Nelson Cruz Santiago (born August 12, 1975 in

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government. Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...

) is a Puerto Rican politician and a member of 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 ...

from 2017 to 2021. He is affiliated to the New Progressive Party (PNP).

Early years and studies

Born to Nelson Cruz Piña and Bethzaida Santiago Hernández. He has an associate degree in police science from the Criminal Investigation College of the Puerto Rico Police, and a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences with a concentration in criminal justice of the Ana G. Méndez University System.

Professional career

In 1995, he began his career in public service as a shelter manager for the Emergency Management office of the Municipality of Peñuelas. Since 1996 has worked as a

Puerto Rico Natural Resources Ranger Corps The Puerto Rico Natural Resources Ranger Corps ( es, Cuerpo de Vigilantes de Recursos Naturales) is the law enforcement conservation officers for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Its primary mission is to protect endemic plants and animals of Pu ...

, attached to the

Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER) is the executive department of the government of Puerto Rico tasked with protecting, conserving, developing, and managing the natural and environmental resources in Puert ...

Political career

Served as a member of the city council in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico since 2000 and was elected again in 2004. In 2012 ran for mayor of Peñuelas but lost. He was elected as senator to represent the District of Ponce in the 2016 elections. His most known bill is the Senate Project 1050 with the assistance of Consultant Jasper N McDonald a Master Peace Officer from Texas this bill was passed, this bill simplifies the process of gaining a firearm licence. In 2020, Cruz Santiago along with 5 others were referred to the

Puerto Rico Office of the Special Independent Prosecutor's Panel The Puerto Rico Office of the Special Independent Prosecutor's Panel ( es, Oficina del Panel sobre el Fiscal Especial Independiente) is an autonomous agency of the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico that appoints Special Independent ...

by Dennise Longo Quiñones and he decried it as political persecution.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruz Santiago, Nelson 1975 births New Progressive Party members of the Senate of Puerto Rico Living people 21st-century Puerto Rican politicians