Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...
) and
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Popular, Inc., doing business as Banco Popular in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and as Popular Bank in the mainland United States, is a financial services conglomerate that has operated in Puerto Rico for over 125 years and in the mainland ...
, with another stake set aside to benefit all of the company's employees. This sale led to a general strike organized by several labor unions. A similar attempt to privatize PRTC in 1988, under then Governor
Rafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón (October 24, 1936 – May 2, 2019) was a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1977 and 1985 to 1993 for a total of three terms. An experienced politician, Hernández held the ...
, led to a similar strike which doomed the sale. The
Telecommunications Act of 1996
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is a United States federal law enacted by the 104th United States Congress on January 3, 1996, and signed into law on February 8, 1996, by President Bill Clinton. It primarily amended Chapter 5 of Title 47 of t ...
deregulated the monopolies many regional telephone and cable television companies held. From then on, PRTC's telecommunications monopoly would no longer be able to properly compete in the environment and the losses to the government would have been onerous. The sale price was 2 billion dollars, which union leaders described as "ridiculously low" (PRTC generated about a 100 million dollars of yearly profit at the time of the sale). The privatization of PRTC led to the
1998 Puerto Rican general strike.
Rosello's last term as governor (1998-2001) was plagued with numerous political scandals, many of them related to the use of public funds for personal gain by government officials as well as by members of Rosello's PNP political party. Among the charges was the use of government funds that had been allocated for treating Puerto Ricans suffering from
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
which were instead used to finance Rosello's political campaign. Some funds intended for public education were also diverted for personal or party gain. After a new governor took over in 2001 (
Sila María Calderón Serra) more evidence of Rosello-era scandals was still coming to light.
Vieques controversy
In April 1999, a
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
bomber misfired its missiles at a practice range and struck the main watch-post on the island of
Vieques
Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island and municipality of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ...
, killing
David Sanes
David Sanes Rodríguez (1954 – 19 April 1999) was a native of Vieques, Puerto Rico whose death became a rallying point for those opposed to the U.S. military presence on and use of his home island for live-fire bombing practice. Sanes Rodríguez' ...
, a civilian employee of the Navy. The protests that followed on the small island gathered international attention (see
Navy-Vieques protests
The Vieques, Puerto Rico, Naval Training Range was a United States naval facility located on the island of Vieques, about 5 miles east of mainland Puerto Rico. Starting in November 1941, the navy used the range for military exercises. Military o ...
). Governor Rosselló supported the immediate exit of the Navy, appearing before the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Armed Services Committee pressing the Senators, among them
John Warner
John William Warner III (February 18, 1927 – May 25, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1979 to 200 ...
and
James Inhofe
James Mountain Inhofe ( ; born November 17, 1934) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Oklahoma, a seat he was first elected to in 1994. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the U.S. Senate Committe ...
, to immediately take action so that the Navy could withdraw its troops from the island. In 2000, Rosselló and then President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
signed an agreement that the Navy would withdraw from
Vieques
Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island and municipality of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ...
by the year 2003, if voters in Vieques ratified the agreement in a referendum. The agreement included $40 million in public works in Vieques. After Clinton and Rosselló left office, the administration of the next Governor of Puerto Rico,
Sila Calderón
Sila may refer to :
Places and jurisdictions
; Asia
* Silla, one of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea
* Sila, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
; Europe
* La Sila, a mountainous area of Calabria, Italy
** Sila National Park
* Siła, Warmian-Ma ...
, rescinded this agreement. Despite political grandstanding from the Calderón administration calling of an earlier withdrawal, the Navy left Vieques on May 1, 2003, the same date President Clinton and Governor Rosselló had agreed upon.
After finishing his term, amid controversy over the growing number of corruption cases involving members of his party and administration, Rosselló moved to the Boston area where he taught on the faculty of the
Harvard Kennedy School
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. He later moved to
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, where he first served as a fellow at the
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (or Wilson Center) is a quasi-government entity and think tank which conducts research to inform public policy. Located in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washi ...
and later taught public health at
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
in Washington, D.C.
In 2003, Rosselló returned to politics and won his party's nomination for the gubernatorial candidacy in a primary election against his successor as PNP leader,
Carlos Pesquera
Carlos Ignacio Pesquera-Morales (born August 17, 1956) is a Puerto Rican civil engineer. He ran in the 2016 New Progressive Party primary to be Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner as Pedro Pierluisi's ballot running mate, but lost by over 70% of ...
. In the
2004 Puerto Rico Elections the PNP won majorities in both houses of the Legislature, the mayorships of 42 of the island's 78 municipalities and the Resident Commissioner post in the U.S. Congress. However, the position of governor was given then to incumbent Resident Commissioner
Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá (born 13 February 1962) is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer. He served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University alumnus (LL.M. 1987) and a graduate of the University of Puer ...
who won by razor-thin margin in a highly controversial PR Supreme Court decision that many still hold was politically motivated.
Senator (2005–09)
Prior to assuming office as Senator, Rosselló had announced his intention to remove Senate President
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth Davison McClintock-Hernández (born January 19, 1957) is a politician who served as the twenty-second Secretary of State of Puerto Rico, one of the four longest serving in that post. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s Na ...
and be elected to replace him. An internal power struggle within the New Progressive Party between Rosselló and McClintock led to a split within the NPP Senate delegation in May 2005. After a caucus meeting, eleven of the seventeen senators elected by the New Progressive Party voted for Rosselló, with the other six boycotting the meeting. McClintock and five other senators,
Orlando Parga
Orlando Parga Figueroa (born February 6, 1939, in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican politician and former member of the Senate of Puerto Rico. He served as President pro tempore of the Senate from 2005 to 2009.
Early years and studies
...
, Luz Arce, Migdalia Padilla, Carlos Díaz, and
Jorge de Castro Font
Jorge Adolfo de Castro-Font (born September 10, 1963) is a former Puerto Rican senator and former member of the House of Representatives. Originally, he was a member of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) but became an independent representativ ...
, refused to follow the caucus' decision, denying the unanimous consent required by Senate Rules 2 and 6 to remove a president, thus permitting McClintock to remain as Senate president. The party directorate subsequently recommended that McClintock, Parga, and de Castro Font be expelled from the Party, and that Arce, Padilla, and Díaz be censured and prohibited to run for re-election under the party's flag or logo. However, in August 2005 the party's General Assembly only took action to expel de Castro Font, leaving the status of McClintock and the other four senators in limbo after approving in August 2006 a generic censure resolution that did not name any officeholders by name. The sanctions were nullified by San Juan Superior Court Judge Oscar Dávila Suliveres on May 8, 2007. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, in a 5-to-1 decision, affirmed the lower court decision. Three of the disciplined senators (De Castro, Arce, Padilla) who ran for renomination, except for Díaz Olivo, were renominated in the March 2008 primary and were re-elected in the general elections.
Rosselló was able to gain 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 ...
when
Victor Loubriel
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
, an elected first-time district senator representing
Arecibo
Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, the ...
, decided to resign his seat two days after being sworn in. The senator's resignation gave the New Progressive Party a seat it could fill, so Rosselló announced his intentions of filling the vacancy and was selected to the post through an internal party procedure. Rosselló officially assumed duties as a Senator of Puerto Rico on February 13, 2005.
On January 16, 2007, Rosselló led the party caucus in the Senate to a reprimand of two more NPP senators, fellow Arecibo senator José Emilio González and Bayamón senator Carmelo Ríos for voting in favor of a concurrent resolution proposing a constitutional amendment that would turn Puerto Rico's bicameral legislature into a unicameral legislative system, increasing the number of reprimanded caucus members to eight of the total of sixteen elected in 2004. Both González and Rios expressed their lack of concern over the reprimand and were handily renominated in the March 2008 primary and reelected in the November 2008 general election.
March against U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico
On February 21, 2006, Pedro Rosselló set out to denounce "U.S. persistent colonialism in Puerto Rico" by organizing a march for the end of US colonialism in Puerto Rico (''La Marcha por el Fin de la Colonia''). The stated purpose of the march was to expose the colonial status of Puerto Rico, and exhort the United States Congress to pass a bill that would allow the
self-determination
The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...
of the people of Puerto Rico, with congressionally mandated non-territorial, non-colonial options. Rosselló is a vocal and prominent supporter of statehood for the island, wanting Puerto Rico to become the 51st state of the (United States). The march covered the complete perimeter of Puerto Rico, tracing its coastline for 16 days and 271.3 miles. The
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
has not acted on any requests from the march's organizers.
NPP presidency
On June 7, 2007, Senator Rosselló officially ended his bid for the Senate presidency, stating in an article in
El Vocero
''El Vocero de Puerto Rico'' is a Puerto Rican free newspaper that is published in San Juan. Published since 1974, ''El Vocero'' was at first the third of the four largest Puerto Rico newspapers, trailing '' El Mundo'' and ''El Nuevo Día'' and ...
newspaper that he was no longer interested in the post, held since 2005 by fellow party member
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth Davison McClintock-Hernández (born January 19, 1957) is a politician who served as the twenty-second Secretary of State of Puerto Rico, one of the four longest serving in that post. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s Na ...
. On April 19, 2007, he published a third book, ''El Triunvirato del Terror'', (''The Triumvirate of Terror'') on the power centers that he believes control Puerto Rico's economy and government.
On April 28, 2007, Rosselló revealed to various party leaders that in March, 2006, he had signed a sworn statement assuring that he would not make a fourth run for the governorship in 2008, and that he intended to abide by the result. During the April 25, 2007, U.S. House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs hearing on Puerto Rico's political status, he was seen treating McClintock very cordially, which suggests that the tension levels between them had eased somewhat, suggesting he may have wanted to help reunite the party as it prepares for the 2008 electoral campaign against incumbent Governor
Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá (born 13 February 1962) is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer. He served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University alumnus (LL.M. 1987) and a graduate of the University of Puer ...
and assume a different non-elective role within the statehood movement to which he has devoted nearly two decades of his life.
2008 NPP governor's candidacy primary
During a PNP assembly on May 22, 2007, a large group of delegates unanimously acclaimed him as the party's candidate for governor. However, given his original intention NOT to run, he officially announced that he would allow his name to be placed on the ballot, but he would not carry out a campaign for reelection. His candidacy papers were filed at the State Elections Commission on June 1, 2007. His candidacy was contested by
Luis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset (born 31 October 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, from 2009 to 2013.
Fortuño served as the first secretary of econom ...
, the current Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, with whom he had shared the ballot in 2004. Fortuño had also announced officially his pre-candidacy for the party's nomination for governor.
On March 9, 2008, Rosselló conceded the victory to
Luis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset (born 31 October 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, from 2009 to 2013.
Fortuño served as the first secretary of econom ...
after a large margin of votes in favor of his opponent at the
primaries
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the c ...
.
Primarias 2008 Escrutinio PNP
on CEEPUR.org
Personal life
Rosselló married Irma Margarita "Maga" Neváres on August 9, 1969. They have three sons: Juan Oscar (b. 1971), Luis Roberto (b. 1973), and Ricardo Antonio (b. 1979), and several grandchildren. His youngest son, Ricardo became the 12th Governor of Puerto Rico.
One of Rossello's nephews, Roy Rossello
Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin.
In Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman language, Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' ...
, was a member of boy band Menudo.
Publications
* ''Campos, Cielos y Flamboyanes: Con Pedro Rosselló de 1988 a 1997'' – . Published in 1997.
* ''El Status es el Issue'' – biography written by Alberto Goachet and authorized by Rosselló. Published on January 12, 2005.
* ''The Unfinished Business of American Democracy'' – published on October 27, 2005.
* ''El Triunvirato del Terror'' – published on April 19, 2007
See also
* Voting rights in Puerto Rico
Voting rights of United States citizens who live in Puerto Rico, like the voting rights of residents of other United States territories, differ from those of United States citizens in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Resi ...
References
External links
Rosselló's achievements in office 1993–2000
Rosselló's official senate profile webpage
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061205024219/http://senadopr.us/ The Puerto Rican Senateofficial site
The Puerto Rican Senate
official site
Proof of the recent survey
Biography by CIDOB
(in Spanish)
*
, -
, -
, -
, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rossello, Pedro
1944 births
Democratic Party governors of Puerto Rico
Governors of Puerto Rico
Living people
Members of the Senate of Puerto Rico
New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) politicians
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's tennis players
People from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Presidents of the New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico)
Puerto Rican male tennis players
Puerto Rican people of Catalan descent
Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent
Statehood movement in Puerto Rico
University of Notre Dame alumni
University of Puerto Rico alumni
Yale University alumni
Rosselló family